27th World Knowledge Forum opens in Seoul.
Dated: 11 September 2026
The 27th World Knowledge Forum opened in Seoul, South Korea, on September 8, 2026, for a three-day discussion on artificial intelligence, civilisation and a future co-intelligence order.
Key Highlights:
1. The Shilla Seoul and Jangchung Arena hosted the forum under the theme The Promethean Moment: Architecting the Co-Intelligence Order.
2. Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron described geopolitical instability and populism-driven domestic economic disruption as a double-headed crisis.
3. Maekyung Media Group organised the event and promoted the idea of an AI Native Korea.
4. Five discussion pillars were Power, Capital, Intelligence, Planet and Humanity.
5. Co-Intelligence was defined as AI expanding human potential while remaining within values and human dignity.
Additional Information:
1. The World Knowledge Forum is Asia’s largest annual business forum and was founded by Maekyung Media Group.
2. South Korea is an East Asian country with Seoul as its capital and is cited for democracy, rule of law and free enterprise.
Bhagwat Prasad Makwana appointed NCSK Chairperson.
Dated: 11 September 2026
The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry appointed Bhagwat Prasad Makwana as Chairperson of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis on September 6, 2026, along with a Vice-Chairperson and three members.
Key Highlights:
1. Makwana earlier chaired the Uttarakhand Safai Karamchari Commission, while Kaishab Bihari became Vice-Chairperson.
2. Members appointed were Manoj Kumar Balmiki, Sushma Gaudiyal and retired municipal engineer Ravi Ramu Kalose.
3. All appointments remain effective until March 31, 2028.
4. The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal authority.
5. NCSK works for socio-economic welfare of sanitation workers and elimination of manual scavenging.
Additional Information:
1. It was established on August 12, 1994 under the NCSK Act, 1993.
2. After the original law lapsed, it became a non-statutory body in 2004 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
Spanish World Cup winner Marcos Llorente retires internationally.
Dated: 11 September 2026
Spanish midfielder Marcos Llorente announced his retirement from international football on September 4, 2026 after making 27 senior appearances for Spain.
Key Highlights:
1. The 31-year-old completed his national-team career after a final tournament campaign lasting 52 days.
2. He played mainly as a right-back at the World Cup rather than in his regular midfield role.
3. His decisive assist to Alex Baena produced Spain’s 1-0 win over Uruguay.
4. He remains with Atletico Madrid after signing a contract extension that runs to 2027.
5. Spain’s national team is known as La Roja.
Additional Information:
1. Spain won its first FIFA World Cup in 2010 and its team is governed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
2. The first FIFA World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930; FIFA is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.
Former CJI Dipak Misra receives Kalinga Ratna Award.
Dated: 11 September 2026
Sarala Sahitya Sansad conferred the Kalinga Ratna Award on former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra at Sarala Bhawan in Cuttack on September 8, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The honour included a silver idol of Goddess Saraswati and a formal citation for contributions to law and society.
2. Litterateur Dr. Ramachandra Behera received the Sarala Samman for more than 60 years of service to Odia literature.
3. Dipak Misra served as the 45th Chief Justice of India.
4. His notable judgments included decriminalisation of Section 377 and the Sabarimala verdict.
5. He was the first person from Odisha to become Chief Justice of India.
Additional Information:
1. Kalinga Ratna is an annual state-level honour for distinguished achievement.
2. Sarala Sahitya Sansad, a prominent Odisha literary organisation, instituted the award.
Third UN World Duchenne Awareness Day observed.
Dated: 11 September 2026
The third UN-recognised World Duchenne Awareness Day was observed on September 7, 2026 to raise awareness of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy.
Key Highlights:
1. The 2026 theme was Family: the heart of care.
2. UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/78/12, adopted on November 29, 2023, designated September 7 as the annual observance from 2024.
3. The first UN-recognised observance took place on September 7, 2024.
4. Elizabeth Vroom and Nicoletta Madia originally began the awareness day in 2014.
5. Its purpose is to spread understanding of rare genetic conditions that cause progressive muscle degeneration.
Additional Information:
1. Duchenne muscular dystrophy mainly affects muscles and is among the most common fatal genetic disorders in children.
2. The UN General Assembly is the United Nations’ main policy-making organ and is headquartered in New York.
Day-care cancer facility opens at Vidisha Medical College.
Dated: 11 September 2026
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated a day-care cancer facility at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, on September 8, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. Tata Memorial Centre under the Department of Atomic Energy provided technical support.
2. A radiotherapy unit with a Linear Accelerator is planned within 2-3 years, along with population- and hospital-based cancer registries.
3. Medical and nursing staff trained at ACTREC Mumbai, while surgeons will receive specialised training at ACTREC Kharghar.
4. India may record about 20 lakh new cancer cases annually by 2030.
5. The facility joins a network in which TMC manages 11 hospital units across 7 states, including Varanasi, Visakhapatnam and Guwahati.
Additional Information:
1. TMC is an autonomous Department of Atomic Energy institution headquartered in Mumbai for cancer care, research and education.
2. National Cancer Grid connects over 380 cancer centres; ACTREC at Kharghar is TMC’s research and development centre.
Uttar Pradesh raises Anganwadi honorarium and gives Rs.5 lakh health cover.
Dated: 11 September 2026
The Uttar Pradesh government announced higher monthly honorarium and annual cashless medical cover of up to Rs.5 lakh for Anganwadi workers, helpers and their families on September 9, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. Workers’ monthly honorarium rose from Rs.8,000 to Rs.12,000 and helpers’ honorarium from Rs.4,000 to Rs.6,000.
2. The first phase will distribute 1.28 lakh smartphones for digital records and real-time centre monitoring.
3. Funds for 3 sarees instead of 2 will benefit 2.91 lakh recipients; the extra saree receives Rs.500 and costs the state about Rs.20 crore.
4. Women’s self-help groups now manage Take Home Ration plants at 204 operational locations.
5. The state targets permanent buildings for more than 70,000 centres using State Finance Commission funds.
Additional Information:
1. Anganwadi services began in 1975 under Integrated Child Development Services to address malnutrition and pre-school education.
2. Uttar Pradesh’s capital is Lucknow, Chief Minister is Yogi Adityanath, and it has 80 Lok Sabha and 31 Rajya Sabha seats.
India wins 3 medals at World Archery Para Series Stage III.
Dated: 11 September 2026
India won two gold medals and one silver at World Archery Para Series Stage III on September 8, 2026, with the men’s team events producing both titles.
Key Highlights:
1. Toman Kumar and Shyam Sunder Swami beat Iraq’s Abbas Kadhim and Anwer Aldawod 152-139 for men’s compound gold.
2. Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi defeated Slovakia’s David Ivan and Denis Ivan 6-2 for men’s recurve gold.
3. Bhawna and Pooja won women’s recurve silver after a 0-6 final loss to China.
4. Sheetal Devi and Payal Nag finished fourth in women’s compound after losing the bronze playoff to Wang Huiting and Gao Fangxia of China.
5. India dominated the men’s team categories with both gold medals.
Additional Information:
1. Harvinder Singh became India’s first Paralympic archery gold medallist at Paris 2024 after winning bronze at Tokyo 2020.
2. World Archery, formerly FITA, was founded in 1931 and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Bandhan Bank launches first credit-card portfolio with Mastercard.
Dated: 11 September 2026
Bandhan Bank entered the credit-card business as a universal bank by launching its first four-card portfolio with Mastercard on September 9, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. Sparks targets younger customers with grocery and apparel rewards.
2. Ignite focuses on travel and grocery spending and provides international lounge access.
3. Flare offers travel benefits, golf privileges and Amazon Pay vouchers.
4. Premium Lumina provides concierge service, airport assistance and Oberoi gift vouchers.
5. MD and CEO Partha Pratim Sengupta led the launch; the Mastercard partnership enables digital applications, fuel surcharge waivers, EMI cashback and EazyDiner rewards.
Additional Information:
1. Bandhan began as a microfinance institution in 2001, became a universal bank in 2015 and is headquartered in Kolkata.
2. Mastercard is a global payment-technology company headquartered in New York, United States.
India secures USD 1 billion IFC funding for MSMEs through SIDBI.
Dated: 11 September 2026
The Finance Ministry secured a USD 1 billion International Finance Corporation facility on September 7, 2026 to provide long-term credit to MSMEs and financial institutions through SIDBI.
Key Highlights:
1. IFC released USD 500 million from its own resources and the remaining USD 500 million will come through a lenders’ syndicate.
2. Loans may run up to 7 years, with RBI’s special swap window converting funds into Indian rupees.
3. Priority value chains include auto components, engineering goods, electronics, textiles, food processing, logistics and other employment-intensive services.
4. SIDBI will fund machinery, modernisation and projects directly and refinance NBFC loans to micro-enterprises and first-time borrowers.
5. The facility complements ECLGS 5.0 and addresses SIDBI’s present 5-year borrowing maturity constraint.
Additional Information:
1. SIDBI was established by Parliament on April 2, 1990, is headquartered in Lucknow and is the principal MSME financial institution.
2. IFC was established in 1956, belongs to the World Bank Group, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and focuses on developing-country private sectors.
IRDAI fines ICICI Lombard Rs.1 crore for outsourcing lapses.
Dated: 11 September 2026
IRDAI imposed a Rs.1 crore penalty on ICICI Lombard General Insurance on September 7, 2026 for regulatory failures involving outsourcing, vendor management and corporate governance.
Key Highlights:
1. The violations were identified during a 2019 inspection.
2. The insurer failed to classify and report event-management services involving other insurers’ agents as outsourced activities.
3. In FY19 it booked Rs.709.57 crore under sales, marketing and business support expenditure.
4. About Rs.35-37 crore was paid to other insurers’ agents without proper documents or disclosure in Outsourcing Returns.
5. The action reinforces reporting and governance duties of insurers using outside vendors.
Additional Information:
1. IRDAI is a statutory regulator under the IRDA Act, 1999, moved its headquarters to Hyderabad in 2001 and works under the Finance Ministry.
2. ICICI Lombard is a Mumbai-based private general insurer originally formed as a joint venture of ICICI Bank and Fairfax Financial Holdings.
Four Indian cultural sites enter UNESCO Tentative List.
Dated: 11 September 2026
India added four cultural properties from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam and Rajasthan to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on September 9, 2026, taking the national total to 73.
Key Highlights:
1. The list now contains 53 cultural, 17 natural and 3 mixed properties.
2. The Colonial Penal Settlement includes Cellular Jail, Viper Island, Chatham Island and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island and reflects the post-1857 penal system.
3. Nicobarese Cultural Continuity covers the Nancowry group and is recognised under cultural criteria (iii), (v) and (vi).
4. The Rangpur-Sivasagar ensemble, submitted on June 19, 2026, includes Talatal Ghar, Rang Ghar and Ahom water-management systems.
5. The Shekhawati nomination covers 14 towns in Jhunjhunu, Churu and Sikar, noted for merchant havelis and traditional water systems.
Additional Information:
1. A property must remain on the UNESCO Tentative List for at least 1 year before final nomination.
2. The Ahom Kingdom ruled Assam for nearly 600 years; its Moidams were inscribed in 2024, while Cellular Jail in Port Blair is known as Kala Pani.
DFPD and FCI sign foodgrain-management agreement for FY27.
Dated: 11 September 2026
The Department of Food and Public Distribution and Food Corporation of India signed a performance memorandum for FY 2026-27 on September 8, 2026 to improve efficiency and accountability in foodgrain management.
Key Highlights:
1. The agreement sets measurable targets for operations, accountability and modernisation.
2. It focuses on reducing storage losses and using available storage capacity efficiently.
3. Logistics, supply-chain systems and foodgrain quality control will be strengthened.
4. Business processes will be digitised and modern information-technology solutions adopted.
5. Performance targets are linked to Depot Darpan, a web portal that assesses depot infrastructure and operating efficiency.
Additional Information:
1. FCI was established in 1965 under the Food Corporations Act, 1964 and works under the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry.
2. It procures, stores, transports and distributes foodgrains for the Union government and supports national food security.
Assam signs 6 agreements to introduce AI in school education.
Dated: 11 September 2026
The Assam government signed agreements with six organisations on September 5, 2026 to integrate artificial intelligence and technology into the state school-education system.
Key Highlights:
1. Samagra Shiksha Assam and the six partners will build a learner-centred education ecosystem.
2. IIT Madras and Bodhan AI will train 1 lakh teachers of Classes 6-12 in AI skills by May 2027.
3. Google AI will provide AI-enabled teaching tools, digital skills and professional training.
4. LEHS-Wadhwani AI will assess students’ reading fluency using AI.
5. EkStep-AXL will support personalised AI-assisted foundational literacy and numeracy learning.
Additional Information:
1. Assam’s Education Minister is Ranoj Pegu, its capital is Dispur and Samagra Shiksha Assam is a major education initiative.
2. IIT Madras was founded in 1959 with West German assistance and leads NIRF overall and engineering rankings; John McCarthy coined Artificial Intelligence in 1956, while indiaai.gov.in is a MeitY-NASSCOM initiative.
Coal Ministry launches first sector-wide CSR framework.
Dated: 11 September 2026
The Coal Ministry launched India’s first sector-specific CSR framework for coal companies on September 8, 2026 and marked completion of more than 1,050 bone-marrow transplants under Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana.
Key Highlights:
1. Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs developed the first such sector guideline since the Companies Act, 2013.
2. Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana provides up to Rs.10 lakh per patient and has a Rs.130 crore budget across 4 phases.
3. More than 1,050 transplants were completed through 21 hospitals with Thalassemics India and the Health Ministry.
4. Coal India and Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust’s Nanha Sa Dil initiative completed over 1,500 free corrective heart surgeries.
5. SECL, CCL, NCL and WCL subsidiaries helped expand the programme; Coal India is the only Maharatna running a large rare-blood-disorder health initiative.
Additional Information:
1. Coal India, formed in 1975 and headquartered in Kolkata, is a Maharatna enterprise under the Coal Ministry.
2. IICA was established in 2008 at Manesar under the Corporate Affairs Ministry; Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 mandates CSR for eligible companies.
72nd National Film Awards to be held at Statue of Unity.
Dated: 11 September 2026
The 72nd National Film Awards ceremony will be held at the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on September 22, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. For the first time in the ceremony’s 70-year history, it will take place outside Delhi.
2. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is organising the event.
3. President Droupadi Murmu will honour 92 winners during a 75-minute ceremony.
4. A German aluminium structural dome with seating for about 1,000 guests is being built near the Statue of Unity bus-bay area.
5. The Gujarat government and Narmada district administration are coordinating preparations.
Additional Information:
1. The Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest statue at 182 metres, honours Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, stands beside the Narmada at Ekta Nagar and was designed by Ram V. Sutar.
2. National Film Awards began in 1954 as State Awards for Films and have been administered by the Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.
India joins US-led 26-nation secure 6G initiative.
Dated: 11 September 2026
India joined the United States-led Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security on September 7, 2026, becoming part of a 26-country partnership for secure and reliable next-generation wireless networks.
Key Highlights:
1. The US National Telecommunications and Information Administration under the Commerce Department manages the coalition.
2. The 26 participants include India, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and the United States.
3. Joint strategies were discussed at the G20 Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
4. The framework follows the Winning the 6G Race presidential memorandum issued in December 2025.
5. It aims to begin replacing 5G systems globally with 6G technology during the 2030s.
Additional Information:
1. India released its 6G Vision Document on March 22, 2023 and aims to become a leading contributor by 2030.
2. NTIA is the US President’s principal adviser on telecommunications and information policy.
Adani Defence signs 5-year AK-203 ammunition agreement.
Dated: 11 September 2026
Adani Defence and Aerospace signed a five-year agreement with Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited on September 5, 2026 to supply indigenous 7.62x39 mm ammunition for the AK-203 assault-rifle programme.
Key Highlights:
1. The ammunition will be manufactured at Adani Defence’s Kanpur facility in Uttar Pradesh.
2. The agreement advances self-reliance in defence production and supports the first fully indigenous AK-203 rifle named Sher.
3. AK-203 has an effective range of up to 800 metres and can fire 700 rounds per minute.
4. The gas-operated AK-203 is intended to replace ageing INSAS rifles.
5. IRRPL was established in 2019 under an India-Russia intergovernmental agreement and manufactures at Korwa in Amethi.
Additional Information:
1. Its partners are Advanced Weapons and Equipment India, Munitions India, Concern Kalashnikov and Rosoboronexport.
2. INSAS means Indian Small Arms System and has served as a standard Indian infantry weapon since the late 1990s.
India and Australia sign 5 private-space partnerships.
Dated: 11 September 2026
India and Australia signed five private-space industry partnerships during the ninth Bengaluru Space Expo held on September 8-9, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. The agreements cover satellite communication, research and development, launch systems and re-entry technology.
2. Australian satellite company LatConnect 60 partnered with NewSpace India Limited.
3. University of Western Australia partnered with the Space Industry Association of India for research and education.
4. Space Machines of Australia signed separate agreements with Angel Technologies, Red Balloon Aerospace and Inbound Aerospace.
5. An Australian Space Agency-ISRO memorandum supports the partnerships; Austrade facilitated them and Commissioner Nathan Davis announced them.
Additional Information:
1. NSIL, established in 2019 in Bengaluru, is ISRO’s commercial arm under the Department of Space.
2. ISRO was founded on August 15, 1969 in Bengaluru with Vikram Sarabhai as first Chairman; CII and ISRO organise the biennial Bengaluru Space Expo.
Kishor Makwana receives APJ Abdul Kalam Jan Seva Puraskar.
Dated: 11 September 2026
National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman Kishor Makwana was selected for the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Jan Seva Puraskar 2026, presented during the 16th Sansad Ratna Awards in Delhi on September 9.
Key Highlights:
1. Prime Point Foundation nominated him and the Sansad Ratna Awards Committee made the selection.
2. The award recognised NCSC service in social justice and protection of constitutional rights of Scheduled Caste communities.
3. It also acknowledged Makwana’s leadership in strengthening equality and social empowerment.
4. NCSC is a constitutional body established under Article 338 and works under the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry.
5. The 89th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 separated NCSC under Article 338 from NCST under Article 338A.
Additional Information:
1. Sansad Ratna Awards were instituted on Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s suggestion to honour high-performing parliamentarians.
2. Prime Point Foundation manages the awards, whose first edition was held in Chennai in 2010.
ADB signs first India transaction-advisory pact with Madhya Pradesh.
Dated: 11 September 2026
Asian Development Bank and Madhya Pradesh signed India’s first ADB Transaction Advisory Services mandate on September 7, 2026 to mobilise USD 1 billion for renewable-energy projects.
Key Highlights:
1. The plan seeks USD 1 billion of private investment through public-private partnerships.
2. It covers three clean-energy projects, including solar generation and battery storage at Shajapur.
3. The projects aim to stabilise the grid and maintain supply during peak demand.
4. The mandate will create scalable funding models and close structural financing gaps.
5. It supports the Madhya Pradesh Renewable Energy Policy 2025 target of meeting 50% electricity demand from renewables by 2030.
Additional Information:
1. ADB was founded in 1966, is headquartered in Mandaluyong, Philippines, and has 68 members including 49 from Asia-Pacific.
2. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav leads Madhya Pradesh, which has worked with ADB for more than 25 years.
Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu passes away.
Dated: 11 September 2026
Jharkhand Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu died after a cardiac arrest in Giridih on September 6, 2026.
Key Highlights:
1. He also held Urban Development and Housing, Tourism, Art, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs portfolios.
2. He represented Jharkhand Mukti Morcha from the Giridih Sadar Assembly constituency.
3. He entered the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly for the first time in 2019.
4. He retained Giridih in 2024 by defeating the BJP candidate.
5. He was a key negotiator on the ministerial panel addressing August 2024 student protests over JPSC and JSSC recruitment issues.
Additional Information:
1. He became the first Giridih legislator in more than two decades to enter the state ministry.
2. JMM was co-founded by Shibu Soren; Giridih’s Parasnath Hills are Jharkhand’s highest peak and contain the Jain pilgrimage site Shikharji.
PM-SETU approves Rs.735.70 crore for 3 ITI clusters.
Dated: 11 September 2026
The PM-SETU National Steering Committee approved strategic investment plans of Rs.735.70 crore on September 8, 2026 to upgrade ITI clusters in Rajasthan, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
Key Highlights:
1. Total approved investment reached Rs.2,171 crore for 9 ITI clusters nationwide.
2. Bhiwadi received Rs.241 crore with H.G. Infra Engineering as partner for 5 ITIs.
3. Medchal received Rs.254.30 crore with ZEN Technologies as partner for 5 ITIs.
4. Meerut received Rs.240.40 crore for 5 ITIs, managed by NSDC with Government ITI Saket as hub.
5. The fifth Steering Committee meeting was chaired by Skill Development Secretary Debashree Mukherjee; Rajasthan became the first state to execute a shareholders’ agreement under PM-SETU.
Additional Information:
1. PM-SETU means Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs and uses industry-led clusters under the Skill Development Ministry.
2. NSDC was formed in 2008 as a public-private partnership, is headquartered in New Delhi and supports quality vocational institutions.