National News

Supreme Court Proposes Raising District Judges’ Retirement Age

The Supreme Court has directed seven states to amend service rules and raise the retirement age of district judges from 60 to 62 years.
The states are Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
The extension will be subject to a suitability assessment by the concerned High Court at age 60.
Judges who have already crossed 60 in these states will continue until 62, pending the required rule amendments.
The Court has asked the states to complete the amendments within two months, considering the later entry of judges into service and the huge case backlog.
Key Fact: More than 5.18 crore cases are pending in district courts, and the next hearing is scheduled for October 1, 2026.

BIO-NIVESH Platform Launched to Boost Biotechnology Investments

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched BIO-NIVESH, a platform designed to connect biotechnology startups with investors.
The initiative aims to increase private capital, commercialisation and scale-up of biotechnology innovations.
At its inaugural edition, 20 high-potential biotechnology and deep-tech startups interacted with around 50 investors.
The platform seeks to bridge the gap between research, entrepreneurship, industry and markets.
The ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund is expected to provide patient capital for technology translation and scale-up.
Key Fact: BIRAC will act as a Second-Level Fund Manager for biotechnology under the ₹1 lakh crore RDI Fund.

State News

Sikkim Identifies 40 High-Hazard Glacial Lakes Amid Risks

Sikkim has identified 40 high-hazard glacial lakes amid concerns over Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).
Of these, 16 lakes are in Category A, two in Category B, nine in Category C and 13 remain unclassified.
Authorities are using satellite imagery, remote sensing, water-level monitoring, bathymetry and flood modelling to assess risks.
Sikkim suffered a devastating GLOF in October 2023, which killed at least 60 people and damaged the Chungthang dam.
Shako Chho has been identified as the most vulnerable lake, while mitigation plans also cover the Lhonak and Gurudongmar complexes.
Key Fact: Sikkim is developing a dedicated GLOF Risk Mitigation Protocol covering early warning and possible lake-lowering measures.

Nakatia River Revival Planned Through Three-Phase Project

The Nakatia River in Bareilly will be revived through a three-phase project focused on scientific mapping, pollution control and ecological conservation.
The first phase will conduct a baseline survey covering the catchment, drainage network, water flow and pollution sources.
Officials will identify discharge points, encroachments, water quality and existing structures along the river.
A detailed project report will propose water conservation, drain treatment, green buffers and biodiversity protection.
Authorities will explore bringing the project under the Namami Gange programme before implementing approved works in phases.
Key Fact: Authorities are also considering renaming the Nakatia River as ‘Nath Ganga’.

International News

UN Endorses Correct the Map Resolution for Accurate Africa

The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed the “Correct the Map” resolution seeking more accurate representations of Africa’s geographical size.
The resolution challenges distortions associated with the Mercator projection, which exaggerates the size of regions near the poles.
Introduced by Togo with support from African Union members, it received backing from 164 countries.
The United States voted against, while six countries abstained.
The non-binding resolution could influence maps used by international organisations, schools and governments.
Key Fact: The Equal Earth projection provides a more accurate representation of area and has been adopted by 54 African Union members.

BRICS Chief Justices’ Forum 2026 Strengthens Judicial Cooperation

India is hosting the three-day BRICS Chief Justices’ Forum 2026 in New Delhi from September 4 to 6, 2026.
The forum aims to strengthen judicial cooperation among BRICS members and partner countries.
Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant inaugurated the forum and held bilateral meetings with several judicial leaders.
Discussions cover modern jurisprudence, artificial intelligence in judicial administration and international commercial mediation.
Other topics include sustainable development and cross-border enforcement of arbitral awards.
Key Fact: The forum is being held ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit in India.

iBRICS Global Sovereign Capital Summit 2026 to Boost Investment

India will host the inaugural iBRICS Global Sovereign Capital Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026.
The summit will be organised by the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute alongside the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit.
More than 500 participants managing nearly $1 trillion in capital are expected to attend.
Discussions will focus on cross-border investment, infrastructure, technology, critical minerals, energy transition and digital payments.
A closed-door roundtable will examine non-dollar settlement corridors and a proposed Sovereign Capital Compact.
Key Fact: The summit will explore linking India’s UPI, Brazil’s Pix and CBDCs to facilitate faster cross-border payments.

Malaysia Declares Emergency in Serian Over Severe Haze

Malaysia declared an emergency in Serian, Sarawak, after the Air Pollution Index (API) reached 519.
The reading was far above the hazardous threshold of 300.
The severe haze is primarily linked to forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia, with smoke crossing into Sarawak.
Authorities have initiated cloud-seeding operations to encourage rainfall and improve air quality.
Essential services such as supermarkets, petrol stations and banks will continue operating during the emergency.
Key Fact: The episode highlights the recurring cross-border haze problem in Southeast Asia, particularly during dry periods.

Economy News

India Forex Reserves Hit Record High of $740.803 Billion

India’s foreign exchange reserves increased by $11.475 billion to a record $740.803 billion in the week ended August 28, 2026.
Foreign currency assets rose by $9.337 billion to $600.67 billion.
Gold reserves increased by $2.191 billion to $116.409 billion.
Special Drawing Rights declined by $43 million to $18.81 billion, while the IMF reserve position fell to $4.914 billion.
The reserves have strengthened following the RBI’s concessional forex swap initiatives announced in June.
Key Fact: India’s forex reserves reached a record $740.803 billion, while gold reserves stood at $116.409 billion.

Business News

Nvidia to Acquire Hugging Face in $12.93 Billion AI Deal

Nvidia has agreed to acquire AI platform Hugging Face for $12.93 billion.
The deal includes around $11.9 billion for Hugging Face shareholders and nearly $1 billion in employee equity incentives.
The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first half of 2027.
Hugging Face has more than 18 million developers, researchers and creators, with over 3 million models and 500,000 datasets.
Nvidia says Hugging Face will remain an open platform supporting different models, frameworks, cloud providers and accelerators.
Key Fact: The $12.93 billion acquisition would significantly expand Nvidia’s AI software and developer ecosystem.

Awards News

Ig Nobel Prize 2026 Honours Unusual Research That Makes Think

The 36th Ig Nobel Prize ceremony was held on September 3, 2026, at the Zurich Convention Center in Switzerland.
Organised by the Annals of Improbable Research, the awards recognise research intended to make people laugh and then think.
Ten research groups were honoured across fields including Chemistry, Technology, Medicine, Soil Science, Physics and Evolution.
Indian researchers were among the Chemistry winners for studying energy-rich protein crystals from Pacific beetle cockroach milk.
Other studies examined mosquito mouthparts, nose-blowing airflow, soil ecosystems, splash-free urinals and the evolution of kissing.
Key Fact: The 2026 ceremony was the 36th Ig Nobel Prize, celebrating unconventional research with meaningful scientific insights.

NHAI Announces Green Highways Excellence Awards 2026 Winners

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) announced the Green Highways Excellence Awards 2026.
The awards recognise outstanding plantation and landscaping initiatives along National Highways.
They cover three categories: Avenue Plantations, Median Plantations and Plantations in Land Parcels.
NHAI received 86 nominations—27 for avenue plantations, 36 for median plantations and 23 for land parcels.
Winners were assessed on survival rate, site-specific planning, planting material, protection measures and use of native species.
Key Fact: The awards were instituted in 2025 under the Green Highways Policy, 2015.

Books & Authors News

HarperCollins to Publish Sonia Gandhi Memoir November 10

HarperCollins India will publish Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love on November 10, 2026.
The memoir covers her childhood in post-war Italy, marriage to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and political journey in India.
The book was initially associated with Penguin Random House India, which clarified that it would not publish the book in India.
Reports linked the change to disagreements over proposed editorial changes and deletions in the manuscript.
The memoir has generated political interest because of reported references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and India-China relations.
Key Fact: The memoir’s global release is scheduled for November 10, 2026, with HarperCollins India as the publisher.

Sports News

Rohit Yadav Banned Two Years Over Age Documentation Discrepancies

The BCCI has banned Bengal leg-spinner Rohit Yadav for two years over discrepancies in his age-related documents.
The issue came under scrutiny during India Under-19’s Sri Lanka tour, where he took six wickets and helped India win the final Test.
He was subsequently dropped from the India U-19 squad for the upcoming Australia series.
Reports indicated that three birth certificates listed his birth years as 2007, 2009 and 2010.
The Cricket Association of Bengal had earlier flagged the documentation issue and informed the BCCI.
Key Fact: The Cricket Association of Bengal has identified 62 players with documentation or age-related issues for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 seasons.

India-Japan T20I to Mark 75 Years of Diplomatic Relations

India will play Japan in a historic one-match T20I on September 22, 2026.
The match will be held at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
The fixture will commemorate 75 years of India-Japan diplomatic relations.
Named the ‘Suzuki Cup’, the match will also launch Sport 75, an initiative promoting people-to-people connections through sport.
India’s men’s cricket team will play in Japan for the first time, providing a major boost to Japanese cricket.
Key Fact: The match will mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.

Important Days News

Teachers’ Day 2026 Honours Dr Radhakrishnan’s Educational Legacy

Teachers’ Day is celebrated in India every year on September 5 to honour teachers and mentors.
The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, born on September 5, 1888, in Tiruttani.
Radhakrishnan was a philosopher, scholar and statesman who taught philosophy at the University of Mysore and University of Calcutta.
He later served as Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford.
He believed education should develop reason, character and responsible citizenship.
Key Fact: Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan served as India’s first Vice President (1952–1962) and second President (1962–1967).