Current affairs — 3 September 2026

Prelims pointers

• Department of Pharmaceuticals Secretary Manoj Joshi inaugurated Dentic World at AMTZ in Visakhapatnam.
• Dentic World combines research, design, prototyping and advanced manufacturing on a single dental-technology platform.
• The hub is intended to support development and commercialisation of indigenous dental technologies.
• AMTZ and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre signed an MoU covering radiopharmaceuticals, radiochemistry and oncology research.
• The MoU combines AMTZ’s Techtron infrastructure with the hospital’s oncology-research and clinical expertise.

Prelims pointers

• The Senate-passed 2026 sanctions bill authorises tariffs up to 100% on certain major buyers making new Russian-energy purchases after enactment.
• Russian crude rose from 2% of India’s imports before the Russia–Ukraine conflict to roughly half, according to the article.
• India’s Russian crude imports increased from 4.54 MMT in January 2026 to 8.96 MMT in May 2026.
• The GTAP sanctions simulation estimated a nearly $47 billion welfare decline, with exports down 5.1% and imports down 5.2%.
• The proxy India–EU FTA simulation produced a $26.3 billion welfare gain, exports up 3.1% and imports up 2.6%.

Prelims pointers

• Ajit Doval and Wang Yi held the 25th Special Representatives’ boundary talks in Beijing on August 25, 2026.
• The Eight Points document assigned an Early and Substantial Harvest to an Expert Group on Boundary Delimitation.
• India’s proposal around 2019 combined the Sikkim Sector with the entire Middle Sector along the watershed.
• Article III of the 2005 boundary agreement calls for a package settlement covering all India-China boundary sectors.
• India and Bhutan place the Sikkim-Bhutan-China trijunction at Batang La, while China invokes Mount Gipmochi.

Prelims pointers

• UNEP says 1.5°C will be crossed within the next few years; current policies point to about 2.6°C warming by 2100.
• Even full delivery of national climate plans and net-zero targets would put peak warming at 1.8°C, according to the report.
• Every five years of continued high emissions adds roughly 0.1°C to peak warming, whose reversal would require about 220 billion tonnes of additional CO₂ removal.
• Human activity emits roughly 350–400 million tonnes of methane annually, and methane currently contributes about 0.5°C of warming.
• Over 155 countries back a 30% methane cut below 2020 levels by 2030; India, China, Russia and Iran remain outside the pledge.

Prelims pointers

• Kerala State Pollution Control Board inspections covered bone meal, chicken-waste rendering and rubber-processing units in Edayar.
• Notices had been served on seven of 20 units under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, by September 1, 2026.
• Board directions require relevant processing units to install air-pollution controls comprising a biofilter with biomedia for odour control.
• Officials linked odour and volatile organic compound emissions to improper biofilter material and poor operation and maintenance.
• A CSIR-NIIST study published in September 2023 had also linked releases to poor operational efficiency at erring units.

Prelims pointers

• The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book said nationwide economic activity increased modestly since early July.
• The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge was unchanged at 3.7% in July, after reaching 4.1% in May.
• Prices increased in all 12 Federal Reserve districts, with two-thirds reporting moderate increases.
• The St. Louis Federal Reserve district was the only district described as having a robust price increase.
• Manufacturing growth was concentrated in data-centre-related orders and the defence sector.

Prelims pointers

• Ukraine formally notified the International Civil Aviation Organization that Russian airspace was not safe.
• ICAO is a United Nations agency that regulates and establishes standards for civil aviation.
• Russia’s aviation watchdog rejected Ukraine’s airspace warning as illegitimate and invalid.
• Russian authorities regularly close airports in response to Ukrainian drone strikes.
• Ukraine’s airspace has been closed to civilian traffic since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Prelims pointers

• Heavy rain in Jharkhand swelled the Subarnarekha River and raised flood risk in Odisha's Balasore district.
• Floodwater entered the Subarnarekha through 13 opened gates of the Gauludih barrage.
• At Rajghat in Jaleswar, the river exceeded 11.63 metres against a danger level of 10.36 metres.
• Floodwater entered 65 villages in Bhogarai block, 60 in Baliapala and 12 in Jaleswar block.
• The Balasore Collector described the episode as the district's third flood and directed provision of dry food.

Prelims pointers

• The HSBC India Services PMI Business Activity Index rose from 53.3 in July to 54.1 in August.
• The August services expansion was the second-weakest recorded since March 2022.
• Service-sector job creation reached a 15-month high even as overall growth remained relatively weak.
• The HSBC India Composite PMI Output Index stood at 54.3 in August, its second-weakest since February 2022.
• S&P Global compiles the services index from questionnaires sent to around 400 service-sector companies.

Prelims pointers

• StemRad and Lockheed Martin developed AstroRad after adapting protection designed for nuclear emergency responders.
• The vest concentrates shielding over the chest, abdomen and pelvis to protect bone marrow and sensitive organs.
• AstroRad uses hydrogen-rich polymers rather than lead to slow energetic radiation particles efficiently.
• NASA tested the improved vest during Artemis I in 2022 with tissue-mimicking dummies Helga and Zohar.
• Models indicated dose reductions of 60% for an August 1972 solar storm and 40% for an October 1989 storm.

Prelims pointers

• The official first-quarter growth figure was 7.8%, while S. C. Garg argued that it would otherwise have been 2.6%.
• Garg said the previous year’s current-price GDP had been revised from ₹86 lakh crore to ₹80 lakh crore.
• Neelkanth Mishra said the economic data series introduced in February 2026 improved the methodology.
• Mishra cited 35% year-on-year growth in August dispatches of cars and SUVs despite 9% export growth.
• He also cited two-wheeler growth above 20% and commercial-vehicle dispatch growth above 40%.

Prelims pointers

• Bangladesh’s least-developed-country status has given its textile exports zero-duty access in several developed markets.
• Vietnam obtained lower or zero duties for exports through trade agreements with developed countries.
• India’s nine FTAs with economies representing $60 trillion of GDP were said to cover nearly two-thirds of global trade.
• India set a $1 trillion export target for the current year, which the Minister said represented about 16% growth.
• India exported about $317 billion in April-July, compared with $280 billion in the same period last year.

Prelims pointers

• The September 4, 2026 sale covers government securities with a total notified amount of ₹32,000 crore.
• New GS 2031 has a notified amount of ₹21,000 crore and a per-Primary-Dealer MUC of ₹500 crore.
• The 7.71% GS 2066 has a notified amount of ₹11,000 crore and a per-dealer MUC of ₹262 crore.
• The underwriting auction uses a multiple price-based method and accepts electronic bids through e-Kuber.
• Primary Dealers may submit Additional Competitive Underwriting bids from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Prelims pointers

• India and Belgium agreed to expand cooperation in trade, defence, critical minerals, clean energy and technologies.
• A renewable-energy memorandum was signed, while mineral cooperation will include processing and recycling.
• India-Belgium bilateral trade reached $13.01 billion during the 2025-26 financial year.
• Belgian FDI inflows into India totalled approximately $4.2 billion from April 2000 to December 2025.
• Belgium was among the first European countries to establish diplomatic relations with independent India in September 1947.

Prelims pointers

• The United States tariffs took effect on September 3, 2026 after an order signed in August.
• Drones exceeding 25 kilograms in takeoff weight face a 100% United States tariff.
• Drones with thermal-imaging capabilities and docking stations also face a 100% tariff.
• Smaller drones face a 25% duty, while some less-sensitive component duties begin on February 9.
• DJI has held more than two-thirds of the global drone market and has faced U.S. technology restrictions since 2022.

Prelims pointers

• India said solutions to the Russia-Ukraine conflict should emerge through dialogue and diplomacy, not the battlefield.
• Attacks on commercial shipping were prominent because Indian seafarers serve on ships under many national flags.
• Shipping disruption was linked to fuel, fertiliser and food shortages affecting countries of the Global South.
• India had supplied Ukraine with 19 consignments of humanitarian relief and assistance.
• India-Ukraine trade spans pharmaceuticals, food and agriculture, fertilisers, machinery, chemicals and consumer goods.

Prelims pointers

• Belgium assured India that it would not pursue defence cooperation or provide technological assistance to Pakistan.
• The two sides agreed to expand defence dialogue, high-level visits, training and capacity building.
• India and Belgium discussed greater maritime security collaboration in the Indo-Pacific.
• Belgium identified maritime security, information security and aerospace as areas of expanding cooperation.
• India proposed combining Belgian technology with Indian manufacturing for niche defence co-development and co-production.

Prelims pointers

• Karnataka convened a three-day special legislative session from September 21 to 23, 2026.
• The session is to discuss the drought situation and the Kasturirangan Committee report.
• A central draft identified 1,439 villages in Karnataka as ecologically sensitive areas.
• Karnataka had declared 101 taluks drought-hit under the Union government's Drought Manual 2020.
• The next round could add about 50 to 60 drought-affected taluks, according to the Deputy Chief Minister.

Prelims pointers

• Kerala's Pollution Control Board served a closure notice on Alliance Marine Products in Edayar.
• The notice was issued under Section 32 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• Inspectors found unauthorised effluent discharge through a stormwater outlet pipe into the Periyar.
• Workers were found cleaning chicken-waste vehicles with hydrogen peroxide and draining the discharge to a stormwater line.
• Residents noticed froth near the Pathalam bund from about 7:30 a.m. on September 1, 2026.

Prelims pointers

• Andhra Pradesh had received 52% less rainfall than normal, according to the State Information Minister.
• Only 60%-65% of cultivated area had been covered, compared with nearly 90% normally by that time.
• The government plans to distribute 90,000 kg of seeds for crops requiring less water.
• Andhra Pradesh approved ₹90 crore for seed subsidy amid the reported El Nino conditions.
• Drinking-water proposals were being prepared for all 14,829 habitations in the State.

Prelims pointers

• Sudan’s war began in April 2023 after a power struggle between the military and the Rapid Support Forces.
• The conflict has displaced more than 14 million people, according to the article’s account of the UN probe.
• The UN mission said drone strikes killed more than 1,000 people in the first five months of 2026.
• Investigators said up to 2,000 Colombian contractors helped operate or maintain RSF drones and other advanced weapons.
• The UN mission urged enforcement of the Darfur arms embargo and called on the Security Council to extend it across Sudan.

Prelims pointers

• The Election Commission held its fourth regional conference on ELC 2.0 and ECINet in Goa.
• ELC 2.0 uses the tagline “Learn Democracy. Lead Democracy.”
• ECINet is described as a unified digital platform providing election-related services and information from roll to poll.
• Electoral Literacy Clubs will share information on registration, polling, counting, the ECINet App and other ECI initiatives.
• Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar interacted with more than 1,000 Booth Level Officers during his two-day Goa visit.

Prelims pointers

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the RAKSHA defence-diplomacy document in New Delhi on 3 September 2026.
• The RAKSHA framework sets out a roadmap for India’s global defence partnerships over the next ten years.
• RAKSHA’s four pillars are strategic partnerships, capacity building, indigenous exports and maritime security.
• Capacity building includes joint military exercises, training programmes and sharing best practices with friendly countries.
• The maritime-security pillar describes India’s role as a net security provider and first responder in the Indian Ocean Region.

Prelims pointers

• Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s official visit to India ran from 2 to 4 September 2026 and was his first since taking office in February 2025.
• The inaugural India-Belgium Strategic Dialogue was launched in Brussels on 15 July 2026.
• Belgium reaffirmed support for India’s candidature for permanent membership of a reformed and expanded UN Security Council.
• India and Belgium set an objective of doubling bilateral trade over the next five years.
• The renewed India-Belgium renewable-energy MoU covers green hydrogen, solar energy, storage, offshore wind, bio-energy, small hydropower and pumped storage.

Prelims pointers

• Azarel Ernesta is identified in the release as the first woman Speaker of the Seychelles National Assembly.
• India and Seychelles were celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2026.
• India announced a Special Economic Package of USD 175 million for Seychelles in February 2026.
• President Patrick Herminie paid a State Visit to India in February 2026.
• India offered study visits and customised capacity-building programmes to the Seychelles National Assembly.

Prelims pointers

• GeM and the Textiles Committee signed the MoU during the Committee’s 62nd Foundation Day celebrations in Mumbai.
• The GeM-Textiles Committee initiative covers recycled and upcycled products made from textile waste, scrap and second-hand clothes.
• The Textiles Committee will identify, verify, certify and recognise eligible producers of recycled and upcycled textile products.
• GeM will create dedicated product categories and support seller onboarding and online market linkages.
• The partnership adopts a hub-and-spoke approach for outreach, mobilisation and capacity building.

Prelims pointers

• Piyush Goyal called for FTA outreach to reach businesses and entrepreneurs across all 780 districts.
• India’s nine FTAs were described as spanning economies with about $60 trillion in combined GDP.
• At the 3 September 2026 workshop, Piyush Goyal stated an Indian current-year export target of $1 trillion, representing about 16% growth.
• Exports during April-July were stated at about $317 billion, compared with $280 billion a year earlier.
• The Export Promotion Mission supports export credit, digitised compliance and documentation including rules-of-origin certification.

Prelims pointers

• The India-Belgium Defence CEOs Roundtable and B2B meetings were held in New Delhi on 3 September 2026.
• Proposed cooperation areas include cyber security, AI-enabled unmanned aerial systems, underwater vehicles and complex weapon systems.
• India’s defence industrial base was described as including more than 16,000 MSMEs.
• Defence FDI was stated as up to 74% under the automatic route and up to 100% through the government route.
• Existing Defence Industrial Corridors cited in the release are located in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

Prelims pointers

• NIELIT and Intel India organised the National Leadership Dialogue at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.
• The release describes Agentic AI as systems capable of reasoning, planning and executing complex tasks under human oversight.
• The NIELIT-Intel India initiative introduced two separate Agentic AI skilling programmes.
• Agentic AI for Everyone includes workflow automation, AI agents, multi-agent systems and no-code platforms.
• Engineering Agentic AI Systems covers agent architecture, tool integration, orchestration, memory and deployment.

Prelims pointers

• Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav had conducted more than 25 meetings in the preceding year on NCR municipal air-quality plans.
• The NCR State air-pollution plans combine on-ground action against identified sources with stakeholder-engagement measures.
• State Pollution Control Boards were asked to focus on identified air-pollution hotspots and prepare mitigation plans.
• Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav called for a Zero-Tolerance policy toward non-conforming polluting industries.
• A Union Minister-level review was planned for September to assess State progress and action.

Prelims pointers

• Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan chaired the Himalayan hazard-preparedness review in New Delhi.
• Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir participated in the meeting.
• Central participants included the MHA, NDMA, Central Water Commission, IMD and Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment.
• The review covered early warning, vulnerable-lake monitoring, flow paths, alert dissemination, evacuation and response resources.
• States were asked to expedite the GLOF mitigation project sanctioned by the Union government in 2024.

Prelims pointers

• VISHWAS, 2026 is a one-time settlement scheme that remains open until December 28, 2026.
• The release says the normal penalty for late Provident Fund deposit can be as high as 37% per year.
• Reduced rates are 0.25% per month up to two months, 0.50% from two to four months and 1% beyond four months.
• Eligible cases may concern delayed Provident Fund contributions made before June 14, 2024.
• Applicants get 15 days to pay the calculated amount, with an automatic further 15 days wherever required.

Prelims pointers

• El Niño warms surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and changes winds, pressure and rainfall worldwide.
• The phenomenon generally occurs every two to seven years and lasts around nine to 12 months.
• The WMO classifies an El Niño as very strong when the relevant sea-surface temperature anomaly exceeds 2°C.
• Weekly anomaly values from late July to mid-August 2026 ranged from about 2.2°C to 2.6°C above average.
• The average WMO forecast pointed to a 3.6°C anomaly peak, above the very strong events of 1997-98 and 2015-16.

Prelims pointers

• CAQM is consulting Punjab, Haryana and ISRO to develop better ground-truthing protocols for estimating stubble fires.
• Studies cited in the article put farm fires at no more than 15% of winter particulate pollution overall, but almost 44% in some weeks.
• An ISRO Space Applications Centre study found peak fire activity shifted from 1:30 p.m. in 2020 to around 5 p.m. in 2024.
• An iForest estimate found burnt area declined about 30%, from roughly 31,500 sq km in 2022 to 19,700 sq km in 2025.
• Satellite-derived burnt area does not directly measure emissions, which also depend on straw, moisture, combustion efficiency and emission factors.

Prelims pointers

• Iran attacked U.S. military bases in Kuwait on September 3, 2026 after renewed U.S. raids that began on August 30.
• Iran said it targeted U.S. bases or forces in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
• Kuwait’s army said it intercepted a missile-and-drone attack, while Iran named Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base as a target.
• The article said a July ceasefire collapsed after attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
• According to the article, one-fifth of world oil supplies had previously flowed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Prelims pointers

• The new NAS series estimates manufacturing GVA at ₹38.6 lakh crore at current prices in 2023-24, equivalent to 14.7% of GDP.
• The combined ASI and ASUSE manufacturing GVA for 2023-24 is ₹27.4 lakh crore, termed the Alternative Estimate.
• The official NAS manufacturing GVA exceeds the ASI-ASUSE alternative estimate by 40.9% for 2023-24.
• PLFS estimated 697.5 lakh manufacturing workers, while ASI and ASUSE together accounted for 532.9 lakh workers.
• After adding ₹3.6 lakh crore for residual workers, the article still finds ₹7.6 lakh crore of NAS manufacturing GVA unexplained.