India to Host 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam.

Dated: 10 September 2026

India will host the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 12-13, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  India chairs BRICS in its 20th founding anniversary year.
2.  The theme is Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.
3.  Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE joined in January 2024; Indonesia became a full member in January 2025.
4.  Ten partner countries added in 2025 were Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
5.  Focus includes AI, digital public infrastructure, fintech, green finance, energy transition, climate action and global governance reform.
6.  The chairship covers more than 350 meetings in 25 cities across political, security and cultural pillars.

Additional Information:
1.  BRICS was formalised in 2006, held its first summit in Yekaterinburg in 2009, and South Africa joined in 2010.
2.  India chaired in 2012, 2016, 2021 and 2026.

First International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir Begins.

Dated: 10 September 2026

The first International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir is being held from September 7 to 10, 2026 to promote the region as a global filmmaking hub.

Key Highlights:
1.  The inaugural IFFJK is a four-day event.
2.  Its official theme is Rang-e-Cinema.
3.  It seeks to make Kashmir a leading destination for international and domestic film production.
4.  Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory on October 31, 2019 under the Reorganisation Act.

Additional Information:
1.  The region has Wular Lake, one of Asia’s largest freshwater lakes.
2.  Girish Chandra Murmu was the Union Territory’s first Lieutenant Governor.

Harmanpreet Kaur Captains Record 150th T20I.

Dated: 10 September 2026

India beat Pakistan by seven wickets in the Women’s Asia Cup on September 5, 2026 as Harmanpreet Kaur became the first player to captain 150 T20 Internationals.

Key Highlights:
1.  India chased 56 and reached 56/3 in nine overs.
2.  Pakistan was dismissed for 55, its lowest T20I total, below 63 against India at the 2012 Asia Cup in Guangzhou.
3.  Shree Charani took 3/7 and Prema Rawat 3/9.
4.  India led Pool A with four points and qualified for the semifinals.

Additional Information:
1.  The Asian Cricket Council runs the Women’s Asia Cup, which adopted T20 format in 2012.
2.  Harmanpreet was the first Indian woman with a T20I hundred, won the 2017 Arjuna Award and was the first Indian in the Big Bash League.

Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum Becomes First Private European Rocket in Space.

Dated: 10 September 2026

German startup Isar Aerospace launched Spectrum from Andoya Spaceport, Norway on September 8, 2026 in its second mission, Onward and Upward.

Key Highlights:
1.  It became Europe’s first privately developed rocket to reach space by crossing 100 km in under four minutes.
2.  The two-stage orbital vehicle has 10 engines, is 28 metres high and 2 metres wide.
3.  It can carry 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit.
4.  It deployed five CubeSats including University of Maribor’s TriSat-S and FifamSiNetway.
5.  It also carried Deubed’s non-separable Let It Go experiment.
6.  ESA Boost! and the DLR Microlauncher Competition supported payload selection.

Additional Information:
1.  Munich-based Isar provides lower-cost launches for small and medium satellite constellations.
2.  Andoya is a Norwegian island spaceport for polar and sun-synchronous launches.

Carnatic Musician S. R. Janakiraman Passes Away.

Dated: 10 September 2026

Carnatic musician, musicologist and Padma Shri awardee S. R. Janakiraman died in Chennai aged 98 on September 8, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  Known as SRJ, he was the last surviving student of Tiger Varadachariar and followed the Gurukula tradition.
2.  He translated the foundational South Indian text Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini into English.
3.  He researched and published scholarly books while associated with The Music Academy.
4.  Honours included Padma Shri, Music Academy’s Sangeeta Kalacharya and Tamil Nadu’s Kalaimamani.

Additional Information:
1.  Born in Lalgudi, he specialised in Carnatic theory and history.
2.  Rukmini Devi Arundale founded Kalakshetra in Chennai in 1936 to preserve Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music.

Bodhan AI Launches Four Multilingual Education Models.

Dated: 10 September 2026

IIT Madras-incubated Section 8 company Bodhan AI launched four foundational models and the Bharat EduAI Stack on September 4, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  Built with AI4Bharat, the open-weight public goods serve multilingual education.
2.  Speech recognition supports 27 Indian languages; optical character recognition and text-to-speech each support 23; Bodhan-Translate supports 22.
3.  A Student Tutor Bot uses NCERT and SCERT for Classes 6-12 in 22 languages.
4.  Teacher Assistant Bot helps lesson planning, assessments and worksheets.
5.  Training used NVIDIA Nemotron open models and NeMo; sovereign hosting uses TensorRT LLM and vLLM inference.
6.  The Education Ministry funds the project.

Additional Information:
1.  Bodhan AI is IIT Madras’ nonprofit AI-for-Education centre; AI4Bharat builds Indian-language datasets and tools.
2.  Bharat EduAI Stack is common sovereign digital public infrastructure intended to reduce duplication in education technology.

Eleventh Ayurveda Day to Be Celebrated in Nagpur.

Dated: 10 September 2026

The Ayush Ministry announced that the 11th Ayurveda Day will be celebrated in Nagpur on September 23, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  The theme is Ayurveda for a Healthier Tomorrow.
2.  Three pillars are integrative healthcare; evidence, research and innovation; and community wellbeing with sustainable living.
3.  Events include National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Awards 2026, skin-disease treatment guidelines, Ayush Vision 2030 and an Ayush Services Sector report.
4.  Ayurveda Day has been observed on Dhanvantari Jayanti since 2016 and honours Lord Dhanvantari.

Additional Information:
1.  The Ayush Ministry began November 9, 2014 in New Delhi and covers Ayurveda, Yoga-Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
2.  The National Institute of Ayurveda is a 1976 autonomous Ayush body in Jaipur.

NITI Aayog Launches PACT for Zero-Emission Freight.

Dated: 10 September 2026

NITI Aayog launched the Platform for Aggregating Clean Transport at the fifth e-FAST India Summit on September 7, 2026 to accelerate zero-emission truck deployment.

Key Highlights:
1.  PACT combines freight demand from shippers and logistics providers for scaled electric-truck use.
2.  The ZET Marketplace connects truck makers, financiers and charging-point operators.
3.  Electric freight deployments rose from 201 in FY25 to 826 in FY26, while over 3,000 electric medium and heavy trucks operate in India.
4.  Objectives include demand visibility, charging plans on freight corridors, battery-health monitoring and financing models that lower risk.
5.  Participants included NITI member Rajiv Gauba, Road Transport Secretary V. Umashankar and electric-mobility programme director Archana Mittal.

Additional Information:
1.  e-FAST means Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport and moves medium-heavy vehicles to clean energy.
2.  NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission on January 1, 2015 and is the New Delhi apex policy think tank.

Malayalam Filmmaker R. Sarath Passes Away.

Dated: 10 September 2026

National Award-winning Malayalam filmmaker and screenwriter R. Sarath died in Thiruvananthapuram aged 65 on September 7, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  His films included Sayahnam, Sthithi, Sheelabathi, Swayam and Paradise.
2.  The Desire - A Journey of a Woman won Best Narrative Feature at the 2011 Geneva festival.
3.  He made a Raja Ravi Varma paintings documentary and shorts including Bhoomikkoru Charama Geetham.
4.  Sayahnam earned the Indira Gandhi Award; he won seven Kerala State Film Awards in 2000 and a Central Junior Fellowship for mural research.
5.  Burial of Dreams on the Bhopal gas tragedy brought national attention.

Additional Information:
1.  He worked at Kerala Kaumudi, joined government service and retired as Kerala Public Relations Deputy Director in 2021.
2.  Born in Vilakkudy, Kollam, he studied at Pune FTII, Mahatma Gandhi College and University College Thiruvananthapuram.

WhatsApp Launches Utility Bill Payments in India.

Dated: 10 September 2026

WhatsApp introduced in-app Bill Payments in India on September 3, 2026 through the Bharat Connect network.

Key Highlights:
1.  Bharat Connect, formerly BBPS, gives access to 22,722 billers.
2.  Thirty categories include electricity, water, gas, FASTag, insurance and loan repayment.
3.  Payments Home supports recurring payments and one-tap access.
4.  Users can pay through UPI, debit cards and credit cards and manage several accounts with one provider.
5.  The service is rolling out nationwide on Android and iOS.
6.  RBI conceptualised Bharat Connect and NPCI Bharat BillPay, an NPCI subsidiary, operates it.

Additional Information:
1.  NPCI was formed in 2008 under the 2007 Payment and Settlement Systems Act in Mumbai.
2.  WhatsApp belongs to Meta, whose India MD and Country Head is Arun Srinivas.

Vice President Launches Rs. 1,010.95 Crore Projects in Meghalaya.

Dated: 10 September 2026

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan visited Shillong on September 7, 2026 and launched development projects linked to Viksit Bharat 2047.

Key Highlights:
1.  He laid foundations for five projects costing Rs. 1,010.95 crore.
2.  New Shillong Water Supply Phase II receives Rs. 850.58 crore under the Urban Challenge Fund.
3.  A 132/33 KV Mawkhanu substation is under PM-DevINE and two roads under NESIDS.
4.  He inaugurated the Rs. 31.05 crore Nongstoin Maternity and Children’s Hospital under NHM and laid foundation for a 30-bed Ayush facility at Shillong Civil Hospital.
5.  The Northeast gained 46,000 km rural roads through PMGSY in a decade at over Rs. 47,000 crore.
6.  Meghalaya’s Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 reform MoU, CM-Elevate and Green Meghalaya were noted; reception was at Soso Tham Auditorium.

Additional Information:
1.  PM-DevINE, announced in Budget 2022-23, is a fully centrally funded Northeast Ministry scheme.
2.  Meghalaya follows matrilineal inheritance, has living-root bridges and Mawsynram-Sohra, became autonomous in 1970 and a State January 21, 1972.

RBI Grants Scheduled Bank Status to Coastal Bank.

Dated: 10 September 2026

RBI included Coastal Bank in the Second Schedule of the RBI Act 1934 on September 4, 2026, granting it scheduled-bank status.

Key Highlights:
1.  Scheduled recognition strengthens institutional standing, expansion capacity and public confidence.
2.  B. Venugopal Reddy is Managing Director and CEO.
3.  The regional bank is headquartered in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
4.  Scheduled banks are listed in the Second Schedule and must satisfy Section 42(6)(a).

Additional Information:
1.  They may borrow from RBI at the Bank Rate.
2.  RBI began April 1, 1935 under the 1934 Act and was nationalised January 1, 1949.

Fifth Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards Presented on Swachh Vayu Diwas.

Dated: 10 September 2026

The Environment Ministry presented the fifth Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards on September 7, 2026, marking Swachh Vayu Diwas and the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

Key Highlights:
1.  National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava presided.
2.  Under NCAP, Rs. 16,425 crore in performance-linked grants supported 130 cities across 24 States and Union Territories.
3.  Compared with 2017-18, 108 cities improved PM10 levels in 2025-26; 72 cut it by over 20%, 26 by over 40%, and 14 met national ambient standards.
4.  Rankings used population groups below 3 lakh, 3-10 lakh and above 10 lakh.
5.  Assessment covered road dust, solid waste, vehicle emissions and construction-demolition waste.
6.  PRANA monitors all 130 cities, and an NCAP best-practices compendium was released.

Additional Information:
1.  NCAP targeted a 20-30% particulate reduction by 2024 from 2017 in non-attainment cities.
2.  NGT was created by the 2010 Act in New Delhi; PRANA expands to Portal for Regulation of Air-pollution in Non-Attainment cities.

Foundation Laid for Rs. 110 Crore Gauhati University Projects.

Dated: 10 September 2026

Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan laid foundation stones for Rs. 110 crore of Gauhati University infrastructure on September 7, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  Projects include a multidisciplinary academic building, boys’ and international-student hostel, auditorium and library upgrades.
2.  Books released were Bhupen Hazarika: Hundred Years of a Wandering Song, edited by Ankuran Dutta and Nani Gopal Mahanta, and the fifth enlarged Chandrakanta Abhidhan.
3.  Women’s higher-education enrolment rose 42.2%, from 1.57 crore in 2014-15 to 2.24 crore in 2023-24.
4.  The first MBA batch at IIM Guwahati was launched and Assam has made over 1.04 lakh merit appointments since 2021.

Additional Information:
1.  Gauhati University began January 26, 1948 as Northeast India’s first university, ranked ninth among State public universities in NIRF 2025 and holds NAAC A+.
2.  It emerged from Gopinath Bordoloi’s movement and works on Assamese-Tamil translation, the Brahmaputra basin and endangered languages.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli Wins 2026 Italian Grand Prix.

Dated: 10 September 2026

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the 77th Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 6, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  The Formula One Pirelli Gran Premio d’Italia was round 13 of the 2026 championship.
2.  Antonelli started 19th after grid penalties and passed several cars plus teammate George Russell in the last four laps, winning by 3.8 seconds.
3.  Russell was second and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen third; McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were fourth and fifth.
4.  Antonelli became the first Italian to win the home Grand Prix in 60 years after Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.

Additional Information:
1.  Monza is one of the oldest permanent tracks and is called the Temple of Speed.
2.  Formula One is the highest international single-seat open-wheel class and is governed by FIA.

UK Recognises India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme.

Dated: 10 September 2026

The United Kingdom recognised India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme on September 8, 2026 so Indian exporters can avoid double carbon taxation.

Key Highlights:
1.  The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement took effect July 15, 2026.
2.  UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism begins January 1, 2027.
3.  It prices embedded emissions in aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen, iron and steel imports.
4.  British importers can claim relief for the effective carbon price already paid under India’s scheme, lowering border liability.
5.  The UK recognises 16 schemes including EU ETS, China ETS, South Korea K-ETS, Japan GX-ETS and Australia Safeguard Mechanism.
6.  Cooperation also uses a climate-finance MoU and Partnership for Market Implementation.

Additional Information:
1.  India’s scheme is under the Energy Conservation Act 2001, implemented by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Power Ministry.
2.  The UK capital is London, currency Pound Sterling and monarch King Charles III.

DGFT Launches Open API for Certificates of Origin.

Dated: 10 September 2026

DGFT launched an Open API facility on September 7, 2026 for issuing and verifying Certificates of Origin.

Key Highlights:
1.  Exporters can link enterprise-resource or accounting software directly with the Trade Connect platform.
2.  Preferential certificates under FTAs, RTAs and PTAs enable tariff concessions.
3.  Non-preferential certificates support customs clearance, compliance and trade remedies without tariff benefits.
4.  Three interfaces are Authentication Token for secure login, CoO File for applications and certificates, and Certificate Verification for authenticity.

Additional Information:
1.  DGFT is the Commerce Ministry’s New Delhi attached office and implements Foreign Trade Policy.
2.  A Certificate of Origin confirms a product’s country and determines customs duties and trade-agreement eligibility.

Indian Army Establishes AASHVAST Lab for Drone Security.

Dated: 10 September 2026

The Indian Army inaugurated AASHVAST in New Delhi on August 14, 2026 to detect Chinese components and security weaknesses in military unmanned systems.

Key Highlights:
1.  AASHVAST means Assessment and Analysis of Electronic Systems Hardware for Vulnerabilities and Security Threats.
2.  It finds hidden passwords, encryption keys, remote access, unauthorised hardware-software changes and foreign parts.
3.  It tests protection against GPS spoofing and electronic jamming.
4.  It analyses firmware, embedded software, flight controllers and camera payloads for hidden command paths.
5.  The air-gapped, read-only facility works offline without changing tested equipment.
6.  QuickPay Tech developed it for the Directorate General of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering.

Additional Information:
1.  Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth inaugurated it.
2.  DG EME maintains and secures Army equipment from New Delhi; the Army was established April 1, 1895 and is headquartered there.

India and Japan Hold Second Exercise Veer Guardian.

Dated: 10 September 2026

A Japanese Air Self-Defense Force contingent reached Jodhpur for the second Exercise Veer Guardian, scheduled September 9-22, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  It is the second bilateral air-combat exercise between the Indian Air Force and JASDF.
2.  Japanese F-2A fighters landed in India for the first time.
3.  Three F-2As from the 8th Air Wing, two C-2 transports and about 110 Japanese personnel participated.
4.  Training covers air-combat manoeuvres, tactics and operational coordination.
5.  It operates under the Special Strategic and Global Partnership and aligns with a maritime-security arrangement.

Additional Information:
1.  The first edition was held at Hyakuri, Japan in January 2023 and was the first dedicated bilateral fighter exercise.
2.  IAF was established October 8, 1932, is based in New Delhi and uses the motto Touch the Sky with Glory.

Goa Police Receives President’s Colour.

Dated: 10 September 2026

Home Minister Amit Shah presented the President’s Colour to Goa Police in Panaji on September 8, 2026 for eight decades of service and protection of India’s maritime border.

Key Highlights:
1.  The Nishan is India’s highest honour for a military or police unit and recognises exceptional professional service.
2.  Amit Shah presented it on behalf of the President.
3.  An AI call agent was launched for cyber-fraud helpline 1930.
4.  The agent registers complaints in all 22 languages of the Constitution’s Eighth Schedule.

Additional Information:
1.  The Eighth Schedule lists 22 languages under Articles 344(1) and 351.
2.  Goa Police’s motto is Peace, Service and Justice, it is led by the DGP and guards internal security and a long maritime boundary.

SEBI Extends Angel Fund Compliance Deadline.

Dated: 10 September 2026

SEBI extended the accredited-investor compliance deadline for existing Angel Funds to March 31, 2027 on September 7, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  The original deadline was September 8, 2026, giving about seven additional months.
2.  It applies to Angel Funds registered on or before September 10, 2025; later funds already must onboard only accredited investors.
3.  During transition, eligible funds may offer investments to up to 200 non-accredited investors.
4.  From March 31, 2027 they cannot accept new contributions from non-accredited investors for investee companies.
5.  Existing investors may retain holdings under the private-placement memorandum and fund documents.

Additional Information:
1.  SEBI became statutory April 12, 1992 under its Act and is headquartered in Mumbai.
2.  Angel Funds are Venture Capital Funds within Category I Alternative Investment Funds and finance early startups and small businesses.