Current Affairs

An Indian Parliamentary Delegation led by the Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, will attend the 153rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania. IPU, an international organisation of parliaments, was established in 1889 (Paris) and shifted headquarters to Geneva in 1921. It has 183 members and 15 associates, funded mainly by members. Its Assembly is the principal statutory body; Governing Council (3 representatives per member) is the plenary policymaking body; Executive Committee includes the President and 15 elected members (4-year term); it has three Standing Committees.

NLEP annual report 2025-26 records 3,832 new leprosy cases among children, including 37 with Grade-2 Disability (G2D); child caseload is 91.6% above the 2,000 target. Total new cases: 91,783; prevalence 0.56/10,000; 1,945 G2D (2.12%); national G2D 1.34/million. National Strategic Plan 2023-27 targets district-level interrupted transmission by 2027 (zero indigenous child cases for 5 consecutive years), MDT-based control via active detection and contact surveys in high-burden districts.

Mumbai Port Authority declared Jawahar Dweep Marine Oil Terminal plastic-free, making it India’s first marine oil terminal to eliminate single-use plastics. Also called Butcher Island, it is a restricted island off Mumbai, Maharashtra, about 8.25 km from the Gateway of India, with thick vegetation and a central hillock. A key Mumbai Port facility, it has five jetties, automated liquid bulk handling, crude storage, and pipelines to Wadala for refining.

Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment distributed 662 aids/assistive devices worth over ₹10 lakh to senior citizens under Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY). RVY is a 2017 Central Sector Scheme, fully Centrally funded, providing free assisted-living devices to BPL senior citizens with monthly income ≤₹15,000; those aged 80+ get doorstep delivery. Implemented by ALIMCO; funded from Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund; beneficiaries identified by district committees chaired by Deputy Commissioner/District Collector.

Researchers discovered a new earthworm species, Drawida incomparabilis, from evergreen and deciduous forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It measures 217-392 mm and shows distinctive glandular prostates with unusually posterior gizzards. It belongs to family Moniligastridae, comprising 194 valid terrestrial megadrile earthworm species across five genera; genus Drawida is the most species-rich and prominent in Asian subterranean ecosystems.

Shatabdi Samaroh-Manthan, a 2-day national centenary event at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi (30 Sept-1 Oct 2026), marks 100 years of UPSC; the Prime Minister releases a Centenary Commemorative Coin, postage stamp and the book “100 Landmark Judgements…”. UPSC roadmap: Trust, Transparency (grievance redressal, biometrics, digital evaluation) and Technology (AI logistics, paperless committees). Lee Commission (1924) led to creation under Government of India Act, 1919; set up 1 Oct 1926 via Public Service Commission (Functions) Rules, 1926 with Sir Ross Barker (Chairman) and 4 members; reconstituted under GoI Act, 1935; became UPSC under Article 315 (26 Jan 1950). Articles 316, 317, 319, 320, 322, 323 cover appointment/tenure, removal, post-tenure bar, functions, financial autonomy (CFI) and annual reporting to President/Parliament.

In 2026, Switzerland’s Aletsch Glacier, Europe’s largest by area and ice volume, recorded its biggest single-year melt, linked to very low winter snowpack and record June-August heatwaves. Swiss glaciers lost 2.5-4 m average thickness (up to 10 m on tongues); Bella Tola (Valais) and Griessfirn (Glarus) vanished. National ice volume fell 5.5% (second-worst after 2022); nearly 20% in five years. May-September meltwater was ~2.2 trillion litres (>4× household drinking water). Aletsch lies in the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO site; impacts hydrology, navigation, hydropower and “peak water”.

Union Cabinet approved PM-DHARA (PM-Developing Harmonized and Accelerated Renewable-energy Access) to strengthen intra-State transmission for renewable energy, providing Central Financial Support to offset intra-State transmission charges. It targets evacuation of up to 135 GW by FY 2032-33, with ₹54,082 crore support. It enables 50 GWh Battery Energy Storage Systems at RE developer/generator sites and other critical locations to mitigate intermittency, reduce congestion/curtailment, enhance grid flexibility, and aid 900 GW non-fossil capacity target by 2035.

Koder House, a Fort Kochi heritage landmark functioning as a luxury hotel, suffered a major fire; Kerala Fire Service said only the top floor (ancient roof and columns) was gutted and flames did not spread to the guest house, Mikvah and connecting wooden bridge. Built during Dutch occupation (1663-1795), it was renovated in the 19th century by SS Koder (Paradesi Jewish); Portuguese-origin claims are disputed. Mikvah is believed unique in Ernakulam. Losses included family photographs, paintings, furniture and tapestry. Samuel Koder served as Honorary Consul to the Netherlands for Cochin and Fort Kochi municipal chairman; the Koder family is linked to coal-based Cochin Electric Company supplying Fort Kochi and Mattanchery.

Status of Policing in India Report (SPIR) 2026 examines how cybercrime victims seek police redressal. Based on a citizen survey by Lokniti-CSDS and Common Cause across 16 States (8,306 respondents), it studies informal mechanisms such as bribery and personal influence, used more by women, poor and rural groups. It highlights FIR registration, police response, bank-police coordination and formal enforceable mechanisms. Informal interventions correlate with higher fund recovery, without proving causality.

Swyer syndrome is a rare disorder of sex development (DSD), estimated at about 1 in 80,000 people, medically termed 46, XY complete gonadal dysgenesis. Individuals have one X and one Y chromosome but develop female external genitalia and reproductive structures due to failure of sex glands to develop from disrupted testicular-development pathways. It often presents in adolescence with absent/abnormal puberty and primary amenorrhoea. Management uses hormone replacement therapy; chromosomes and streak gonads cannot be converted into functioning ovaries.

Union Cabinet approved the ₹1.86 lakh crore PM-DHARA (PM-Developing Harmonized and Accelerated Renewable-energy Access) scheme to strengthen India’s Intra-State Transmission System (InSTS) and deploy Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) for renewable evacuation and grid flexibility. It enables evacuation of up to 135 GW across States/UTs and 50 GWh BESS, targeted by FY 2032-33. Outlay: ₹1,36,378 crore for InSTS under Green Energy Corridor Phase-III and ₹50,000 crore for BESS; Central Financial Support ₹54,082 crore. Greenfield InSTS via TBCB; brownfield works on CPB. State Transmission Utilities implement; TSPs participate on BOOM model.

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched NCM 2.0 implementation guidelines in New Delhi. A Central Sector Scheme under MoEFCC, NCM 2.0 subsumes NCM 1.0 (2021-22 to 2025-26), with ₹767 crore outlay for 2025-26 to 2030-31. It covers Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Andaman & Nicobar, Puducherry and Lakshadweep for climate resilience, ecosystem conservation, ICZMP/CMSP, livelihoods, pollution control and treaty obligations.

Alaska’s thawing permafrost is releasing acids and metals, turning rivers orange for dozens of miles and altering water chemistry. Permafrost is ground frozen at ≤0°C for at least 2 years; oldest known occurs in Siberia (~650,000 years). It occurs on land/ocean floor, 1->1,000 m thick, under ~¼ Northern Hemisphere land (85% Alaska; 55% Russia/Canada; probably all Antarctica). It is ice-bound soil/rock with near-surface organic carbon and an active layer (10-15 cm in colder regions). Thaw raises sea level, emits CO2/methane, destabilises ground/infrastructure, releases mercury/toxins, and may revive dormant microbes.

In 1952, after the Aruppukottai (Madras State; now Tamil Nadu) Lok Sabha bypoll-vacated by Forward Bloc leader U. Muthuramalinga Thevar-Forward Bloc (Marxist Group) candidate M.D. Ramasamy defeated Congress’s Rajathi Kunjithapatham by 18,835 votes. CM C. Rajagopalachari (from April 10, 1952; Congress lacked majority) sought a confidence vote; moved by Finance Minister C. Subramaniam. Debate began June 30, 1952; Speaker J. Sivashanmugam Pillai called it the first such motion; British practice followed; after 71 members spoke, government won 200-151, reinforcing floor-test convention and collective responsibility under Articles 164(2) and 75(3).

Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare prohibited registration of Paraquat Dichloride, a fast-acting non-selective contact ammonium herbicide used for pre-emergence weed control / zero-tillage / desiccation (cotton, paddy, tea, maize, sugarcane). Order issued under Section 27(2) read with Section 28, Insecticides Act, 1968; Registration Committee to recall Section 9 certificates; States to halt supply/trade/use. Highly toxic: no antidote; 10-15 ml fatal; pulmonary fibrosis, renal failure, liver necrosis; linked to accidental poisonings / self-harm. Already banned/restricted in 60+ countries (EU, China, Brazil, UK); aligns with NMNF and promotes less-toxic alternatives (glufosinate-ammonium / selective pre-emergence herbicides).

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) 2024-25 for manufacturing; reference period is April 2024-March 2025, with fieldwork October 2025-June 2026. It provides data on composition, growth and structure, covering output, GVA, employment, capital formation, wages/income; inputs for National Accounts Statistics and policymaking. Coverage includes Factories Act, 1948 [Sec. 2m(i)/(ii)] units, Bidi and Cigar Workers Act, 1966 units, selected electricity undertakings, and BRE units (≥100 workers). Data collected under Collection of Statistics Act, 2008 (amended 2017) and 2011 rules; web-portal based; establishment-based approach.

University of Chicago-led Climate Impact Lab projects ~451,000 additional global heat-related deaths due to a strong El Niño; Sahel to bear highest burden; Nigeria highest at ~31,400. Sahel is semi-arid belt between Sahara and tropical savannas, from Atlantic to Red Sea, spanning Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Nigeria, Sudan, Senegal, Eritrea. Risk drivers: extreme heat, poverty, unreliable electricity/cooling, agriculture/outdoor exposure, limited healthcare; vulnerable: 65+, 0-4, chronic patients, outdoor workers. Immediate adaptation: heat early warnings, Heat Action Plans, cooling/hydration centres, targeted outreach, worker protection, hospital surge readiness. El Niño is abnormal warming of central/eastern tropical Pacific, altering global circulation, temperature and rainfall.

Jharkhand’s traditional musical instrument, the Mandar, has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. It is a double-headed percussion instrument central to Jharkhand’s folk and tribal culture. Mandar is cylindrical, made of red clay with a mid-bulge, hollow, with leather-covered ends tied by braided cords; the right opening is smaller and coated with Kiran for resonance. Played slung by shoulder rope, it features in festivals, crop celebrations, rituals and cultural events among tribal and non-tribal communities, and in dance-song performances for centuries.

J&K CM Omar Abdullah moved an Assembly resolution for immediate restoration of statehood; amendments seeking inclusion of Articles 370/35A as before August 5, 2019 were moved then withdrawn. Article 370 (adopted October 17, 1949) limited Parliament to defence, foreign relations and communications (Instrument of Accession), allowed a separate constitution, and restricted outsiders’ entry/land. Delhi Agreement (July 1952) accepted SC jurisdiction, Indian flag supremacy, and Article 352 Emergency for internal disturbances with state concurrence. Article 35A was inserted by a 1954 Presidential Order, empowering the J&K Assembly to define “permanent residents” and confer property/jobs/scholarship rights. On August 5, 2019, the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019 superseded the 1954 Order, made Article 370 inoperative, nullified J&K’s constitution, and extended the entire Constitution; Clause 3 required Constituent Assembly “recommendation”, reinterpreted via Article 367 as Legislative Assembly/Governor during President’s Rule. The Supreme Court upheld this in 2023. India approached UNSC in January 1948; UNCIP mediated a ceasefire; UNSC Resolution 47 sought demilitarisation for a plebiscite.

Botanists discovered a new plant species, Didymocarpus nautiyalii, in Shi-Yomi district, Arunachal Pradesh, highlighting Eastern Himalaya botanical diversity. It belongs to the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. It grows on moist rock surfaces (roadside walls, near waterfalls) in subtropical evergreen forests above 1,000 m. About 8 cm tall, with leathery leaves and bluish-purple flowers; differs from D. albiflorus by shorter stem, reduced leaf stalks, smaller calyx, shorter corolla, and hairless ovary. IUCN status: Data Deficient.

The 2nd India-Italy Joint Working Group on Tourism was held and agreed to strengthen bilateral tourism cooperation. Italy lies in south-central Europe on the Apennine Peninsula; borders Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and France; enclaves Vatican City and San Marino; seas include Adriatic, Sea of Sicily, Ionian, Ligurian and Tyrrhenian; capital Rome; Mediterranean climate; Alps and Apennines; rivers Po and Adige; highest point Mont Blanc; active volcanoes Mt Etna and Stromboli; resources include coal, antimony, mercury, zinc, potash, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite, natural gas and crude oil.

At FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO-28) in Rome, Italy (28 September-2 October 2026), India reported progress on forest/tree cover, restoration, sustainable forest management and climate action, and backed a proposed UN Decade for Afforestation and Reforestation (2027-2036). Priorities included localised SFM, technology transfer, measurable outcomes, improved climate/biodiversity/blended finance and coordination. Initiatives: Aravalli Green Wall (6.45 million ha), MISHTI mangroves, Plant4Mother (3.5 billion saplings). Under the Bonn Challenge, India targets 26 million ha restoration by 2030; 21.76 million ha achieved. Additional carbon sink: 2.29 billion tCO₂e by 2021; target 3.5-4 billion tCO₂e by 2035 (vs 2005), supporting NDCs.

India added 5 sites to UNESCO Tentative List (total 78): MP-Bagh Caves, Dhar (9 Buddhist caves, 4th-6th CE murals); Ginnorgarh Fort, Sehore/Ratapani (Raj Gond, water management); Chambal temples, Morena (Bateshwar, Padavali, Kakarmath; 8th-11th CE Nagara); Udaigiri Caves, Vidisha (Gupta, 20 caves, Varaha). Serial transnational “Sites of Satyagraha” (India-South Africa, 9 components: Pietermaritzburg, Phoenix; Gandhi Satyagraha Smarak, Sabarmati, Mani Bhavan, Harijan Sevak Sangh, Sevagram, Aga Khan Palace, Gandhi Smriti).

First PRAMAAN certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS) were awarded at an event organised by its operating agency, Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal. Recipients included Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (33,000 ha plantations) and a bamboo farmer from Odisha linked to the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency. IFWCS covers Forest Management, Trees Outside Forests and Chain of Custody; Forest Management is assessed via Indian Forest Management Standard (IFMS) under National Working Plan Code, 2023, using independent third-party audits. Certification bodies are accredited by NABCB under QCI, benchmarked internationally, supporting sustainable, deforestation-free sourcing, market access and inclusion of smallholders/tribals.

NSO’s 80th Round report “Domestic Tourism in India”, based on a survey (July 2025-June 2026), finds pilgrimage/religious travel is the largest overnight-trip category (48%), followed by health/medical travel (30%). Health/medical is the most expensive category, with shopping second. Rural households make over twice the overnight medical trips per 100 households than urban; hired vehicles dominate. Seniors (60+) form 32.3% of overnight health/medical trips.