Current affairs — 5 September 2026

Prelims pointers

• Bodhan AI is an AI-for-education Centre of Excellence incubated within IIT Madras and supported by the Union Ministry of Education.
• AI4Bharat is a research laboratory at IIT Madras and jointly launched the four foundational models with Bodhan AI.
• The model suite covers speech recognition, speech generation, machine translation and optical character recognition.
• The models are intended to be made available through open-weight releases and hosted Application Programming Interfaces.
• The release envisaged government and public-institution deployment through sovereign infrastructure and API integration by education-technology companies.

Prelims pointers

• Tamil Nadu’s registered births fell 5.3%, from 8.47 lakh in 2024 to 8.02 lakh in 2025, a decline of nearly 45,000.
• Civil Registration System data recorded five lakh-odd births in Tamil Nadu so far in 2026.
• Tamil Nadu’s total fertility rate fell below the replacement level of 2.1 nearly 20 years ago, according to T. Sundararaman.
• Experts said rising longevity and fewer births would produce a smaller working-age population alongside a larger population aged 65 or 70 and above.
• Under the State’s Thaimaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam, one-gram gold rings will be gifted to babies born in government hospitals.

Prelims pointers

• The RBI scheduled the VRRR auction for Monday, September 7, 2026.
• The auction has a notified amount of ₹7,00,000 crore, a 30-day tenor and an October 7, 2026 reversal date.
• The bidding window for the auction is from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
• Premature-reversal requests may be made only through E-Kuber between 09:00 and 17:00 on working days in Mumbai.
• On premature reversal, principal and accrued interest are credited to the participant’s RBI current account, and RBI collateral is debited from its reverse repo constituent SGL account.

Prelims pointers

• PM-SETU stands for Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs.
• The ₹60,000-crore Union initiative is designed to modernise 1,000 Industrial Training Institutes into advanced, industry-led skill centres.
• Karnataka’s hub-and-spoke plan has 12 hubs covering 48 ITIs, with four ITIs attached to each hub.
• The scheme’s Special Purpose Vehicle will have six industry representatives as members.
• Participating companies must have annual turnover of at least ₹500 crore and more than 1,000 employees.

Prelims pointers

• UNEP’s Limiting Overshoot report warns that breaching 1.5°C can cause irreversible losses beyond the reach of adaptation.
• Full delivery of existing climate pledges would still imply about 1.8°C warming, while current policies point to 2.6°C.
• The report’s overshoot pathway seeks to limit the warming peak and return temperatures below 1.5°C by century-end.
• Methane is responsible for about 0.5°C of current warming and is highlighted for rapid near-term mitigation.
• The Global Methane Pledge seeks at least a 30% anthropogenic methane cut from 2020 levels by 2030; India has not joined.

Prelims pointers

• The 2025 Union Budget speech said India was considering a revamp of its 2015 Model Bilateral Investment Treaty.
• The earlier appraisal produced two major outcomes: unilateral termination of BITs and adoption of a new model for negotiations.
• India circulated its draft Model BIT for public comment in March 2015 and adopted the revised version in December 2015.
• The Law Commission of India examined the 2015 draft and made recommendations in its 260th report.
• Norway held public consultations on updated model BIT drafts in 2008 and 2015, while Colombia also released its model for consultation.

Prelims pointers

• The UN General Assembly resolution was titled “Correct the map” and focused particularly on equitable representation of Africa.
• Togo sponsored the resolution, which received 164 votes in favour and one vote against from the United States.
• Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine abstained from the vote in the 193-member Assembly.
• The Mercator projection was designed in the 16th century for navigation but remains common in educational and official material.
• India supported consideration of equal-area projections but said the vote did not endorse Equal Earth or any specific projection.

Prelims pointers

• Ali Taher Hill is north of the Litani River and overlooks villages and main roads leading to Nabatiyeh.
• The United States sought its transfer to the Lebanese army under a wider plan to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle infrastructure.
• A June framework stated that Israel would withdraw from Lebanon as Hezbollah was disarmed, but Hezbollah was not a negotiating party.
• Israel occupied Ali Taher for 18 years before withdrawing from Lebanon in 2000.
• Israel said on September 3, 2026 that it had operational control of Ali Taher and tunnels used for fighters and weapons.

Prelims pointers

• The study used two-dimensional hydraulic modelling and was published online in the peer-reviewed journal Icarus.
• The modelled flood released about 1,245 trillion cubic metres of water and may have raised mean ocean level by 34 metres.
• The principal breach was at Eos Chasma, where Valles Marineris connects eastward to Aurorae Chaos.
• Floodwaters were routed through Chryse Planitia toward the northern lowlands and hypothesised Oceanus Borealis.
• Valles Marineris stretches more than 4,000 km across Mars's equatorial region.

Prelims pointers

• Tasnim reported that an Iranian tanker near Kharg Island was struck by U.S. forces on September 5, 2026.
• A Tasnim correspondent said four U.S. missiles hit the tanker in the anchorage area of Kharg Island.
• Local sources quoted by Tasnim said there were no casualties and that the tanker’s crew was being evacuated.
• Iran was identified as OPEC’s third-largest producer and had exported 90% of its crude through Kharg before the war.
• The article says the Strait of Hormuz carried one-fifth of world oil supply before the war and was effectively shut by Iran.

Prelims pointers

• Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022 amid damage to Ukrainian mobile towers and fibre-optic lines.
• A cyberattack on the Viasat satellite network around the invasion’s start added to Ukraine’s communications disruption.
• Minister Mykhailo Fedorov appealed to Elon Musk, and SpaceX activated Starlink in Ukraine and shipped terminals.
• Starlink initially restored connectivity for government offices, hospitals and emergency responders before military adoption.
• A Starlink terminal can remain online when nearby infrastructure is destroyed if it has power and a clear view of the sky.

Prelims pointers

• Nepal demanded direct climate compensation from the United States, China and India after the August 26 disaster.
• Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal made Nepal’s climate-justice case on September 1, 2026 after a glacial collapse killed over 1,200 people.
• Nepal contributes about 0.1% of global greenhouse-gas emissions and generates almost all its electricity from renewable hydropower.
• The Hindu Kush Himalayas are often called the “Third Pole” and are warming at nearly twice the global average.
• The article says glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas are melting at ten times their historical norms.

Prelims pointers

• China's 15th Five-Year Plan for renewable energy was released on July 23, 2026 and includes the lower Yarlung Zangbo project.
• The July 2025 groundbreaking announced investment of 1.2 trillion yuan, around ₹14 lakh crore, for five power stations.
• Chinese analysts project 60 GW capacity and annual generation of 300 billion kilowatt-hours, though these are not official projections.
• The reported design diverts water through an approximately 40-km tunnel to five 12-GW powerhouses before it rejoins the river.
• India and China are scheduled to meet through the Expert-Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers.

Prelims pointers

• The 17 published draft rolls had 29,93,00,115 electors, 15.7% fewer than the 35,50,50,008 recorded during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
• Maharashtra had the largest absolute draft-roll drop: 15,896,198 electors, equivalent to 17.08%.
• Delhi and Chandigarh recorded the sharpest percentage declines in the draft rolls, at 35.89% and 31.84% respectively.
• The third SIR phase covers 16 States and three Union Territories; Nagaland and Tripura draft rolls were scheduled for September 20 and October 21.
• Assam underwent a special revision instead of SIR because of legalities related to the National Register of Citizens.

Prelims pointers

• The United Nations decided to declare November 27 as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage.
• The NFHS 2019-21 figure cited in the report says 23.3% of women aged 20-24 were married before reaching 18 years.
• The article reports a corresponding child-marriage prevalence figure of 20.1% in the 2023-24 NFHS.
• JRC founder Bhuwan Ribhu said the Centre had set a target to reduce child marriages by 10% in 2026.
• Advocate P. Rajya Lakshmi sought awareness in schools and colleges about the health and legal consequences of child marriage.

Prelims pointers

• ECLGS 5.0 was approved on May 5, 2026, is implemented by NCGTC and targets additional credit flow up to ₹2.55 lakh crore.
• It runs until March 31, 2027 or until guarantees worth ₹2.55 lakh crore are issued, whichever is earlier.
• Eligible MSME loans receive 100% guarantee cover, while eligible non-MSMEs and scheduled passenger airlines receive 90% cover.
• MSME and eligible non-MSME additional credit is capped at 20% of peak Q4 FY 2025–26 working capital and ₹100 crore per borrower.
• By August 20, 2026, 6,73,979 guarantees worth ₹2,50,024 crore had been issued; MSMEs were 97.3% by number.

Prelims pointers

• Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan launched the India Valve Registry at India Valves 2026 in Chennai on September 5, 2026.
• The Registry is a collaborative multicentre initiative covering transcatheter valve interventions across India.
• It will systematically and securely collect de-identified real-world data to strengthen India-specific clinical evidence.
• A valve registry records patient interventions, treatment and outcomes over time to create collective medical knowledge.
• India Valves 2026 is a national academic meeting focused on valvular and structural heart disease, scientific exchange, training and collaborative research.

Prelims pointers

• The Union Cabinet approved the coal and lignite gasification scheme on May 13, 2026, with an outlay of ₹37,500 crore.
• The scheme promotes conversion of domestic coal and lignite into products including syngas, methanol, ammonia and urea.
• The Request for Proposal was issued on July 7, 2026, and the first-round application deadline was September 7, 2026.
• Talcher Fertilisers Limited and NTPC Limited had submitted applications through the online portal.
• The scheme is expected to support nearly 25 projects, around 50,000 jobs and the objective of 100 MT coal-gasification capacity by 2030.

Prelims pointers

• The National Biodiversity Authority’s cumulative Access and Benefit-Sharing disbursement has exceeded ₹200 crore.
• The latest ₹8.23-crore sanction covers 27 State Biodiversity Boards and five Union Territory Biodiversity Councils.
• The proceeds relate to bitter gourd, okra, chilli and onion resources used for research and commercial purposes.
• Where individual providers cannot be identified, distribution uses crop-cultivation area published by the Agriculture Ministry.
• Section 32(2) of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 lists permitted activities including biodiversity registers, conservation, ecosystem restoration and community livelihoods.

Prelims pointers

• Five Zonal Councils were established under Sections 15 to 22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
• The Western Zonal Council includes Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
• The Union Home Minister chairs the Western Council; a member-State Chief Minister serves as rotating Vice-Chairman for one year.
• A Chief Secretary-level Standing Committee considers State proposals before unresolved issues are placed before the Zonal Council.
• Zonal Councils are advisory and provide structured dialogue on issues affecting multiple States or the Centre and States.

Prelims pointers

• The NCSC ordered the inquiry using powers conferred by Article 338 of the Constitution.
• The representation alleged denial of reservation benefits in recruitment for 1,013 Punjab Education Department lecturer posts.
• Punjab’s Chief Secretary was directed to provide facts, action taken and relevant records within seven days of receiving notice.
• The requested records include the recruitment notification and the reservation roster.
• If no timely response is received, the NCSC may exercise civil-court powers under Article 338 and summon personal appearance.

Prelims pointers

• The affordable-healthcare CRTDH at IIT Kharagpur was established in 2019 under the DSIR CRTDH Scheme.
• Its sustainable phase operates through user fees, industry sponsorships and translational partnerships after initial grant support.
• The 5,000-square-foot facility has facilitated more than 20 technology transfers, many already commercialised.
• Fifteen trained frontline health workers from remote areas including the Sundarbans and Birbhum operate rural health units.
• The workers provide screening, referral and follow-up alongside National Health Mission delivery structures.

Prelims pointers

• CSIR-CRRI trained Delhi PWD engineers on the CAQM Standard Framework for paving and greening urban roads.
• The programme was held at the NDMC Convention Centre and focused on implementation across the National Capital Territory.
• Road-network planning was aligned with IRC guidelines to improve environmental performance and safety.
• Training covered carriageway standards, data formats, public-transport facilities, pedestrian walkways and non-motorised transport.
• Utility integration included drainage, electricity, telecom networks, bus stops and gas fuel stations.

Prelims pointers

• NASA invited ISRO to join a proposed lunar-outpost programme at the ninth India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting in Bengaluru.
• India joined the Artemis Accords in 2023, while ISRO had not yet decided whether to accept the Moon Base invitation.
• GSLV-F17 was announced to carry EOS-05, described as India’s first imaging satellite stationed in geosynchronous orbit.
• An improved SSLV SS1 solid-booster stage is expected to increase payload capability to low-earth orbit by about 100 kg.
• IN-SPACe invited interest from eligible Indian industries to operate and manage the Small-Satellite Launch Complex at Kulasekarapattinam.

Prelims pointers

• The September 5 fighting killed 26 government troops, 31 Houthi fighters and six civilians travelling by bus, according to cited sources.
• The Houthi offensive aimed to cut off the government-held port city of Mokha and advance toward the Bab al-Mandab strait.
• Saudi Arabia carried out three airstrikes on Houthi positions recently captured in Taiz.
• Bab al-Mandab gained importance for Saudi oil transit after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.
• A fragile truce collapsed in July after the Houthis welcomed an Iranian aircraft to Sanaa.

Prelims pointers

• The SCO’s 26th summit was held in Bishkek on August 31-September 1, 2026, marking 25 years since its launch.
• China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan were founding members; India and Pakistan joined in 2017.
• The Bishkek Declaration used strong language on terrorism, separatism and extremism, and strongly condemned terrorism.
• The SCO has no collective-defence component and operates through 29 charter bodies and more than 40 interaction mechanisms.
• Pakistan assumed the SCO chair after the Bishkek summit and is scheduled to host the next summit.

Prelims pointers

• The Javelin Joint Venture of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin develops and manufactures the Javelin system.
• Its Command Launch Unit contains day/night sights, electronics and controls, while an imaging-infrared seeker guides the missile after launch.
• The system can perform top attacks against tanks and direct attacks against caves, bunkers or soft targets.
• Company literature cited operational readiness of 99% and engagement success of 94%.
• Under the JJV-TASL memorandum, U.S.-made subassembly kits and guidance-electronics units would be shipped to India for final assembly.