NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. 18th Meeting of Heads of IP Offices of BRICS Countries Held in New Delhi: The 18th Meeting of Heads of IP Offices of BRICS Countries was held in New Delhi from September 1 to 3, 2026, hosted by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (O/o CGPDTM), DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.New Delhi, India (with around 35 delegates participating physically and virtually, including online participation from Russia, Iran, and Ethiopia) Aligned with India’s BRICS Chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
2. LIC introduces new Bima Platinum and Jeevan Raksha policies on 70th anniversary: Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) unveiled two new products, namely Bima Platinum and Jeevan Raksha policies. These policies were announced by LIC CEO and MD R Doraiswamy on the occasion of the company’s 70th anniversary. This is a limited-premium savings-and-protection plan designed for individuals looking for reliable wealth accumulation paired with life coverage. Policyholders accrue fixed additions at a high rate of ₹70 per ₹1,000 of annual premium paid at the end of each year during the premium-paying term (PPT). Provides a regular income benefit equivalent to 10% of the basic sum assured annually during the payout period, alongside periodic booster benefits. This is a pure-risk term life insurance policy strictly focused on delivering guaranteed financial security to the policyholder’s family in the event of an untimely death.
3. India To Add 100 Airports By 2036 Under Rs 30,000 Crore UDAN Push: India will build 100 new airports in the next 10 years under the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme UDAN with an outlay of Rs 30,000 crore. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has said, “While there were 74 airports in 2014, we can proudly say that India’s map features 166 airports. Going from 74 to 166 set a record for the country. The Scheme launch and implementation of the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Modified UDAN – for a period of 10 years from FY 2026-27 to FY 2035-36 with a total outlay of Rs 28,840 crore with the budgetary support of the Centre.
4. ASI Declared Gollala Gudi Temple as monument of national importance for its exquisite carvings: The Archaeological Survey of India has notified Gollala Gudi Temple at Palampet in the Mulugu district of Telangana as a monument of national importance. Temple is situated near the UNESCO listed Ramappa Temple and is renowned for its exquisite carvings and architectural heritage. The temple is a Trikutalaya and consists of a mandapa facing East and surrounded by three garbhagriha. A monument of national importance in the country is protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The Archaeological Survey of India takes charge of such sites for conservation, maintenance, and regulated public access
5. IBCA and ADB Sign MoU for Tiger Landscape Conservation and Nature-Positive Financing: Union Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated a two-day international workshop on September 2, 2026, on “Tiger Landscapes: Conservation, Bioeconomy and Ecotourism.” The event was jointly organised by the International Big Cat Alliance, Asian Development Bank, and NTCA, with an MoU signed for landscape conservation and nature-positive financing. The workshop explores the link between conservation and livelihoods. Tiger landscapes are viewed as natural capital. They provide ecosystem services that benefit local communities. Theme: The workshop was held under the theme ‘Tiger Landscapes: Conservation, Bioeconomy and Ecotourism as Pillars for Livelihood and Income Generation’
6. Keralam to set up coconut park to boost value addition, export growth: Chief Minister V D Satheesan has announced the establishment of a Coconut Park in the state with the support of the Coconut Development Board. Coconut park is envisaged as a major platform for promoting modern processing and value addition and facilitating the production of high-quality processed coconut products capable of meeting export-market requirements. The initiative is expected to create greater opportunities for entrepreneurship, investment, value addition and market development in the state’s coconut sector.
7. Vodafone Idea Appoints Shah Rukh Khan as Brand Ambassador and Launches New Logo: Vodafone Idea has a fresh face!. The Telecom operator onboarded Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for its new brand identity campaign, the company revealed on 3september. The company has also unveiled a new logo. Vi said that bringing Shah Rukh Khan with the brand is a symbol of the energy, ambition and optimism which the debt-ridden company is trying to introduce in its self-claimed new phase.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Hexaware Technologies Appoints Vivek Jetley As CEO: Hexaware Technologies has appointed Vivek Jetley as Chief Executive Officer, bringing him to the top role after a long tenure at EXL. Jetley previously served as President and Head of Insurance, Healthcare and Life Sciences at EXL, where he managed a P&L of more than USD 1.4 billion. His career spans artificial intelligence, analytics, strategy, consulting, financial services and global business operations.
2. Flightless Birds and Their Adaptations: Flightless birds are avian species that lost the ability to fly through evolution. They survive by developing strong legs, specialized feathers, and other adaptations suited to running, swimming, digging, or living on predator-free islands. The kākāpō population reached 325 birds on September 1, 2026, after 90 fledged chicks were added. It was the first time the species crossed 300 birds in about 75 years. The Kākāpō Recovery Programme began in 1995 when only 51 birds survived. In 2026, 79 females nested, 258 eggs were laid, and 90 chicks survived to 150 days. Penguin bones are denser than those of most birds, helping them stay submerged while swimming. Cassowaries are often cited among the most dangerous birds because of their powerful legs and clawed feet.
3. GIFT IFSC Emerges as International Banking Hub: GIFT City International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Gujarat has expanded its banking activity through External Commercial Borrowings, FCNR(B) swap mobilisations, and international bond listings. The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) recorded large-scale participation by domestic and foreign International Banking Units (IBUs) under the Reserve Bank of India’s special swap facility for Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) deposits. GIFT IFSC is India’s first operational International Financial Services Centre and functions under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019. IBUs are branches of Indian and foreign banks set up in IFSCs to conduct offshore-style banking transactions in foreign currencies. Under the RBI’s special swap facility, 20 IBUs sanctioned USD 54.02 billion for FCNR(B) deposits by 31 August 2026, and USD 52.82 billion was disbursed. The sanctioned amount had risen to USD 37.26 billion by 21 August 2026 from USD 28.60 billion on 14 August 2026.
4. India to Host World Archery Para Series 2026: India will host the Hyundai World Archery Para Series 2026 for the first time at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, from September 5 to September 9, 2026. The tournament is Stage 3 of the 2026 World Archery Para Series and will feature competition in Recurve Open, Compound Open, W1, and Visually Impaired divisions. The World Archery Para Series is an international para archery circuit conducted under World Archery, the global governing body for archery. The 2026 series includes Stage 1 in Bangkok, Thailand, Stage 2 in Nove Mesto, Czechia, and Stage 3 in Ahmedabad, India. The Ahmedabad leg is being organised through the Archery Association of India, the Government of Gujarat, the Sports Authority of Gujarat, and the Sports Authority of India. The formal inauguration is scheduled for September 4, 2026, at The Forum – Hotel & Convention in Ahmedabad.
5. India, Canada Hold Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi: India and Canada held their annual Foreign Office Consultations on 2 September 2026 at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by MEA Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon, and the Canadian delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Thangaraj. Foreign Office Consultations are a regular diplomatic mechanism between two countries for reviewing bilateral relations and coordinating on political, economic, and strategic issues. India and Canada used the 2026 consultations to review cooperation in energy, critical minerals, science and technology, education, security, defence, culture, and consular matters. India and Canada reaffirmed their target to conclude negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement by the end of 2026. Both sides also retained their target of more than doubling bilateral trade to 70 billion Canadian Dollars, or about INR 4.65 lakh crore, by 2030.
6. Important Concepts in Indian Calendar and Astronomy: Indian astronomy, or Jyotisha, developed as a Vedanga for calculating ritual timings and later formed the basis of calendar systems, astronomical texts, and observatories across India. Astronomy in ancient India, known as Jyotisha, developed as an auxiliary discipline to the Vedas. It is one of the six Vedangas and helped determine the exact timings of Vedic rituals and sacrifices. Over time, observations of celestial bodies evolved into systematic mathematical methods. The Indian calendar system, or Panchanga, coordinates astronomical calculations with civil timekeeping by tracking solar and lunar movements. Attributed to Sage Lagadha, this is the earliest systematic astronomical text in India. It contains rules for calculating the positions of the Sun and Moon during solstices.
7. UN backs resolution on Africa’s map size: The United Nations General Assembly approved an African-led resolution on 4 September 2026 to promote maps that show continents in more accurate relative sizes. The resolution supports the use of the Equal Earth projection and moves away from the 16th-century Mercator projection in educational and public mapping contexts. The Mercator projection was developed in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator, a Flemish cartographer. It preserves direction and local shape, which made it useful for marine navigation, but it enlarges landmasses near the poles and distorts relative area. The Equal Earth projection is an equal-area map projection introduced in 2018. It keeps the proportional area of continents and countries closer to their actual size, which makes it suitable for thematic maps and school atlases.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. Shakti Sharma Becomes 1st Non-Medical Woman Two-Star Officer: Shakti Sharma has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first woman officer from the non-medical stream in the Indian Defence Forces to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal or equivalent. Air Vice Marshal (AVM) is a two-star rank in the Indian Air Force, equivalent to Major General in the Indian Army and Rear Admiral in the Indian Navy. Before becoming Air Vice Marshal, she became the first woman officer from the Tri-Services to command a Sainik School, serving as the Principal of Sainik School, Kapurthala.
2. Rajnath Singh Unveils RAKSHA Defence Diplomacy Document: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh released the RAKSHA defence diplomacy framework document in New Delhi on 3 September 2026. The document sets out a 10-year roadmap for India’s defence partnerships, security cooperation, and defence manufacturing outreach. RAKSHA is a defence diplomacy framework prepared by the Ministry of Defence. It links India’s national security objectives with cooperation in bilateral and multilateral defence relations. The framework covers a 10-year period and includes four pillars. These pillars are Strategic Partnerships, Capacity Building, Indigenous Exports, and Maritime Security. The Strategic Partnerships pillar covers deeper bilateral and multilateral security cooperation with friendly countries. The Capacity Building pillar includes joint military exercises, training programmes, and exchange of best practices. Joint exercises are a standard feature of military diplomacy between armed forces of different countries. Training exchanges and professional military education are also used in defence cooperation agreements.
SPORTS
1. Ahmedabad to host India’s first Hyundai World Archery Para Series: India will host the Hyundai World Archery Para Series for the first time, when more than 100 athletes from 20 countries compete at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad from September 5 to 9, bringing a major international para-archery event to the city. The Ahmedabad event will be the third stage of the 2026 Hyundai World Archery Para Series, following the opening stage in Bangkok in April and the second stage in Nove Mesto, Czechia, from June 30 to July 4. The fourth and final stage is scheduled to be held in Santiago, Chile, in October. The participating countries are India, the People’s Republic of China, Great Britain, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Slovakia, the United States of America, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cyprus, Czechia, Iraq, the Russian Federation and Sri Lanka.
2. ICC approves India as new host of Women’s Champions Trophy 2027: The International Cricket Council moved the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 to India from Sri Lanka. The six-team event will be played in Mumbai and Vadodara from 14th to 28th of February. Sri Lanka was dropped as host as the sport is grappling with governance issues in the island nation, with the ICC Board approving India as the new host.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. ISRO successfully launches Earth observation satellite EOS-05 from Sriharikota: India’s first imaging satellite in geosynchronous orbit was successfully launched by a GSLV rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on 4 September 2026. ISRO said that the state-of-the-art Earth observation spacecraft EOS-05 was successfully placed into sub-geosynchronous orbit about 18 minutes after it lifted off from the spaceport. Aims: The imaging satellite will provide real-time imagery and help the nation in areas including agriculture and disaster management.
2. Hyderabad Startup’s Ahuti Mk II Becomes India’s Fastest Multirotor UAV: Apollyon Dynamics, a defence technology startup incubated at BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus, entered the India Book of Records on 1 September 2026 for developing India’s fastest multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle. Its electric interceptor drone, Ahuti Mk II, recorded a certified top speed of 498 km/h, which exceeded the earlier Indian multirotor benchmark of 325 km/h. Ahuti Mk II was designed as a high-speed interceptor drone rather than a surveillance or photography platform. Interceptor drones are built to chase and neutralise hostile drones and loitering munitions, which are also called kamikaze drones in defence usage. The original Ahuti model, developed in 2025, was clocked at about 300 km/h. The Mk II version was rebuilt from the ground up in less than one year and achieved a 66% increase in speed over the earlier model.
3. NIELIT and Intel India Launch Agentic AI Skilling Programmes: The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and Intel India launched the Agentic AI Skilling Programmes on 3 September 2026. The initiative is linked to training youth across India in artificial intelligence skills for work with systems that can reason, plan and execute tasks. NIELIT and Intel India organised a National Leadership Dialogue at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on the theme “Preparing the Future Workforce for the Agentic AI Era”. The event included Shri Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Dr. M. M. Tripathi, Shri Sudeep Shrivastava and Mr. Anshul Sonak. The joint initiative focuses on five development areas. These are industry-aligned curricula, experiential learning, faculty readiness, AI-enabled learning environments and government-academia-industry collaboration. The courses are planned for delivery through NIELIT centres across the country.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. APEDA Facilitates Tripura Organic Rice Export to Europe: On 2 September 2026, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority facilitated the export of NPOP-certified ethnic organic rice from Tripura to Austria and the Netherlands. The consignment was flagged off in Agartala and marked Tripura’s first organic agricultural shipment to the European market. The National Programme for Organic Production is India’s certification system for organic products under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. APEDA is the nodal agency for promoting exports of agricultural and processed food products, including organic produce. The shipment included four indigenous rice varieties from Tripura. The consignment carried 10 metric tonnes of Harinarayan rice, 6 metric tonnes of Maimi Hanga black rice, 1.5 metric tonnes of Biron white sticky rice, and 1.2 metric tonnes of Kalikhasa rice.
2. BIO-NIVESH Launched for Biotechnology Investment: BIO-NIVESH is a strategic platform launched on 3 September 2026 in New Delhi by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh. It has been created by the Department of Biotechnology and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council to connect laboratory-stage biotechnology research with commercial scale-up and private investment. Biotechnology startups in India operate across areas such as health, agriculture, industrial biotechnology, and bio-manufacturing. The BIO-NIVESH platform is linked to the wider startup ecosystem, where intellectual property, technology readiness, and market potential are common evaluation factors for investment.
No comments:
Post a Comment