Weekly Current Affairs (September 2026 – Week 1) – Exam Revision Notes
1) International Current Affairs
PM Modi Visits Uzbekistan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Uzbekistan from 29–30 August 2026, holding talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. The existing India–Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. A total of 11 MoUs and agreements were concluded.
| Area | Key Outcome |
|---|---|
| Partnership Level | Elevated from Strategic Partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership |
| Aral Sea | India announced a USD 1 million grant for afforestation in the Aral Sea region |
| Education | 100 Lal Bahadur Shastri Scholarships for Hindi language | ICCR Sanskrit Chair at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies |
| Cultural Heritage | Cooperation to restore ancient Buddhist sites of Fayaz Tepa and Kara Tepa at Termez |
| Digital Payments | NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Uzbekistan’s NIPC concluded a commercial agreement enabling Indian UPI apps to scan Uzbekistan’s UZQR national QR codes for merchant payments |
| Honour | PM Modi conferred Uzbekistan’s highest honour — “Oliy Darajali Do’stlik” (Order of Highest Friendship) |
Uzbekistan Key Facts: Capital: Tashkent | Currency: Uzbekistani So’um (UZS).
26th SCO Summit – Bishkek
PM Narendra Modi participated in the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic (31 August – 1 September 2026). The summit also marked the 25th anniversary of the SCO, established in 2001.
| Key Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| India’s Three Pillars | Security, Connectivity and Opportunity | India also stressed that connectivity initiatives must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries |
| Bishkek Declaration | Adopted along with 4 MoUs and 20+ decisions covering climate, nuclear safety, energy conservation, and combating drug addiction |
| New Initiatives Supported by India | SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum | Young Scientist Forum | Young Author’s Conclave | English as official language in SCO Charter |
| India to Host | India will host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum in 2026 |
| India’s SCO Membership | Full member since 2017 |
| SCO Secretariat | Headquartered in Beijing, China |
| SCO Members (10) | Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan | India (2017) | Pakistan (2017) | Iran (2023) | Belarus (2024) | China (founding) |
India–Belgium Strengthen Strategic, Economic and Defence Cooperation
Belgian PM Bart De Wever paid an official visit to India from 2–4 September 2026 — his first visit since assuming office in February 2025. During talks with PM Modi, both sides reviewed cooperation in trade, investment, defence, technology, renewable energy, mobility, education and multilateral affairs. India and Belgium will mark the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027.
2) National Current Affairs
Aranmula Uthrattathi Vallamkali
Aranmula Uthrattathi Vallamkali is a famous traditional boat festival held annually at Aranmula, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala on the Pampa River. Celebrated during the Onam season, on the Uthrattathi day in the Malayalam month of Chingam. Associated with the Sree Parthasarathy Temple at Aranmula, dedicated to Lord Krishna as Parthasarathy.
Aranmula is also famous for: The GI-tagged Aranmula Kannadi — a unique handmade metal mirror produced using a traditional alloy-based technique.
Bihar and Jharkhand Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement
Bihar and Jharkhand signed an MoU on 31 August 2026 for sharing the waters of the Sone River, resolving a dispute pending for nearly 25 years. Signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and presented as an example of cooperative federalism. This is the fourth major inter-State water-related agreement in 2026 through Centre-facilitated dialogue (earlier: Kishau Multipurpose Dam, Rajasthan–Haryana Yamuna Water, and Narmada Award payments).
3) Andhra Pradesh Current Affairs
Poola Subbaiah Veligonda Irrigation Project – Phase I Inaugurated
AP CM N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated Phase I of the Poola Subbaiah Veligonda Irrigation Project on 31 August 2026 — nearly three decades after laying its foundation stone on 5 March 1996. The project diverts Krishna River water from the Srisailam Reservoir through gravity and stores it in the Nallamala Sagar Reservoir, distributing it through a canal network.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Beneficiary Districts | Markapuram, Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa (drought-prone areas) |
| Phase I Cost | ~₹7,983 crore | Total estimated project cost: ~₹10,200 crore |
| Water Stored (Phase I) | 10.70 TMC ft of Krishna water in Nallamala Sagar |
| Phase I Benefits | Irrigation: ~1.19 lakh acres | Drinking water: ~4 lakh people |
| Phase I Infrastructure | Twin tunnels: ~18.8 km | Feeder canal works: ~21.8 km |
| Full Project Benefits | Serves 30 mandals | Irrigation: ~4.47 lakh acres | Drinking water: ~23 lakh people |
| Phase II Target | Completion by 2028 |
AP Literacy Rate Rises to 82.1%
AP’s literacy rate increased from 72.6% in 2024 to 82.1% in 2026, crossing the national average of 80.9%. Around 25 lakh people reportedly became literate through the Akshara Andhra programme. The government has set a target of 100% literacy by September 2027.
| Akshara Andhra – Key Facts | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nature | Adult literacy programme of the Government of Andhra Pradesh |
| Government Order | G.O.Ms.No. 37, School Education Department, dated 25 November 2025 |
| Aligned With | GoI’s ULLAS – Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society (New India Literacy Programme) |
| Primary Target Group | Non-literate adults aged 15–59 years; special emphasis on women in rural and tribal areas, workers, daily labourers, street vendors, and marginalised communities (SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities) |
| Annual Target | Originally ~25 lakh learners/year to achieve 100% adult functional literacy by 2029 |
| Advanced Target (September 2026) | 100% literacy by September 2027 | ~25 lakh by March 2027 + ~27 lakh by September 2027 |
892 AP Villages Declared Adarsh Grams
Under the Adarsh Gram component of PM-AJAY (Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana), since 2018–19, a total of 1,159 villages in AP have been selected, of which 892 have been declared Adarsh Grams. Villages must achieve a prescribed score of 70 out of 100 across socio-economic development indicators.
| District | Selected Villages | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tirupati | 221 (highest) | Progressing |
| Prakasam | 111 | Progressing |
| Chittoor | 101 | Progressing |
| Eluru | 99 | Progressing |
| Krishna | 88 | All 88 declared Adarsh Grams |
| Sri Sathya Sai & Vizianagaram | – | All selected villages achieved Adarsh Gram status |
Amaravati Sangamam Project – ₹759 Crore
The AP Cabinet (CM N. Chandrababu Naidu) approved administrative sanction for the ₹759 crore Amaravati Sangamam project at Sakhamuru. The project will include the Andhra Pradesh State Public Library, an auditorium, and the Global Institute of Good Governance.
AP Poultry Development Policy 2025–29
The AP Cabinet approved the draft Andhra Pradesh Poultry Development Policy 2025–29. Key focus: promotion of Environment Controlled Poultry Sheds, stronger disease surveillance, biosecurity and traceability. Registration of poultry farms proposed to be made mandatory for better monitoring of poultry units and disease outbreaks.
4) Polity & Governance
Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026
The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 2 August 2026 and has been referred to the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance for examination (report within 3 months).
Untouchability and Article 17
Article 17 of the Constitution abolishes “untouchability”, prohibits its practice in any form, and makes the enforcement of disabilities arising from untouchability punishable by law. The Constitution itself does not define untouchability.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Original Name | Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1955 |
| Renamed To | Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 — renamed in 1976 |
| Article 17 Scope | Operates against both private individuals and the State |
| Surya Narayan Choudhary v. State of Rajasthan (1988) | Concerned purification of Dalit devotees at Shrinathji Temple, Nathdwara | Rajasthan High Court held caste-specific purification practice violative of Articles 14, 15 and 17 |
Appointment of ‘Distinguished Jurist’ as SC Judge
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan (SC) highlighted that despite Article 124(3) permitting a “distinguished jurist” to be appointed directly as a Supreme Court judge, no person has been appointed through this route in more than 76 years.
Constitutional History: H.V. Kamath moved the distinguished-jurist proposal in 1949 (Constituent Assembly), noting outstanding juristic knowledge was not confined to practising lawyers | Referenced Felix Frankfurter — Harvard Law professor appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1939 | A similar provision for HCs was introduced by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 but removed by the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 — so the distinguished-jurist route exists only for the Supreme Court, not High Courts.
5) Economy
MoSPI Releases National Accounts Statistics 2026
MoSPI released the National Accounts Statistics (NAS) – 2026 on 31 August 2026, using 2022–23 as the new base year. It incorporates new series of PPI (Producer Price Index), IIP (Index of Industrial Production), and BkSPI (Banking Services Price Index), all with 2022–23 as the base year.
| Indicator | Revised Data |
|---|---|
| Real GDP Growth (2025–26, constant prices) | Revised upward: 7.7% → 7.8% |
| Nominal GDP Growth (2025–26, current prices) | Revised: 8.9% → 8.6% |
| Constant-Price GDP (2025–26) | ₹3,24,70,100 crore |
6) Science & Technology
Vacuum Birefringence
An international team reported strong observational evidence for vacuum birefringence — a long-standing prediction of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) — based on observations of magnetar 1E 1547.0−5408, published in Nature on 5 August 2026.
Magnetar: A type of neutron star with an exceptionally powerful magnetic field.
NASA Launches Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
NASA successfully launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on 30 August 2026 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Cost: ~$4 billion. Designed to study dark energy, dark matter and exoplanets.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Named After | Nancy Grace Roman — NASA’s first Chief Astronomer; often called the “mother of the Hubble Space Telescope” |
| Survey Speed | Can survey the universe ~1,000 times faster than Hubble |
| Destination | Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2) — located ~1.6 million km from Earth (~3-month journey) |
| Relation to Other Telescopes | Complements Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope, but has a much wider field of view |
Wakefield Accelerator
Wakefield accelerators are being studied as a compact alternative to very large particle accelerators. They accelerate charged particles using strong electric fields created inside plasma — a state of matter made up of free electrons and positively charged ions.
Advantages: Very strong electric fields over a short distance | Much smaller than conventional accelerators | Some experimental versions can fit on a laboratory table.
7) Defence
India Signs Javelin Anti-Tank Missile Procurement Deal with USA
India signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the United States to procure Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route on 28 August 2026.
8) Schemes
Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031
The Department of Fisheries (Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying) released the “Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031” Strategic Action Plan for Ornamental Fisheries Development at Agatti, Lakshadweep on 31 August 2026. Released by the Vice President of India.
Lakshadweep Note: Identified as an important location for marine fisheries development | Also notified as a dedicated Seaweed Cluster under the Government’s cluster-based approach.
9) Awards & Honours
PM Modi Conferred Uzbekistan’s Highest Honour
PM Narendra Modi was conferred with the “Oliy Darajali Do’stlik” Order (Order of Highest Friendship) — Uzbekistan’s highest honour for foreign leaders — by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on 30 August 2026 during his State Visit to Uzbekistan.
Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2026
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation announced the 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees on 31 August 2026. The three recipients are Tommy Koh (Singapore), Runa Khan (Bangladesh), and Bo Kyi (Myanmar). Regarded as Asia’s premier prize for selfless public service and transformative leadership.
10) Ranks & Reports
UNEP Report – “Limiting Overshoot”
UNEP’s 2026 report “Limiting Overshoot: Navigating Exceedance of 1.5°C and Pathways Towards Return” warned that temporarily exceeding the 1.5°C global warming threshold is now widely assessed as unavoidable. The 1.5°C target is pursued under the Paris Agreement.
| Key Finding | Detail |
|---|---|
| Overshoot Pathway | UNEP details an “overshoot, peak and decline” pathway: temperature first exceeds 1.5°C (overshoot) → reaches the lowest possible peak → declines towards below 1.5°C through deep emission reductions and net-negative emissions | Not a preferred pathway, but the best remaining option |
| Peak Warming (if commitments met) | Even if all current climate commitments and net-zero targets are fully implemented, peak warming could still reach around ~1.8°C |
| Risks of Higher Overshoot | Sea-level rise, glacier and coral-reef loss, food-production decline, irreversible climate tipping points | Global food production could decline by as much as 14% by 2050 |
| UNEP’s Call | Immediate and sustained reductions in GHG emissions (especially methane) + adaptation + carefully governed Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) |
| Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) | Involves removing CO₂ from the atmosphere through afforestation and other natural or technological approaches and storing it |
11) Committees & Conferences
NCLT Constitutes First-Ever Five-Member Bench
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) constituted a five-member Bench for the first time in its history to adjudicate the personal insolvency case involving Essel Group Chairman Subhash Chandra. Creditor claims exceed ₹22,000 crore; proposed repayment plan: ~₹6.5 crore.
12) Person in News
Gloria Steinem – Co-founder of Ms. Magazine Passes Away; Age 92
Gloria Steinem, pioneering American feminist activist, journalist and author, died on 2 September 2026 at the age of 92 in New York. One of the most influential figures of the second-wave feminist movement — spent more than six decades campaigning for gender equality, reproductive rights and women’s political participation. Co-founder of Ms. magazine, launched in the early 1970s as an influential platform for feminist journalism.
Quick Revision Table
| Topic | One-Line Summary |
|---|---|
| PM Modi – Uzbekistan Visit | PM Modi received “Oliy Darajali Do’stlik” (Order of Highest Friendship) — Uzbekistan’s highest honour for foreign leaders; Capital: Tashkent; Currency: Uzbekistani So’um (UZS). |
| 26th SCO Summit – Bishkek | 26th SCO Heads of State Meeting held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (31 August – 1 September 2026); India will host first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum in 2026; |
| Bihar–Jharkhand Sone River Water Agreement | Bihar and Jharkhand signed MoU on 31 August 2026 for sharing waters of the Sone River, resolving a 25-year-old dispute. |
| AP – Veligonda Irrigation Project Phase I | CM Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated Phase I of Poola Subbaiah Veligonda Irrigation Project on 31 August 2026, ~30 years after the foundation stone (5 March 1996); diverts Krishna River water from Srisailam Reservoir through gravity into Nallamala Sagar Reservoir |
| AP – Akshara Andhra | AP literacy rate rose from 72.6% (2024) to 82.1% (2026), crossing national average of 80.9%; 25 lakh people became literate through Akshara Andhra; target: 100% literacy by September 2027. |
| AP – PM-AJAY Adarsh Grams (892 of 1,159) | Since 2018–19, 1,159 AP villages selected under Adarsh Gram component of PM-AJAY; 892 declared Adarsh Grams (267 still progressing). |
| Article 17 – Untouchability | Article 17 abolishes untouchability and prohibits its practice in any form; Constitution does not define “untouchability”; Parliament enacted the Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1955 (renamed Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 in 1976). |
| Article 124(3) – Distinguished Jurist | Article 124(3) of the Constitution provides three routes to Supreme Court judgeship: (1) HC judge for 5+ years; (2) HC advocate for 10+ years; (3) distinguished jurist in the President’s opinion; Distinguished-jurist route exists only for Supreme Court, not High Courts. |
| NAS 2026 – Base Year 2022–23 | MoSPI released National Accounts Statistics 2026 on 31 August 2026; new base year: 2022–23; incorporates new series of PPI, IIP and BkSPI (all with 2022–23 base year); India’s real GDP growth 2025–26 revised upward from 7.7% to 7.8% (constant prices); nominal GDP growth 2025–26 revised from 8.9% to 8.6% (current prices) |
| Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope | NASA launched Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on 30 August 2026 aboard SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center, Florida |
| Javelin Anti-Tank Missile | India signed Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the USA on 28 August 2026 to procure Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. |
| UNEP – Limiting Overshoot Report | UNEP’s 2026 report “Limiting Overshoot” warns that breaching the 1.5°C global warming threshold is now unavoidable; proposes “overshoot, peak and decline” pathway — temperature first exceeds 1.5°C, reaches lowest possible peak, then declines through deep emission reductions and net-negative emissions; even if all current commitments met, peak warming could reach 1.8°C. |
| Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2026 | Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2026 announced on 31 August 2026; three recipients: Tommy Koh (Singapore), Runa Khan (Bangladesh), Bo Kyi (Myanmar) |
| Aranmula Vallamkali – Boat Race | Aranmula Uthrattathi Vallamkali is a traditional boat festival at Aranmula, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala on the Pampa River; celebrated during the Onam season on Uthrattathi day in the Malayalam month of Chingam; associated with Sree Parthasarathy Temple (Lord Krishna as Parthasarathy); features sacred Palliyodam snake boats; primarily religious and ceremonial in character (unlike competitive boat races); Aranmula is also known for the GI-tagged Aranmula Kannadi (handmade metal mirror). |
