Bharat Mandapam to host ESTIC 2026 science conclave.

Dated: 14 September 2026

The Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave 2026 will be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from October 27 to 29, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to inaugurate it.

Key Highlights:
1.  The theme is Creative Minds, Catalyzing Science, Empowering Technologies.
2.  CSIR is organising the conclave under the Principal Scientific Adviser’s guidance; CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, is nodal laboratory and 13 ministries are participating.
3.  Three Nobel laureates—Joachim Frank, Richard J. Roberts and Kostya Novoselov—will join discussions across 12 areas including quantum communication, semiconductors and synthetic biology.
4.  India has over 2.3 lakh start-ups, compared with 350-400 in 2014, and 50-60% now emerge from smaller cities.
5.  The conclave will highlight the Rs.1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund and the National Research Foundation.

Additional Information:
1.  CSIR was established in 1942, is headquartered in New Delhi and has the Prime Minister as ex-officio President.
2.  CSIR-NIIST is in Thiruvananthapuram; the Deep Ocean Mission supports blue-economy exploration and an indigenous research vessel.

INS Mysore joins 4th Exercise Samudra Laksamana in Malaysia.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Indian Navy destroyer INS Mysore reached Lumut, Malaysia, on September 9, 2026 to participate in the fourth India-Malaysia bilateral maritime exercise Samudra Laksamana.

Key Highlights:
1.  The Indian Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy will hold professional engagements in harbour and conduct operational activities at sea.
2.  The programme includes cross-deck visits, operational exchanges and sporting events to improve mutual understanding.
3.  It forms part of the Indian Navy’s operational deployment and supports interoperability between the two navies.
4.  The exercise aligns with India’s MAHASAGAR vision and the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation 2026.
5.  It builds on the 12th India-Malaysia Sub-Committee Meeting held on July 1, 2026.

Additional Information:
1.  ASEAN was founded through the Bangkok Declaration on August 8, 1967, has 10 members and is headquartered in Jakarta.
2.  INS Mysore is an indigenously built Delhi-class guided-missile destroyer commissioned in 1999.

India wins 15 medals at World Archery Para Series Ahmedabad.

Dated: 14 September 2026

India won 15 medals—4 gold, 3 silver and 8 bronze—while hosting World Archery Para Series 2026 Stage 3 at Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad, from September 5 to 9.

Key Highlights:
1.  Sheetal Devi won women’s individual compound gold by defeating Kazakhstan’s Aizada Seidan and set an Asian qualification record of 698.
2.  Sheetal and Rakesh Kumar scored a world-record 1400 in compound mixed-team qualification, improving their Paris 2024 mark of 1399.
3.  Other golds came from Toman Kumar-Shyam Sunder Swami, Harvinder Singh-Vijay Sundi and the Bhawna-Harvinder Singh recurve mixed team.
4.  India also won W1 mixed-team silver through Swati Chaudhary and Adil Ansari; visually impaired archer Tanvi Ingale won silver and Yugal Garg bronze.
5.  Bhawna and Harvinder defeated China 6-0 in the recurve mixed-team final.

Additional Information:
1.  Sheetal Devi is a Jammu and Kashmir para-archer who competes without arms and is ranked world number 1 in women’s compound.
2.  Harvinder Singh became India’s first Paralympic archery gold medallist at Paris 2024 and is an Arjuna Award recipient.

Galgotias University signs technology MoU with Yamanashi.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Galgotias University signed an agreement with Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture and University of Yamanashi on September 10, 2026 during the Uttar Pradesh-Japan Investment Summit.

Key Highlights:
1.  Cooperation focuses on green hydrogen, electric vehicles and semiconductors, along with joint research, technology transfer and faculty-student exchanges.
2.  The arrangement facilitated Rs.3,000 crore Japanese investment in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority region.
3.  Associated projects aim to create about 10,000 jobs for young people.
4.  A 200-member Japanese delegation led by Governor Kotaro Nagasaki attended the signing.
5.  The partnership connects higher education, advanced industry and the investment corridor in Uttar Pradesh.

Additional Information:
1.  Galgotias has NAAC A+ accreditation and was ranked 46th among Indian universities in QS 2027 and 65th in Times Higher Education 2026.
2.  Yamanashi is in Honshu’s Chubu region and includes northern Mount Fuji; YEIDA manages development along the 165 km Yamuna Expressway from Greater Noida.

NPCI launches UPI Tap and Pay and My UPI platform.

Dated: 14 September 2026

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra launched UPI Tap and Pay and the My UPI platform at Global Fintech Fest 2026 on September 10, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  Tap and Pay uses near-field communication at point-of-sale terminals, permits transactions up to Rs.5,000 without a PIN and can work offline; it also supports RuPay credit cards on UPI.
2.  My UPI is an artificial-intelligence customer-support platform built on the Finance Model for India and offers one view of transactions and automatic-payment mandates across banks and applications.
3.  A Safety Switch lets users instantly block UPI debit transactions when fraud is suspected.
4.  The RBI Governor and SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey also introduced Demat 2.0 for tokenising corporate bonds, with REC, L&T and IIFL Finance in the pilot.
5.  CDSL and NSDL manage Demat 2.0 with support from NSE, BSE and MSEI.

Additional Information:
1.  NPCI was established in 2008 by RBI and the Indian Banks’ Association and is headquartered in Mumbai.
2.  UPI is NPCI’s real-time payment system launched in 2016 and regulated by RBI.

Indian and French space firms sign agreements at Paris summit.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Indian and French space companies announced strategic agreements at the first International Space Summit in Paris on September 10, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  The summit featured 40 announcements representing about Euro 20 billion in global space activity.
2.  France’s RIDE! will launch 2 satellites for TakeMeToSpace, India’s first orbital-data-centre designer.
3.  Safran Space and Dhruva Space signed a deal exceeding Euro 5 million for navigation units, optical payloads and ground stations for the 52-satellite SBS-3 constellation planned for 2027-30.
4.  U-Space and India’s AXISCADES agreed to explore the microsatellite market under Make in India.
5.  The summit promoted cooperation on Moon exploration and low-Earth orbit and built on European capsule launches by PSLV and Safran’s role in Chandrayaan-3.

Additional Information:
1.  Dhruva Space was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Hyderabad.
2.  PSLV first succeeded in 1994 and uses 4 solid-liquid stages; Chandrayaan-3 made India the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon on August 23, 2023.

JNV Ukhrul-1 wins 27th National Youth Parliament Competition.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju presented the national winner award of the 27th National Youth Parliament Competition 2025-26 to PM Shri JNV Ukhrul-1, Manipur, in New Delhi on September 10, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  The Shillong Region school received the Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Running Parliamentary Shield at GMC Balayogi Auditorium in the Parliament complex.
2.  The competition involved 100 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas across 8 regions and taught parliamentary procedure and democratic debate.
3.  Regional first-place schools included JNV Kollam, Theog, Suratgarh, Bilaspur, Valsad, Purulia and Udham Singh Nagar.
4.  The scheme is implemented by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry and the JNV competition has been organised for 30 years.
5.  The programme familiarises young citizens with legislative institutions, orderly discussion and democratic decision-making.

Additional Information:
1.  Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti was established in 1986 as an autonomous organisation under the Education Ministry.
2.  NVS operates residential Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas to provide quality education to talented rural children.

Centre launches Quarterly Progress Report portal for data harmonisation.

Dated: 14 September 2026

The Union government launched the Quarterly Progress Report portal on Data Harmonisation at a Statistics Ministry workshop on September 8, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  It will strengthen the National Data System, promote administrative data and support evidence-based decisions across Union ministries.
2.  The portal seeks to replace isolated departmental systems with an integrated government-wide data environment.
3.  Features include automated validation, dashboards, analysis, cross-checking with the National Metadata Structure portal and the Statistical Quality Assurance Framework.
4.  Departments will catalogue datasets, adopt machine-readable formats and common identifiers, and harmonise definitions, classifications and geographic units.
5.  India AI Mission, National Informatics Centre and Chief Data Officers will support implementation.

Additional Information:
1.  The Statistics and Programme Implementation Ministry was formed in 1999, is based in New Delhi and administers MPLADS.
2.  NIC was established in 1976 under the Electronics and Information Technology Ministry; administrative data arise from activities such as registrations and transactions.

Dhruva Space signs contracts worth over Euro 5 million with Safran.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Hyderabad-based Dhruva Space signed contracts worth more than Euro 5 million with France’s Safran Space on September 10, 2026 for India’s SBS-3 space-surveillance programme.

Key Highlights:
1.  Safran will supply optical payloads, inertial navigation units, communication systems and support ground-station development.
2.  The Cabinet Committee on Security-approved SBS-3 programme will deploy 52 satellites in low-Earth and geostationary orbits from 2027 to 2030.
3.  ISRO will build 21 satellites and private firms 31; Antaris receives 15, while Pixxel and Dhruva Space receive 8 each.
4.  At the Paris summit, RIDE! also agreed to launch 2 TakeMeToSpace satellites, and U-Space signed with AXISCADES for microsatellites.
5.  The contract strengthens private participation in sovereign space-based surveillance.

Additional Information:
1.  Dhruva Space is a full-stack space-engineering start-up headquartered in Hyderabad.
2.  ISRO was established on August 15, 1969 in Bengaluru; the Prime Minister chairs the Cabinet Committee on Security.

Shree Charani becomes fastest Indian to 50 women’s T20I wickets.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Spinner Shree Charani became the fastest Indian bowler to reach 50 wickets in women’s T20 internationals during the Asia Cup semifinal against Bangladesh on September 10, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  She reached the mark in 29 matches, making her joint second-fastest globally behind China’s Mengting Liu, who needed 28 matches.
2.  Leigh Kasperek and Anisa Mohammed also reached 50 wickets in 29 matches, while Sophie Ecclestone needed 34.
3.  At 22 years and 37 days, Charani became the second-youngest Indian to the milestone after Radha Yadav, who did it at 20 years and 334 days.
4.  At Dubai International Stadium, India beat Bangladesh by 40 runs after scoring 149/6, including Shafali Verma’s 64, to reach its 10th Asia Cup final.
5.  The achievement reinforced Charani’s position among the leading young bowlers in international cricket.

Additional Information:
1.  The Women’s Asia Cup is managed by the Asian Cricket Council; India is the most successful side with 7 titles and the event moved to T20 format in 2012.
2.  Sophie Ecclestone is the youngest Full-Member player to 50 T20I wickets, reaching it at 20 years and 300 days.

Stanzin Tsangyang becomes Zanskar’s first female Army officer.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Twenty-four-year-old Stanzin Tsangyang became the first woman from Ladakh’s remote Zanskar area to be commissioned into the Indian Army at Officers Training Academy, Chennai, on September 6, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  The passing-out group included 342 cadets—313 men and 29 women.
2.  Another 17 cadets, 7 men and 10 women, came from Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Bhutan and Lesotho.
3.  Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan reviewed the parade.
4.  Tsangyang studied at Lamdon Model School, completed mechanical engineering at Tezpur University and served in NCC.
5.  Lieutenant Shivam Ahlawat joined Skinner’s Horse, continuing a 5-generation military legacy exceeding 140 years.

Additional Information:
1.  OTA Chennai was established in 1963 at St. Thomas Mount for Short Service Commission training; its Gaya wing opened in 2011.
2.  Skinner’s Horse was founded by James Skinner in 1803; Zanskar is a high-altitude Kargil area known for the Zanskar River.

DILRMP 3.0 guidelines launched for GIS-based National Land Stack.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the operational guidelines for DILRMP 3.0 on September 10, 2026 to modernise land administration through an integrated GIS-based National Land Stack.

Key Highlights:
1.  The Central Sector Scheme has an outlay of Rs.565.50 crore for 2026-31 and will receive 100% Union funding through the Public Financial Management System.
2.  Every land parcel will receive a 14-digit Bhu-Aadhaar or Unique Land Parcel Identification Number.
3.  Seventy-five busy Sub-Registrar Offices will become citizen-friendly Registration Seva Kendras modelled on Passport Seva Kendras.
4.  The National Land Stack will connect georeferenced cadastral maps, Records of Rights and registrations through application interfaces; NAKSHA will speed urban mapping and Urban Property Cards.
5.  Implementation will cover all states and Union Territories and aims at accurate, interoperable land information across departments.

Additional Information:
1.  DILRMP is administered by the Department of Land Resources under the Rural Development Ministry.
2.  Earlier phases achieved 99.90% digitisation of Records of Rights and 97% digitisation of cadastral maps.

India and US begin 22nd Exercise Yudh Abhyas.

Dated: 14 September 2026

The Indian Army and United States Army began the 22nd Exercise Yudh Abhyas in India’s high-altitude region on September 10, 2026; the exercise will continue until September 28.

Key Highlights:
1.  Participants include Indian troops, the Arctic-trained 11th Airborne Division from Alaska and the US 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force.
2.  The task force contributes long-range precision fire and integrated command-and-control systems.
3.  Advanced counter-drone equipment is being deployed to India for the first time, including the Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System.
4.  Training includes a command-post exercise, field manoeuvres and a combined live-fire demonstration with digital integration of long-range rockets.
5.  The exercise strengthens interoperability and shares practices for high-altitude and complex operations.

Additional Information:
1.  Yudh Abhyas began in 2004 and is the largest continuing India-US joint military training activity, hosted alternately by both countries.
2.  The 11th Airborne Division, known as Arctic Angels, was reactivated in 2022 and operates from Fort Richardson and Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Rani Mukerji receives Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Actor Rani Mukerji received the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award at the 62nd Maharashtra State Film Awards in Mumbai on September 10, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar presented the honour at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi.
2.  The award recognised her contribution to Indian cinema over a career of nearly three decades.
3.  Her notable performances include Black, No One Killed Jessica, Hichki, the Mardaani series and Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.
4.  The ceremony honoured excellence associated with Marathi films and the wider Indian film industry.
5.  Raj Kapoor is remembered as the Showman of Indian Cinema.

Additional Information:
1.  Raj Kapoor received the Padma Bhushan in 1971 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1987.
2.  The Dadasaheb Phalke Award began in 1969, with Devika Rani as its first recipient.

Second Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence opens in Kolkata.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Merlin Group and cricketer Yuvraj Singh opened the second Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence at Club Arena, Bantala, Kolkata, on September 11, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  The Basanti Road centre will provide professional cricket training to players from West Bengal and eastern India.
2.  It includes a 10,000-square-foot air-conditioned indoor arena and 30,000-square-foot outdoor ground for year-round coaching.
3.  After trials involving more than 200 students, 6 promising players received programme scholarships.
4.  Facilities include a residential academy, modern gymnasium and space for professional tournaments and corporate sporting events.
5.  The initiative is a Merlin Group partnership intended to develop a wider cricket ecosystem.

Additional Information:
1.  Eastern India’s first YSCE opened at Merlin Rise, Rajarhat, in 2023.
2.  The Rajarhat facility has trained more than 600 students since opening.

Nirbhay Choudhary sets 71.02m national hammer throw record.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Nirbhay Choudhary set a men’s national hammer throw record of 71.02 metres at the Indian Athletics Final Series in New Delhi on September 10, 2026.

Key Highlights:
1.  He surpassed Neeraj Kumar’s 70.73m record set in 2016, while Tanya Chaudhary set the women’s record at 68.35m, improving the earlier 67.02m mark.
2.  Animesh Kujur won the 100m in 10.21 seconds and 200m in 20.59 seconds; Harita Bhadra ran 100m in 11.22 seconds.
3.  Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary won the men’s and women’s 3000m steeplechase in 8:32.39 and 9:22.49 respectively.
4.  Tajinderpal Singh Toor won shot put at 20.64m, Rohit Yadav javelin at 81.10m and Ancy Sojan long jump at 6.76m.
5.  Vishal T.K. won 400m in 45.36 seconds, Dev Kumar Meena cleared 5.40m in pole vault and Pooja Singh won high jump at 1.81m.

Additional Information:
1.  Avinash Sable holds India’s 3000m steeplechase record of 8:09.91 and is the reigning Asian Games champion.
2.  The 2026 Asian Games are scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan; Dutee Chand holds the women’s 100m national record of 11.17 seconds.

IIT Ropar and Army Air Defence College sign MTech agreement.

Dated: 14 September 2026

IIT Ropar and the Army Air Defence College, Gopalpur, signed an agreement on September 11, 2026 to award MTech degrees in Defence Technology to Indian Army officers.

Key Highlights:
1.  Officers completing the Long Air Defence Course will receive formal academic accreditation through the MTech programme.
2.  IIT Ropar faculty will mentor dissertations and research projects, provide laboratory access and deliver online and classroom seminars.
3.  Director Rajeev Ahuja and AADC Commandant Lt. Gen. Amit Rao signed the agreement.
4.  The IIT Ropar Defence Research and Innovation Foundation will coordinate the partnership.
5.  It builds on the December 2022 agreement between Army Training Command and IIT Ropar.

Additional Information:
1.  IIT Ropar was established in 2008 as a second-generation IIT and is located in Rupnagar, Punjab.
2.  AADC is at Gopalpur, Odisha; Army Training Command was established in 1991 and is headquartered in Shimla.

MAHE becomes host institution for US-India TRUST Fellowship.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Manipal Academy of Higher Education was selected on September 7, 2026 as one of only 3 Indian host institutions for the US-India TRUST Fellowship 2026-27.

Key Highlights:
1.  The other host institutions are IIT Madras and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
2.  The 12-month structured fellowship is for United States postdoctoral researchers and early-career faculty.
3.  It operates through a public-private partnership involving the US Consulate General in Chennai.
4.  Pratiksha Trust and Mazumdar Shaw Philanthropy are benefactors and founding sponsors.
5.  The programme connects American researchers with leading Indian institutions for collaborative academic work.

Additional Information:
1.  MAHE received Institution of Eminence status in 2020, ranked 3rd in NIRF 2025 and offers more than 400 specialisations.
2.  IISc was established in 1909 with support from Jamsetji Tata and the Mysore ruler; IIT Madras was established in 1959 and leads NIRF engineering rankings.

Jharkhand signs agreement for Amended BharatNet rollout.

Dated: 14 September 2026

Digital Bharat Nidhi, the Department of Telecommunications and the Jharkhand government signed an agreement on September 10, 2026 to implement the Amended BharatNet Programme in the state.

Key Highlights:
1.  The Union government approved financial support of Rs.1,684 crore for the project.
2.  A new special-purpose company, Jharkhand Digital Infrastructure Corporation Limited, will implement it.
3.  The network will cover 4,395 Gram Panchayats and 26,777 villages; 4,387 panchayats will shift from linear to ring topology and 8 newly created panchayats will be added.
4.  More than 4 lakh rural home-fibre connections are targeted with Union subsidy support.
5.  The Cabinet approved the amended programme on August 4, 2023 to provide broadband to every Gram Panchayat on demand.

Additional Information:
1.  Digital Bharat Nidhi was formerly the Universal Service Obligation Fund and received its new name under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
2.  It is attached to the Telecommunications Department and supports connectivity in underserved rural, remote and urban areas.

Karnataka approves Aerospace Policy 2026-31.

Dated: 14 September 2026

The Karnataka Cabinet approved Aerospace Policy 2026-31 and related industrial and welfare measures on September 9, 2026, targeting Rs.60,000 crore investment and 60,000 jobs over 5 years.

Key Highlights:
1.  A Rs.300 crore employment fund will give Rs.2,500 per worker monthly for 2 years in 10 backward districts.
2.  Shramika Nivasa will build 10,000 worker homes; India’s first drone-testing facility will be established in Chikkaballapur for Rs.42.9 crore and an artificial-intelligence hub will begin at IIIT-B.
3.  The textile policy includes silk and identifies 33 talukas; Rs.150 crore Negila Yogi will provide free cultivation services to farmers owning up to 3 acres, while a Rs.232 crore Shakti Smart Card project will track free-bus travel.
4.  Another Rs.40.5 crore will digitise hospital records and X-rays, 50 taluk hospitals will receive hearing facilities, and Bengaluru will get an International Arbitration Centre.
5.  The package links aerospace, defence, semiconductors, labour housing, agriculture, transport, health and legal infrastructure.

Additional Information:
1.  Karnataka was formed as Mysore State on November 1, 1956 and leads India in raw-silk production.
2.  Bengaluru hosts HAL and ISRO; HAL was established in 1940 and manufactures the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft.

Gujarat allocates Rs.301 crore for 2030 Commonwealth Games.

Dated: 14 September 2026

The Gujarat government allocated Rs.301 crore on September 10, 2026 for initial preparations to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad.

Key Highlights:
1.  The allocation includes Rs.200 crore for the host fee, Rs.100 crore under the revenue head for organisation and Rs.1 crore as a token capital provision.
2.  A dedicated non-profit entity named Amdavad 2030 Commonwealth Games Organisation has been created.
3.  It was formed through an August 12, 2026 resolution and incorporated under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013.
4.  Ahmedabad will serve as the principal centre after the Host Collaboration Agreement secured hosting rights.
5.  The provision begins administrative, organisational and infrastructure preparations for the multi-sport event.

Additional Information:
1.  The first Commonwealth Games were held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930; India hosted them in New Delhi in 2010.
2.  The Games occur every 4 years and were earlier called the British Empire Games; Section 8 entities reinvest profit in their objectives.

DGCA proposes 100% mandatory drug testing for airline pilots.

Dated: 14 September 2026

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation proposed on September 10, 2026 to replace 10% random drug testing with mandatory testing of all airline cockpit crew.

Key Highlights:
1.  The zero-tolerance proposal targets psychoactive substances including marijuana.
2.  Revised Civil Aviation Requirement guidelines are expected by the end of September 2026.
3.  India had 25,001 registered pilots in February 2026, of whom 13,989 worked for 6 domestic airlines.
4.  The move followed an August 4, 2026 Phuket-Delhi flight incident involving triple hydraulic failure after which the captain tested positive.
5.  The government is considering safety needs alongside airline logistics, pilot availability and testing frequency.

Additional Information:
1.  DGCA is the New Delhi-based statutory civil-aviation regulator under the Civil Aviation Ministry.
2.  The Civil Aviation Ministry administers the Aircraft Act, 1934 and formulates policy for the aviation sector.

Delhi approves Rs.2,000 monthly support for young athletes.

Dated: 14 September 2026

The Delhi Cabinet approved Grassroots Training Support Assistance under the Mukhyamantri Khel Protsahan Yojana on September 10, 2026, providing eligible young athletes Rs.2,000 per month.

Key Highlights:
1.  The assistance covers trainees at Delhi government sports centres and stadiums in under-14, under-17, under-19 and under-21 categories.
2.  Only 25% of regularly enrolled trainees at each facility can receive the support.
3.  A standard sports centre may cover up to 100 athletes, while a larger stadium may cover up to 150.
4.  Under the wider scheme, top school-level athletes may receive up to Rs.5 lakh annually for coaching, equipment and nutrition.
5.  Elite athletes representing Delhi or India may receive up to Rs.20 lakh per year.

Additional Information:
1.  Mukhyamantri Khel Protsahan Yojana is the Delhi government’s umbrella scheme for sports-talent development.
2.  The Education Directorate’s Sports Branch administers incentives for training, competition and nutrition.

National Forest Martyrs Day observed on September 11.

Dated: 14 September 2026

India observed National Forest Martyrs Day on September 11, 2026 to honour personnel who sacrificed their lives while protecting forests, wildlife and natural heritage.

Key Highlights:
1.  The day commemorates the 1730 Khejarli massacre in Rajasthan.
2.  Led by Amrita Devi Bishnoi, the Bishnoi community resisted Jodhpur soldiers attempting to cut Khejri trees; more than 360 people were killed.
3.  The Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry leads the national observance.
4.  The sacrifice is cited as an early and important example of women-led environmental action in India.
5.  Amrita Devi’s legacy led to the Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife Protection Award.

Additional Information:
1.  Khejri, or Prosopis cineraria, is sacred to the Bishnoi community and is Rajasthan’s state tree.
2.  The Bishnoi community was founded by Guru Jambheshwar in the western Thar Desert and follows 29 principles protecting living beings.