Context: The BRICS Delhi Declaration 2026 signals possible greater Indian openness to creating pathways for plurilateral initiatives within the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework, after India opposed such integration at WTO MC14.Plurilateral ag...

Context: India is advancing multiple trade negotiations, with EU and Canada FTAs targeted for year-end, while the India–New Zealand FTA is expected to become operational in October.India–EU FTA: European Commission → European Council approval → signi...

Context: Meta will directly report Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) cases to India’s cybercrime authorities, in addition to the U.S.-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).Meta platforms: Instagram and Facebook.Indian re...

Context: Six States signed an agreement to implement the 422 MW Kishau Multipurpose Project on the Tons River, along the Uttarakhand–Himachal Pradesh border, at ₹15,624 crore.Participating States: Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh...

Context: From 15 October, UPI merchant transactions above ₹2,000 will attract Merchant Discount Rate (MDR), with specified exemptions.Standard MDR: 0.4% on UPI merchant transactions above ₹2,000; shared among banks, payment processors and app provide...

India approved electricity exports to Nepal for 18 hours/day, from September 13–December 31, 2026, after floods damaged Nepal's hydropower infrastructure.Export limit: 654 MW.Power TransmissionMuzaffarpur–Dhalkebar: up to 600 MW, through 400 kV doubl...

Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad researchers identified the Australe Basin on the Moon using mineralogical data from Chandrayaan-1.It may be older than the South Pole–Aitken (SPA) Basin, currently regarded as the largest and oldest known...

Supreme Court is examining mandatory Front-of-Pack Labels (FoPL) for packaged foods high in fats, sugars and salt (HFSS).Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed red hexagonal warning labels, with phased implementation.Key Pr...

Quantum Information and Computing (QuIC) Laboratory, Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, demonstrated a single-shot operation to control quantum-state stability.The technique may improve reliability of quantum computations by delaying decohere...

Erratic 2026 southwest monsoon + strong El Niño + geopolitical tensions may reduce crop yields and push domestic and global food prices upward.Fertiliser sales have declined despite near-normal Kharif acreage, signalling possible stress in agricultur...

Context: Ministry of Finance notified that no bank/system-provider charge can be imposed on UPI transactions up to ₹2,000 or RuPay debit-card payments.Charges on higher-value Person-to-Merchant (P2M) UPI transactions may now be enabled; actual Mercha...

Context: National Law Scholars Programme (NLSP) is a fully funded residential initiative that identifies talented students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), primarily from rural backgrounds, and prepares them for Common Law Admission Test (CLA...

Houthi drone attacks forced Saudi Arabia to shut its major East–West oil pipeline, threatening global oil supplies.East–West Pipeline (Petroline) transports crude oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.Saud...

A long-term study found that female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) inherit their mother’s social rank, giving privileged lineages greater access to resources and reproductive opportunities.Study covered 2,743 wild spotted hyenas, 8 clans, 8 generat...

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres clarified that the United Nations does not define or endorse national borders through its maps.India supported the UN General Assembly resolution of September 3 seeking more accurate representation of land areas...

Context: At the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India highlighted the risks of weaponisation of technology and critical minerals and stressed resilient supply chains and crisis preparedness.BRICS Integrated Early Warning System: For prevention and respons...

Context: Bharat Innovates Exposition is being held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, alongside the 18th BRICS Summit, showcasing 37 Indian deep-tech innovations.Key InnovationsAI-enabled cervical cancer screeningFloating solar photovoltaic (PV)Marine ro...

Context: Anthropic reported blocking attempts to misuse its Artificial Intelligence (AI) models for cyberattacks, surveillance and biological-weapons-related research.The company has introduced stronger safeguards against potentially dangerous biolog...

Context: The European Commission has forwarded the India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) text to the European Council for approval to sign and conclude the agreement.Legal vetting and finalisation of the text are complete; internal EU approvals remain....

Context: Biotech Conclave 2026, held in Chennai, discussed emerging applications of biotechnology, biomedical research, drug discovery and healthcare technologies.Precision Medicine: Tailors disease prevention and treatment to individual variations,...

Context: BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) expressed concern over unilateral tariffs and non-tariff measures that distort trade and called for a rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO)...

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping to improve trade, people-to-people ties and border stability.Xi Jinping’s proposed visit would be his first visit to New Delhi since 2014.Border IssuesLine of Act...

Context: An Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-led genome-wide study suggests Indian women may have a genetic predisposition to endometriosis, highlighting the need for earlier diagnosis and treatment.Endometriosis: A chronic condition in whic...

Context: Recent Supreme Court and Allahabad High Court interventions protected students’ right to protest against alleged exam and workers’ issues while checking arbitrary use of executive powers.Freedom of speech and expression: Article 19(1)(a) gua...

Context: At the International Space Summit in Paris, India highlighted its expanding space cooperation with France and called for global partnerships for sustainable and peaceful use of outer space.India–France space cooperation: Began with French co...

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced a special swap facility to encourage Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) [FCNR(B)] deposits and strengthen India’s foreign-exchange reserves amid rupee pressure.FCNR(B) deposits: Foreign-currency-d...

Context: The Union Government is consulting farmers on a new Seeds Bill to replace the Seeds Act, 1966, citing changing agricultural practices and concerns over fake/substandard seeds.Seeds Act, 1966: Existing legislation regulating the quality of ce...

Context: The Supreme Court asked the Union Government to reconsider reducing the qualifying percentile for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test–Super Specialty (NEET-SS) after many super-specialty seats remained vacant.NEET-SS: Entrance examination...

Context: The Union Cabinet approved 8 multitracking projects covering 1,196 km, costing ₹20,804 crore, to decongest heavily utilised railway routes.High-Density Network (HDN): Railway routes where passenger and freight train movement exceeds capacity...

Context: During Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s Sri Lanka visit, India and Sri Lanka signed defence-sector Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).First Indian Defence Minister’s visit: Rajnath Singh’s visit is the first by an Indian Defence Minister to S...

Context: Despite geopolitical conflicts and energy-price shocks, global economic activity remains strong, driven particularly by artificial intelligence (AI) investment and corporate spending.Global growth: Global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth...

Context: A study suggests that ultra-heavy dark matter captured by dense stellar remnants could collapse into tiny black holes and eventually destroy their host stars.Dark matter: Invisible matter inferred mainly from its gravitational effects; unlik...

Context: The Centre has opposed treating English as an indigenous/native language under the three-language framework and is considering relief for the current Class 6 batch.Three-language framework: Envisages learning mother tongue/regional language...

Context: Tehran-Backed Houthis Accuse Riyadh Of Launching Airstrikes On YemenKhamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia – Houthi drones and missiles reportedly targeted a Saudi airbase here.Abha, Saudi Arabia – Houthi forces targeted facilities of Saudi Aramco; an...

Context: India’s first genome-wide study of endometriosis found genetic signals associated with the disease in Indian women, highlighting the need for South Asian population-specific genetic research.Endometriosis: Condition in which endometrium-like...

Context: Five juvenile orangutans were rescued from a forest in Balasore, Odisha, raising suspicion of an international wildlife-smuggling network because orangutans are not native to India.Orangutans: Asia’s only great apes and among the largest arb...

Context: Australia is proposing Digital Duty of Care rules to give users greater control over algorithmic feeds and strengthen protection of children from harmful online content.User empowerment tools: Platforms would have to let users 16+ choose whe...

Context: The commissioning of the final sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) has completed India’s 2,843-km operational DFC network, comprising the WDFC and Eastern DFC (EDFC).WDFC:JNPT (Maharashtra)–Dadri (Uttar Pradesh), 1,506...

Context: Meta has launched Muse, an AI agent designed to autonomously perform tasks across a user’s apps, raising concerns over AI autonomy, privacy and access to sensitive data.Muse: Meta’s personal AI assistant/agent capable of performing tasks suc...

Context: Rising temperatures are accelerating glacier retreat on the Tibetan Plateau, increasing the number and size of glacial lakes and consequently the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), landslides and downstream flooding.Tibetan/Qingha...

Context: Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) [FCNR(B)] deposits have become a cheaper funding source for Indian banks because current FCNR(B) interest rates are lower than conventional rupee deposit rates, while foreign-exchange (FX) risk is borne b...

Context: The U.K. has recognised India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) for carbon-price relief under its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), potentially lowering the carbon-related burden on Indian exporters.CCTS: India’s market-based me...

Context: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has flagged the growing use of technology and virtual assets to modernise traditional hawala networks, increasing risks of money laundering and terror financing.Digital hawala: Technology-enabled hawala...

Context: A UN world map (July 2026), discussed under the UNGA’s “Correct the Map” resolution, depicted Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin between Indian and Chinese claim lines, drawing India’s objection.Arunachal Pradesh: Map shows its northern bounda...

Context: 128 countries agreed on a text defining Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), potentially paving the way for negotiations on an international treaty regulating “killer robots”.LAWS: Weapons capable of selecting targets and applying force...

Context: India voted for a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution seeking a more accurate and equitable representation of global landmasses, particularly Africa.Resolution:“Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation an...

Context: Thermal power plants face a coal-management dilemma as emergency redistribution may penalise plants that maintain adequate stocks.CEA coal-stock norms: Revised plant-specific stocking norms came into force on 6 December 2021 to strengthen fu...

Context: Supreme Court urged States to raise the retirement age of district judicial officers from 60 to 62 years amid 5.18 crore pending district-court cases.SC rationale: Retaining experienced judicial officers can address judicial vacancies, recru...

Context: India has resumed Cell Broadcasting Service (CBS) for targeted emergency alerts during extreme weather and natural disasters.Developed by: Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT); operated by State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs...

Context: ISRO successfully launched EOS-05 aboard GSLV-F17, India’s first dedicated imaging satellite intended to operate from geosynchronous orbit.Launch vehicle: GSLV-F17; 19th GSLV mission and 107th launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), S...

Context: JCR upgraded India’s sovereign credit rating by one notch, citing high economic growth and strengthening economic and financial fundamentals.Rating:BBB+ → A-.Key reasons: ~7% economic growth, robust private consumption, public investment and...

Context: All-India average onion price rose to ₹49.59/kg on 1 September 2026, up over 74% year-on-year, despite adequate estimated production.Production 2025–26: 307.37 lakh tonnes, almost unchanged from 307.67 lakh tonnes in 2024–25; domestic supply...

Context: The 1996 Ganga Water Treaty between India and Bangladesh is due to expire on 31 December 2026; Bihar has raised concerns over its impact on water availability and siltation.Treaty: Signed in 1996 between India and Bangladesh for sharing the...

Context: UNEP’s Limiting Overshoot report projects that the 1.5°C warming limit will likely be temporarily breached in the coming years and outlines a pathway to return below it by 2100.Paris Agreement (2015): Seeks to limit global average temperatur...

Context: Delhi High Court held that pregnancy or maternity leave cannot result in demotion, loss of status or denial of career progression, directing HashiCorp to pay ₹10 lakh compensation to an employee.A woman returning from maternity leave is ordi...

Context: Japan has eased enforcement of overtime limits to address a severe labour shortage and support economic growth, effective September 2026.Around 40% of Japanese businesses operate under labour-management agreements permitting up to 100 hours...

Context:Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processed a record 24.51 billion transactions worth ₹29.82 lakh crore in August 2026, according to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).Annual growth: Transaction volume rose 22% and value rose 20...

Context: India’s Current Account Deficit (CAD) widened to $4.2 billion (0.5% of GDP) in Q1 FY27, from $3.4 billion (0.4%) a year earlier, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).Merchandise trade deficit increased sharply to $86.1 billion from $...

Place:Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city located on the northern coast of Africa, bordering Morocco. It is one of the EU’s two land borders with Africa (the other is Melilla).Context: In July, more than 72,000 migrants attempted to cross from Morocco...

Context:Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) signed an MoU to co-produce Javelin anti-tank guided missiles in India.JJV: Joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon (US); has produced 55,000+ Javelin missiles and 12,...

Context:INS Nipun commissioned at Mumbai to strengthen the Indian Navy’s underwater, deep-sea diving and submarine-rescue capabilities.Type:2nd Diving Support Vessel (DSV) of the Nistar Class; built by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd., Visakhapatnam.Key capab...

Context: India rejected a Court of Arbitration (CoA), Hague ruling that its decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), 1960 in abeyance was impermissible.India’s stand: India says the CoA is illegally constituted, has no jurisdiction, and India...

Context:Tommy Koh (Singapore), Bo Kyi (Myanmar) and Runa Khan (Bangladesh) won the 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Awards, Asia’s major award for selfless public service.Tommy Koh: Singaporean lawyer-diplomat; chaired the 1982 UN Conference on the Law of the Se...

Context: Supreme Court Collegium recommended Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal (Chhattisgarh HC) as the next Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court.Collegium is headed by CJI Surya Kant and recommends appointments/transfers of High Court judges and Chief Just...

Context: In Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi highlighted drug-abuse prevention, women’s financial empowerment and girls’ participation in space technology.PM SVANidhi: Central scheme providing collateral-free working-capital loans to urban street vendors/hawker...

Context: India and Uzbekistan upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with cooperation expanding to uranium, critical minerals, defence, connectivity and digital payments.Trade target: $5 billion/year by 2030; current trade >$1 bil...

Context: Civil rights groups held the “Defend the Vote” rally in Washington ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, opposing proposed voting restrictions and Republican-led redistricting.Prelims FactsRally held at the Lincoln Memorial/National Mall, exa...

Context: India and Canada reaffirmed their commitment to conclude Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations by end-2026 after the first India-Canada Finance Ministers’ Economic and Financial Dialogue in Toronto.Prelims FactsCEP...

Context: India signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the U.S. to procure Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.Prelims FactsJavelin:Medium-range, anti-tank guided missile used...

Context: The Defence Ministry has simplified defence export and licensing procedures to enable Indian defence manufacturers to access international markets faster.Prelims FactsDefence Export SOP: For non-lethal defence items, stakeholder consultation...

Context: India rejected allegations by a UN committee regarding discrimination and human-rights violations against certain communities.●Committee: UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)—a treaty body that monitors implementat...

Context: The Union Home Ministry plans integrated command-and-control centres using technology to strengthen security along India’s land borders; a pilot will begin on the Pakistan border.●Smart Border: Integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI), sensor...

Context: The proposed Kukrail Night Safari & Zoological Park, Lucknow faces a demand for fresh appraisal/approvals after changes to the original project proposal.●Location: Kukrail Forest, northeastern Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh; proposed area 855.07...

Context: After the 25th round of India–China Special Representatives (SR) talks in Beijing, both sides agreed on measures to improve boundary delimitation and border management.●Boundary delimitation: Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation + Working G...