Current Affairs

WMO’s State of Global Water Resources 2025 report gives a quantitative overview of global water resources, focusing on hydrological variability and trends. In 2025, 34% of groundwater observation stations were below/much-below normal. Persistent deficits (2022–2025) occurred across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, India, southern Africa and Australia. India faces depletion in northern/north-western regions, driven mainly by over-abstraction. Responses include Model Groundwater Bill, NAQUIM/NAQUIM 2.0, Atal Bhujal Yojana (7 States), and Mission Amrit Sarovar.

PM Vishwakarma, a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, launched in 2023, marks three years and has registered 30 lakh beneficiaries. It provides end-to-end support to traditional artisans/craftspeople in 18 trades: recognition, skill upgradation, modern tools, collateral-free credit, digital transaction incentives, and market linkage. Eligibility: self-employed unorganised workers aged 18+; one member per family; no similar credit scheme in past 5 years (exceptions for repaid loans). Government employees/families are ineligible. Digital incentive: Re.1 per transaction, up to 100/month.

The Karnataka Cabinet approved Tulu as a second official language for administrative use in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, invoking Article 345, which allows a State legislature to adopt one or more languages for official purposes. Tulu is the mother tongue of the Tuluva people, including much of the Mangalorean community, and is also spoken in parts of Kerala’s Kasaragod. It is a South Dravidian language; its vocabulary draws from Sanskrit, Arabic, Portuguese and Kannada due to trade, religious practices and cultural exchanges.

Odisha Forest Department rescued five orangutans (under 2 years) from Balasore and shifted them to Nandankanan Zoological Park, near Bhubaneswar, raising transnational smuggling concerns. Orangutans occur naturally only in Indonesia and Malaysia; Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli species (Borneo/Sumatra) are CITES Appendix I. DNA testing will confirm origin. CITES in force since 1975 (India: 1976). Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, amended in 2022, added a CITES schedule; Section 49Q requires establishing illegal import, enabling repatriation at origin’s expense or housing in a recognised zoo/rescue centre, with Environment Ministry consultations.

World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2026 (annual since 2006) measures parity across Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. Globally, 69.2% of the gender gap is closed (+0.4 percentage points); political empowerment falls to 22.1%. India retains rank 131 (of 145) with 64.5% parity; only 14 countries rank below. Iceland (93%), Finland and Norway lead; Chad is last (with Iran and Pakistan in bottom three). India has improved 4.3 percentage points since 2006, mainly education; economic parity is 41.2% (+0.5), 3.5 points below its 2013 best. Australia enters top 10 впервые.

Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY), launched in 2015, aims to ensure minimum social and physical infrastructure in mining-affected districts using District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds. Implemented by district DMFs, it complements existing schemes, mitigates mining’s environmental, health and socio-economic impacts, and supports sustainable livelihoods. MMDR Act, 1957 mandates States to incorporate PMKKKY in DMF rules. At least 60% funds go to high-priority areas (drinking water, environment/pollution control, health, education, women/children); up to 40% to other priorities (infrastructure, irrigation, energy, watershed, environmental quality).

A study in Geophysical Research Letters estimates Mercury has contracted up to 23 km in diameter, about 30% more than earlier estimates, by comparing contraction-related faults with surface roughness; rougher regions show fewer observable contraction features. Ongoing ESA-JAXA BepiColombo (ESA’s MPO and JAXA’s Mio) will use laser data to refine contraction linked to interior cooling and geological evolution, building on Mariner 10 (1970s) and MESSENGER (2010s).

The US confirmed deploying a space weapon in Earth’s orbit and, for the first time, acknowledged offensive space capabilities, including ASAT / counter-space methods (kinetic, electronic warfare, cyber, directed-energy, co-orbital). The Outer Space Treaty, 1967 bans nuclear weapons / WMD in orbit but not all space weapons. US Space Force (2019) protects satellites (communication, surveillance, navigation). India’s Mission Shakti (2019) proved ASAT, making it 4th after US-Russia-China; Defence Space Agency is tri-service.

India rejected the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission (BJC), whose inaugural meeting concluded in Pakistan, as legally invalid. The BJC is envisaged under the 2013 China-Pakistan Agreement on the Boundary Management System; Article 45 provides for establishing the commission to oversee implementation of border management arrangements. India said Pakistan lacks locus standi over Indian territory under illegal occupation, reiterating J&K and Ladakh as integral parts of India, not recognising the 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement and stating there is no Pakistan-China boundary.

A Nature Communications study found Indian Candida auris isolates using genetic routes for antifungal resistance, including gene mutations, gene amplification and cellular compensatory mechanisms. C. auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast, first reported in Japan (2009), causing invasive bloodstream/systemic disease, especially in hospitals/ICUs, with reported 30-40% mortality and difficult identification and treatment. It notes global-warming-linked selection for heat-tolerant fungi and suggests reducing pathogenicity via less critical pathways to lower resistance pressure.

U.S. House passed (262-159) the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, 2026, after Senate approval; sent to President Trump. It intensifies pressure on Russia’s energy sector, including “shadow fleet” tankers, linked entities, sanctions-evasion mechanisms, and third-country energy trade; some provisions cover Iran. It authorises up to 100% tariffs on top-5 importers / facilitators making new crude purchases 30 days post-enactment, with exemptions; not automatic on India. India cited energy security and warned impacts on India–US ties and global markets.

CREA’s analysis for Carbon Brief finds India’s coal power recorded zero growth between H1 2024 and H1 2026, first such stagnation in over 50 years, as demand was increasingly met by new non-fossil generation. Coal remains major; ~8.5 GW added, ~43 GW under construction (end-June 2026). Solar led: +44 TWh, +77 GW; installed 164.59 GW (31 July 2026) vs 2.8 GW (2014). National Electricity Plan projects storage need of 82 GWh (2026-27) and 411 GWh (2031-32). Gujarat saw highest clean gain and fossil decline; Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu similar; Maharashtra, Telangana demand rose with clean supply nearly matching.

UN Secretary-General’s Special Report, “Challenges related to sea-level rise and ways and approaches to address it”, presented at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau (theme: ‘Building Economies: Life. Action. Unity’), records global sea-level rise of 5.9 mm/year in 2024 (highest). About 770 million people live <5 m above high-tide; up to 1.2 billion may be displaced by 2050 without adaptation. Drivers: warming, thermal expansion, glacier/ice-sheet melt; land subsidence worsens relative rise, flooding and saltwater intrusion. High-risk cities include Mumbai, Kolkata and Dhaka; SIDS, Indigenous Peoples and low-lying communities are vulnerable.

A major study warns the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) spanning eight countries (Afghanistan-Myanmar) nears an ecological tipping point due to accelerated glacial mass loss and a monitoring deficit: only 21 of ~40,000 glaciers are ground-tracked. Retreating glaciers form unstable moraine-dammed lakes, increasing GLOF risk. Himalayas are ~18% of India’s area but ~35% disasters. Peak water is projected ~2050; thereafter non-monsoon flows fall. Cryosphere supports >20% of India’s GDP and >1.3 billion downstream users. It recommends treating the Himalayan ecosystem as critical national infrastructure, expanding research stations, and cross-border real-time hydrological data sharing and joint disaster response.

China is planting trees and other vegetation along the margins of the Taklamakan Desert to curb desertification and shifting sand. The desert lies in southwest Xinjiang (NW China) within the Tarim Basin, China’s largest inland basin. It extends ~960 km W-E, ~420 km wide, area ~320,000 sq km; world’s second-largest shifting-sand desert, 85% crescent dunes, flanked by Tien Shan (N) and Kunlun (S), with the Tarim River on its northern edge.

Third BIMSTEC conference on traditional medicine knowledge, genetic resources and IPR in Goa; organised by Ministry of Ayush, AIIA nodal; alongside 2nd Nodal Group. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand discussed conservation, research/innovation and safeguards (PIC, MAT, benefit-sharing). BIMSTEC formed 6-6-1997 Bangkok (BIST-EC); Myanmar joined 1997 (BIMST-EC); Nepal observer 1998; Nepal and Bhutan members Feb 2004; chair alphabetical; secretariat Dhaka; SAARC-ASEAN bridge.

At the 70th IAEA General Conference, India highlighted readiness to share nuclear expertise, including participation in ATLAS (Atomic Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea), launched in August 2026 in Washington DC at an IAEA ministerial event, to explore safe small modular reactor solutions for commercial shipping and floating energy plants. India assumed chairmanship of the IAEA-linked Regional Cooperative Agreement (RCA) in May 2026 under “Vishwa Bandhu Bharat.” LIGO-India, a gravitational-wave mega-science project at Hingoli, Maharashtra, reported EPC progress via international collaboration.

DRDO demonstrated indigenous Gallium Nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology for high-frequency, high-power systems. MMICs operate at 300 MHz-300 GHz; a 3.5 mm×3 mm GaN chip delivers up to 30 W. Developed by SSPL, New Delhi, with pilot production at GAETEC, Hyderabad, it covers S-band components and applications up to X-band (8-12 GHz) using indigenous 4-inch GaN-on-SiC substrates, enabling AESA radars, EW jammers, missiles and SatCom, reducing import dependence and ITAR-type constraints.

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor declared Kumik village in Zanskar as the region’s first designated ‘Heritage Village’, citing preservation of Kanjur manuscripts, Tibetan Buddhist texts and local Zanskar traditions. Kanjur (Kangyur) is the canonical collection of Buddha’s words; Tengyur contains commentaries by Indian and Tibetan scholars; both underpin Tibetan Buddhist literature. Zanskar is a high-altitude Trans-Himalayan Ladakh region. India’s first heritage village is Pragpur (Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh), notified in 1997.

Assam Chief Minister stated Assam hosts 3,260 one-horned rhinoceroses, about 80% of the global total; global rhino population is estimated at ~4,075. Kaziranga National Park has over 2,600 rhinos, while Manas National Park supports 40-50. In 2025, Assam recorded zero rhino poaching, only the second such year since the 1970s. The International Rhino Foundation’s State of the Rhino Report 2026 confirmed zero poaching in 2025 across India, Nepal and Indonesia.

The 25th anniversary of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) as an Institution of National Importance was recently celebrated. Headquartered in New Delhi, ICWA is funded by the Ministry of External Affairs. Established in 1943 by Indian intellectuals, it is registered as a non-profit under the Registration of Societies Act, 1860. An Act of Parliament (2001) declared it an Institution of National Importance; the Vice President is ex-officio President. ICWA focuses on international relations and foreign affairs.

Gucchi mushroom, a rare Himalayan ingredient, is featured on the BRICS Summit 2026 menu. Scientifically Morchella esculenta, it has honeycomb-like caps (pale yellow to dark brown) and pale hollow stems. It occurs in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, growing in mountainous coniferous forests with suitable moisture, temperature fluctuations and snowmelt. It is hard to mass-cultivate, hand-collected, dried for preservation, nutrient-rich and costly.

Defence Accounts Department (DAD) achieved a milestone by normalising discrepant pension cases on SPARSH (System for Pension Administration-Raksha). SPARSH, a Ministry of Defence initiative, is the world’s largest defence pension system, covering Army, Navy, Air Force and Defence Civilians. Administered by DAD through PCDA (Pensions), Prayagraj, it is web-based, enables centralised sanction/claims/disbursal with self-verification, digital identification, transparent account view, direct bank credit without intermediaries, and maintains complete entitlement history till cessation.

ED, at its 36th Quarterly Zonal Officers’ Conference in Bengaluru (Sept 14-15), prioritised detecting fraud in IBC, 2016 proceedings and PMLA linkages. Malpractices flagged: Section 29A circumvention, related-party claim inflation, CoC manipulation, asset stripping, excessive haircuts. IBC Sections 14 (moratorium) and 32A (post-resolution immunity) noted; PMLA enables attachment/confiscation. FY2021-22 to FY2025-26: 1,077 resolutions; ~₹2.47 lakh crore recovered (~29%). Subhash Chandra: NCLT Aug 25 settlement ₹6.25 crore vs ₹22,006.57 crore claims; stayed Sept 1. Alchemist Ltd: alleged ₹1,842-crore scandal; ED intervention led NCLT to terminate CIRP amid CoC-domination and Section 32A misuse concerns.

Ministry of Finance notified a revised Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for UPI, implemented via NPCI guidelines, introducing nominal MDR on select large-value P2M payments from 15 October 2026. P2P remains free. P2M up to ₹2,000 has zero MDR; above ₹2,000, MDR is 0.4%, capped at ₹300 for ≥₹75,000. Utilities pay ₹5; capital markets 0.02% (cap ₹300). Small P2PM vendors (≤₹1 lakh/month) exempt; no consumer surcharge. P2P is ~37% volume, ~70% value; 96% merchant txns are <₹2,000.

BirdLife International released its quadrennial State of the World’s Birds (Flyways Edition) 2026 at the Global Flyways Summit, Nairobi (Kenya). Findings: ~45% migratory species declining; 1 in 9 (11%) threatened; 58% of 1,099 migratory-bird KBAs in poor/very poor condition; seabirds and shorebirds worst. Drivers include agricultural expansion, habitat loss/fragmentation, illegal killing (13-42 million/year in Europe-Mediterranean-Middle East), climate change, invasive alien species and energy-collision risks. The Nairobi Flyways Declaration (100+ signatories) calls for synchronized transboundary flyway action. Finance: ADB $3 billion/decade for 50 priority wetlands (EAAF); CAF $3-5 billion by 2050 for 30+ landscapes; World Bank-BirdLife multi-billion frameworks across Africa-Europe-Asia for 2+ billion migratory birds.