Current Affairs 14 September 2026

Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 2026

The Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 2026 will come into force from 1 October 2026. The law received the President’s assent on 13 August 2026 and replaces the Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891, modernising the legal framework for using banking records as evidence in courts and other legal proceedings.

The new Act recognises bankers’ records maintained not only in physical form but also in electronic, digital, virtual and cloud-based formats, including records stored at backup and disaster-recovery locations. Certified copies of such records can be used as evidence subject to prescribed safeguards regarding their authenticity and integrity.

Key Points for Exams:

• Replaces: Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891
• Main purpose: Modernise the use of banking records as evidence
• Recognised formats include: physical, electronic, digital, virtual and cloud-based records
• Provides for simplified and standardised certification of banking records.
• Certificates may use manual, digital or electronic signatures.
• The court must record a special cause before summoning bank officials in certain cases where the bank is not a party.

Colombo Security Conclave Table Top Exercise 2026 Held in Visakhapatnam

A three-day Table Top Exercise (TTX) under the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) was conducted from 9–11 September 2026 at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

The Colombo Security Conclave is a regional security cooperation mechanism in the Indian Ocean Region. Its origins can be traced to a 2011 trilateral maritime-security arrangement involving India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The framework was revived and developed into the Colombo Security Conclave in 2020. Mauritius subsequently became a full member in 2022.

The CSC currently has six members — India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Bangladesh and Seychelles. Bangladesh and Seychelles, which had earlier participated as observers, were inducted as full members at the 7th NSA-level meeting held in New Delhi in November 2025.

Dryland Congress 2026

The Dryland Congress 2026 was held from 10–12 September 2026 at the National Agricultural Science Complex (NASC), New Delhi. It was jointly organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The event was the second Dryland Congress.

The Dryland Congress 2026 theme was “Transforming Dryland Agriculture with South–South Cooperation.”

Key Points for Exams:

• Drylands cover about 45% of the world’s land surface.
• Drylands are home to more than 2 billion people.
• Event marked 50 years of ICAR–ICRISAT partnership.
• Proposed outcome: Delhi Declaration on Dryland (3D)
• ICRISAT headquarters: Patancheru, Hyderabad, Telangana

18th BRICS Summit 2026

The 18th BRICS Summit was held on 12–13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, under India’s Chairship. The summit was held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” India assumed the BRICS Chairship on 1 January 2026, marking its fourth Chairship after 2012, 2016 and 2021. The year 2026 also marks 20 years of BRICS cooperation since its formal establishment in 2006.

The summit adopted the BRICS New Delhi Declaration 2026, reaffirming cooperation under three major pillars — Political and Security Cooperation, Economic and Financial Cooperation, and Cultural and People-to-People Cooperation. During India’s Chairship, more than 400 meetings and engagements were held across 30 Indian cities.

Key Outcomes of the New Delhi Declaration

• BRICS leaders called for reforms in global governance institutions, particularly the United Nations and the UN Security Council (UNSC), to increase the representation of developing countries.
• The Declaration strongly condemned the 22 April 2025 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed. BRICS called for zero tolerance towards terrorism, including cross-border movement of terrorists and terror financing.
• On economic cooperation, BRICS supported work towards faster and cheaper cross-border payment systems and continued discussions on settling trade and investment using local currencies.
• India also proposed a BRICS Risk Lab at GIFT City, Gujarat, to strengthen cooperation in insurance and reinsurance.
• BRICS welcomed the BRICS Incubator Network and discussed a proposed BRICS Startup Innovation Fund.
• NIMHANS, Bengaluru, will coordinate a proposed BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence for mental health.
• The summit also welcomed initiatives such as the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub.
• At the conclusion of the 2026 New Delhi Summit, BRICS members supported China for the BRICS Chairship in 2027 and for hosting the 19th BRICS Summit.

Acharya Vinoba Bhave

Acharya Vinoba Bhave was born on 11 September 1895 in Maharashtra. He became a close disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and was selected by Gandhi as the first Individual Satyagrahi in 1940. Jawaharlal Nehru was selected as the second Individual Satyagrahi.

He is best known for launching the Bhoodan Movement (Land Gift Movement) at Pochampally in present-day Telangana on 18 April 1951. Under the movement, landowners were persuaded to donate a portion of their land to landless people voluntarily. Vedre Ramachandra Reddy made the first major donation of 100 acres.

Key Points for Exams:

• Full name: Vinayak Narahari Bhave
• Associated movements: Bhoodan, Gramdan and Sarvodaya
• Famous call: “Jai Jagat” (Jai Jagat signifies Welfare and unity of humanity beyond national boundaries)
• Ramon Magsaysay Award: 1958
• Bharat Ratna: 1983, posthumously
• Died: 15 November 1982

Q1. The call “Jai Jagat”, recently recalled on the birth anniversary of a prominent Gandhian leader, is associated with whom?
A. Jayaprakash Narayan
B. Acharya Vinoba Bhave
C. Ram Manohar Lohia
D. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan

Q2. Dryland Congress 2026 was held in which city?
A. Hyderabad
B. New Delhi
C. Bengaluru
D. Pune

Q3. The Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 2026, which will come into force from October 1, 2026, replaces which earlier law?
A. Banking Regulation Act, 1949
B. Indian Evidence Act, 1872
C. Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891
D. Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934

Q4. Which country will hold the BRICS Chairship in 2027 and host the 19th BRICS Summit?
A. Brazil
B. Russia
C. China
D. South Africa

Q5. Which of the following countries became full members of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) in 2025?
A. Bangladesh and Seychelles
B. Nepal and Bhutan
C. Indonesia and Malaysia
D. Thailand and Singapore