Current Affairs - September 01, 2026

{GS1 – Geo – PG} Hanging Glaciers *

Context (IE): The Nepal flash flood highlights rising Himalayan cryosphere instability, where the collapse of hanging glaciers triggers destructive transboundary flash floods.

Hanging glaciers are glaciers on steep mountain slopes or cliffs that do not reach the valley floor. They form when a main valley glacier retreats and thins under climate change, leaving smaller tributary glaciers stranded high above the deepened valley floor.
Climate Vulnerability: Rising temperatures melt subglacial permafrost anchoring these glaciers, creating high-pressure basal meltwater that lubricates the rock and causes glacier detachment.
Disaster Cascades: Sudden collapses trigger ice-rock avalanches that block rivers to cause LLOFs (Landslide Lake Outburst Floods), or strike glacial lakes to trigger GLOFs (Glacial Lake Outburst Floods).
Key Risks: Hydropower dams, tunnels, and highways like NH-7 in high-seismicity Himalayan zones amplify downstream damage when mountain slopes fail.

{GS2 – IR} India Rejects Hague Court’s Indus Waters Treaty Ruling

Context (TH): Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at the Hague held that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), 1960 remains in force and issued an order concerning interim measures related to the Ratle Hydroelectric Power Plant.

India has rejected the proceedings, arguing that the Court of Arbitration lacks jurisdiction and that its constitution itself violated the Treaty.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration, established by treaty in 1899, is an intergovernmental organization providing a variety of dispute resolution services to the international community. It is headquartered in a Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.

What is Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)?

The IWT was signed between India and Pakistan on 19 September 1960, after negotiations facilitated by the World Bank.
It was signed by former PM Jawaharlal Nehru and then President of Pakistan, Ayub Khan.

Key Provisions of IWT

Water Allocation: IWT broadly allocates the Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej) to India, while the Western Rivers (Indus, Jhelum and Chenab) to Pakistan.
- However, India is permitted certain uses of the Western Rivers, including hydroelectric power generation, subject to conditions specified under the Treaty.
Permanent Indus Commission (PIC): The Treaty established the PIC, consisting of one Commissioner from each country, as the primary institutional mechanism for cooperation and information exchange.
Dispute Resolution Mechanism: The Treaty provides different mechanisms depending on the nature of the issue. It provides that questions are addressed through the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), differences through a Neutral Expert, and disputes through a Court of Arbitration.
Role of World Bank: The World Bank is a signatory to the Treaty for specified purposes, but it is not a guarantor of the Treaty. Its role in dispute settlement is largely procedural, including appointments connected with the Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration.

Read More>Indus Water Treaty

{GS2 – IR} Northern Sea Route (NSR) *

Context (DDN): Northern Sea Route in the Arctic is emerging as a seasonal alternative to the Suez Canal for Asia-Europe shipping, cutting distances by up to 40% and reducing transit time to 18–20 days.

NSR is a 5,600-km maritime corridor extending from the Kara Gate (the boundary between the Barents and Kara Seas) to the Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska.
Significance: Shortest maritime link between Western Eurasia and Asia-Pacific along Russia’s Arctic coast.
Key Ports: Sabetta, Dikson, Dudinka, Khatanga, Tiksi, and Pevek.
Regulation: Russia requires vessels to obtain permission from the Northern Sea Route Administration and pay fees for nuclear-powered icebreaker escorts.
- Counter-Claim: Western nations cite UNCLOS provisions on “international straits” to assert freedom of navigation through the NSR.
Navigability: Historically ice-bound, accelerating Arctic ice melt is expanding its navigable window beyond the traditional August–October peak.

{GS3 – Envi} Atmanirbharta in Biofuel vs. Food Security **

Context (IE): The expansion of India’s Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme has intensified the food-fuel trade-off, evident in recent rises in sugar prices.

About Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme

EBP is an initiative by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas that blends ethanol derived from agricultural feedstocks with automotive petrol.
Objectives: To curtail crude import dependence and transportation emissions while creating a stable, remunerative market for agricultural surplus.
Operational Mechanism: Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) procure ethanol directly from private and cooperative distilleries at fixed, feedstock-differentiated prices.
Feedstock: Initially reliant on molasses, the 2018 National Biofuels Policy expanded procurement to include sugarcane juice, surplus FCI rice, maize, and damaged foodgrains.
Incentives: Ethanol Interest Subvention Scheme (EISS) supports expansion of distillery capacity, and the PM-JI-VAN Yojana promotes advanced biofuels.
Key Gains: Achieved over ₹1.97 lakh crore in foreign exchange savings, paid ₹1.66 lakh crore to farmers and distilleries, and reduced over 950 lakh metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

Key Concerns Regarding Food Security

Inflationary Pressures: Heavy diversion of sugarcane juice and B-heavy molasses to biofuel distilleries tightens supplies, causing domestic sugar prices to surge up to 44% during peak demand.
Livestock Costs: Rising diversion of maize to ethanol reduces livestock-feed supplies, raising feed costs and increasing price pressure on poultry, eggs and milk.
Hydrological Stress: Cultivating sugarcane needs nearly 3,000 litres of water per litre of ethanol, depleting groundwater and straining drought-prone areas.
Soil Degradation: Continuous cultivation of ethanol-centric crops, such as sugarcane and rice, leads to monoculture and depletes soil fertility.
Nutritional Risk: Ethanol incentives divert land from pulses and oilseeds, worsening India’s 60%+ import dependence on edible oils and affecting dietary diversity.

Pathways to Balance Energy and Food Security

Dynamic Ceilings: Automate a regulatory cap that halts foodgrain diversion to distilleries when central buffer stocks fall below statutory minimums or retail food inflation rises.
Advanced Biofuels: Shift state capital subsidies toward second-generation (2G) cellulosic and third-generation (3G) algal biofuel plants to decouple fuel production from arable land.
Water Audits: Enforce water-use efficiency audits for all ethanol distilleries in accordance with CPCB norms and tie feedstock procurement quotas to drip-irrigation adoption.
Alternative Grains: Develop high-yielding, drought-resistant maize hybrids and promote water-efficient millet varieties to reduce agricultural water use.

{GS3 – S&T} Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) **

Context (PIB): India is developing a strong CPS ecosystem through National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) contributing to technology-driven, innovation-led and self-reliant Viksit Bharat.

What is Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)?

Meaning: Convergence of physical and digital worlds gives rise to a new generation of intelligent systems called Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS).
Essential Features:
- Connects computing technologies with physical systems through sensors, software and communication networks.
- Enables machines to sense their surroundings, process information and respond to changing conditions in real time.
Key Examples: Driverless cars, Smart factories (adjusts operations automatically); Medical devices that continuously track patients; Smart buildings (regulating lightning, temperature, etc.).

National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)

It provides a national framework for advancing CPS research, innovation and applications.
Origin: Approved by Union Cabinet in 2018 with an outlay of ₹3,660 crore for nine years.
Implemented by: Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Role of NM-ICPS in Advancing India’s CPS Ecosystem

Building a National Ecosystem: Under the mission, Government has established 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) as Section 8 companies hosted by premier academic institutions.
- TIHs work across four broad areas: Technology Development; Human Resource Development and Skill Development; Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Start-up Development; and International Collaborations.
Technology Development to Technology Translation: In 2025, 4 high-performing TIHs were selected and supported as Technology Translation Research Parks with each TTRP focussing on strategic technology domain.
- Example: IIT Kanpur focuses on Cybersecurity; IISc Bengaluru focuses on Robotics and AI Systems; IIT (ISM) Dhanbad focuses on Mining Technologies; IIT Indore focuses on Digital Healthcare.
Building Technology, Talent and Enterprise:
- Technology: Enabled 1,146 technologies and supported intellectual property creation and licensing (Aug 2026).
- Human resource development and skill enhancement: CHANAKYA (Comprehensive and Holistic Advancement of National Knowledge Yield and Analytics) Fellowship Programme supports undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD and postdoctoral researchers.
- Enterprise: Mission is nurturing entrepreneurship by helping research-based innovations move towards commercialisation and expanding international partnerships.
BharatGen: BharatGen, supported under NM-ICPS, is developing sovereign AI capabilities tailored to Indian languages and contexts.
- Led by: IIT Bombay with consortium of academic institutions.
- Models Developed: Shrutam (speech-to-text); Sooktam (text-to-speech models); Patram (developed under DocBodh framework, enables multilingual access to complex Indian documents)
- Domain-specific models: Ayur Param (Ayurveda), Agri Param (agriculture) & Legal Param (legal domain).

{Prelims – Agri} Pusa Rice DST1

Context (BL): India is set to commercially launch its first genome-edited rice variety, Pusa Rice DST1.

Pusa Rice DST1 is a genome-edited rice variety developed by the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Delhi, to tolerate drought and saline soils.
It is a gene-edited version of MTU1010, a rice variety grown in southern Indian states during the Rabi season. Scientists used CRISPR-Cas9 and Site-Directed Nuclease 1 (SDN-1) gene knockout to target the Drought and Salt Tolerance (DST) gene without introducing foreign DNA.

Benefits: Fewer leaf stomata reduce moisture loss, helping the plant survive droughts and lowering irrigation requirements. It yields 10% to 30% more than the parent MTU1010 in saline & alkaline soils under stress.

With no foreign genetic material, this non-transgenic crop is regulated like conventionally bred crops, bypassing GMO rules.

DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala)

DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala) is a genome-edited rice variety developed by ICAR-IIRR, Hyderabad, from the parent variety Samba Mahsuri (BPT 5204).
Scientists used CRISPR-Cas and Site-Directed Nuclease 1 (SDN-1) to edit the OsCKX2 (Gn1a) gene, raising grain number per panicle without introducing foreign DNA.
It records a 19% yield gain over the parent and matures about 20 days earlier, at roughly 130 days, reducing irrigation needs and methane emissions. Its strong culm resists lodging in strong winds.

{Prelims – Awards} Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2026

Context (TH): The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) announced three recipients for the 68^th Ramon Magsaysay Awards (2026).

2026 Laureates & Contributions:
1. Tommy Koh (Singapore): A veteran diplomat, honored for advancing international law and presiding over the UN conference that adopted UNCLOS, called the “constitution for the oceans”.
2. Runa Khan (Bangladesh): Social entrepreneur and founder of NGO Friendship, recognized for community development through floating hospitals and education for remote riverine communities.
3. Bo Kyi (Myanmar): Former political prisoner awarded for co-founding the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) to support detainees under Myanmar’s military regime.

About Ramon Magsaysay Award

Established in 1957 by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to commemorate Ramon Magsaysay, the 7^th President of the Philippines. It is announced annually in Manila on August 31, Magsaysay’s birthday.
Honors individuals and organizations working in Asia and is known as Asia’s Nobel Prize.
Key Indian Awardees: Vinoba Bhave (1958), Mother Teresa (1962), R. Ravi Kannan (2023), and Educate Girls (the first Indian organization to win in 2025).

Read More > Ramon Magsaysay Award

Context (PIB): Bihar and Jharkhand signed an MoU on Sone water-sharing, ending a 25-year dispute dating back to Jharkhand’s creation in 2000.

Allocation: 5.75 million acre-feet (MAF) to Bihar and 2 MAF to Jharkhand, from undivided Bihar’s 7.75 MAF allocation under the 1973 Bansagar Accord.

The Bansagar Accord was a 1973 agreement among Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar on Son River development and Bansagar Dam operations.

About Sone River

The Sone River (Son) is the 2^nd largest southern (right-bank) tributary of the Ganga after the Yamuna.

Origin: Near the Amarkantak plateau in the Maikal Range, close to the source of the Narmada.
Course: Flowing north then northeast, it traverses Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar, joining the Ganga near Maner, Patna. Its valley is flanked by the Kaimur Range to the north and the Chota Nagpur Plateau to the south.
Major Tributaries: Rihand, North Koel, Banas, and Ghaghar.

Hydropower Projects:
- Bansagar Dam (MP): Multipurpose project shared between Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, & Bihar.
- Rihand Dam (UP): Creates Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar, India’s largest artificial lake by volume.
- Indrapuri Barrage (Bihar): Controls river flow into local irrigation canals.

{Prelims – IE} Fiscal Deficit Hits 28% of Target *

Context (BS): The central government’s fiscal deficit for 2026-27 stood at 26.8% of the full-year target at the end of July, according to data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).

The Centre has set a fiscal deficit target of 4.3% of GDP for FY 2026–27. In absolute terms, the targeted fiscal deficit is approximately ₹16.96 lakh crore.

What is Fiscal Deficit?

Fiscal Deficit refers to the gap between the government’s total expenditure and its total receipts, excluding borrowings.

Fiscal Deficit = Total Expenditure − Total Receipts (excluding borrowings)
It indicates the borrowing requirement of the government to finance the gap between its expenditure and receipts.
The govt generally finances the fiscal deficit through market borrowings and other sources of borrowing.

Primary Deficit vs Effective Fiscal Deficit

Basis	Primary Deficit	Effective Fiscal Deficit
Meaning	Fiscal deficit excluding interest payments on past debt	Fiscal deficit excluding grants for creation of capital assets
Formula	Fiscal Deficit − Interest Payments	Fiscal Deficit − Grants for Creation of Capital Assets
It Indicates	It shows the government’s current fiscal burden excluding past debt interest.	It shows the effective borrowing requirement after excluding grants that create capital assets.

{Prelims – IE} UPI in Uzbekistan

Context (PIB): NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) signed a commercial agreement with Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Center (NIPC) to enable UPI payments across Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan became the 11^th country to accept UPI for cross-border merchant transactions. Other countries: Bhutan (First), UAE, Singapore, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius, Qatar, Cambodia, and Greece.
Indian travelers can pay by scanning any local UZQR code, debited directly from their Indian bank accounts across retail, restaurants, and hospitality.

NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) is the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), mandated to internationalize UPI and RuPay across overseas markets.

Read More> PM Modi’s Visit to Uzbekistan

{Prelims – PIN World} Chile

Context (TH): India reaffirmed its commitment to finalizing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Chile by the end of 2026.

Chile (capital: Santiago) lies in southwestern South America on the Pacific coast. It is the world’s narrowest country, stretching over 4,300 km but averaging only 175 km wide.
Boundaries: Peru (north), Bolivia (northeast), and Argentina (east). The Drake Passage to the south separates Chile from Antarctica.
Geography: Atacama Desert (north) is the driest non-polar desert on Earth. Patagonia (south) features alpine tundras, glaciers, and fjords. The Andes Mountains mark the eastern boundary. Chile, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, often faces earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.
Highest Point: Ojos del Salado (6,893 meters) is the world’s highest active volcano and the second-highest peak in South America.
Oceanic Islands: Easter Island (known for Stone Moai statues) and Juan Fernández Archipelago. The Tierra del Fuego archipelago at South America’s southernmost tip is divided between Chile and Argentina.
Chile is the largest producer of copper and part of the Lithium Triangle (with Bolivia and Argentina).

{Prelims – MIH} Rani Avantibai Lodhi (1931-1858)

Context (DDN): Freedom fighter Rani Avantibai Lodhi was remembered on her martyrdom day for her role in India’s struggle against British rule.

She was an Indian queen-regent and freedom fighter in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. She was the queen of Ramgarh in Madhya Pradesh.
She is considered one of the heroic Indian women warriors in the 1857 rebellion. She died in 1858 while fighting against the British.

Key Contribution

Rule of Ramgarh: After the death of her husband, King Vikramaditya Singh, and given the minor status of their sons, the British sought to annex her state under the Doctrine of Lapse, instead of recognizing Avantibai’s right to govern.
Defiance of British Authority: Rani Avantibai deposed the British-appointed administrator, seized control of the state, and mobilized neighboring kingdoms and tribal chieftains in the Narmada region to join the 1857 uprising.
Battle of Kheri: In 1857, she personally led an army of 4,000 soldiers to victory against British forces led by Deputy Commissioner Charles Waddington near Mandla.

{Prelims – Misc} One-Liners

Envi – Spoon-tailed Duskhawker (TH): A large, crepuscular, predatory dragonfly native to the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It inhabits shaded, swampy forest pools, streams, and secondary woodlands with leafy-bottom clearings. Its narrow abdominal appendages have a spoon-like appearance.
- Photographic evidence of the dragonfly was captured at Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, for the first time in India.
Sports – National Sports Day (DDN): Celebrated on the August 29 every year to honour the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. First celebrated in 2012 and aims to promote sports, physical fitness, and a healthy lifestyle among people. The President of India presents top sports honours on this day.