UPSC Current Affairs

The inaugural meeting of the **India**-Kuwait Joint Defence Committee (JDC) was held in New Delhi. Both countries agreed to further strengthen the bilateral defence cooperation across a wide range of areas, including training, military exercises, military medicine, staff talks, defence industry, and Research and Development. The first meeting of the JDC marked an important step towards operationalising the objectives outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation signed in 2024.

Context: **India** has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the United States to procure the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route under emergency procurement powers. The FGM-148 Javelin is an American-made, shoulder-fired, man-portable third-generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) system. It is widely recognized as one of the world’s premier precision infantry weapons designed to neutralize heavily armored main battle tanks (MBTs), armored fighting vehicles, fortified bunkers, and low-flying helicopters.

Meta is set to introduce new default restrictions for teenagers on Instagram and Facebook in the US after signing an $18 billion settlement with 52 state attorneys general that requires new safety measures for young users. The settlement comes amid a set of lawsuits over alleged harms caused by social-media platforms to children and teenagers. The states alleged that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to keep young people compulsively engaged, knew about serious risks and misled the public about them.

There are substantial gaps in per capita income and development across states in **India** while it has emerged as one of the world’s largest economies since the 1991 economic reforms. **India**’s Growth: From the 1991 Reforms Till Now The LPG Reforms 1991 (liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation) integrated **India** more closely with the global economy and accelerated growth.

MoS for Commerce & Industry Jitin Prasada co-chaired the 7th Session of the **India**–Morocco Joint Commission in Rabat on 24–25 August 2026. **India** and Morocco agreed to work towards doubling bilateral trade within five years and constituted a Joint Working Group to examine the feasibility of a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA). Bilateral trade was around US$4 billion in 2025.

At the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), a new global drought resilience architecture was officially launched. This framework aims to transition global drought management from reactive emergency response to proactive technological preparedness. The launch introduces two world-first instruments: the Drought Resilience Index (DRI), a comprehensive technical monitoring metric and assessment tool powered by AI analytics, and the Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF), a global catalytic financing platform dedicated to de-risking and scaling drought resilience projects worldwide.

Context: Catastrophic flash floods and debris flows tore through the transboundary Lhende Khola, Bhote Koshi, and Trishuli river systems along the Nepal–Tibet border. About The Nepal Flash Flood Disaster: A high-altitude flash flood and debris flow is a sudden, violent surge of water heavily laden with rock, sediment, and glacial ice that travels down steep mountain gradients with massive kinetic force.

Syllabus: GS2/Governance; GS3/Science and Technology The ‘Ease of Doing R&D in **India**’ reported that close to 80% of funding under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), the flagship research funding body, is concentrated in the IITs. Low Expenditure on Research and Development: **India**’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) has remained around 0.64% of GDP for many years.

Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology Synthetic DNA has become central to advances in health, food security, climate and biotechnology, but its growing accessibility has created significant dual-use and biosecurity risks. It is defined as artificially created genetic material that can be synthesized from digitized genome sequences and used to construct synthetic genomes.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare noted that the average cost of hospitalisation is ₹50,508 in a private facility, compared with ₹6,631 in a government facility. For childbirth, the average out-of-pocket medical expenditure in private facilities is ₹37,630, against ₹2,299 in public facilities. The committee has made 368 recommendations, including standardised package rates and mandatory pre-treatment cost estimates.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the full-fledged Adi Vaani Platform, along with its iOS application, during the National Conclave on Tribal Languages & Museums in Mysuru, Karnataka. It is designed to bridge communication gaps while preserving endangered tribal languages through AI. **India**’s first AI-powered translator specifically for tribal languages.

The Union Health Ministry has proposed amendments to the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, to promote ease of doing business. Simplification of Outsourced Sterilisation (Amendment to Rule 44): Manufacturers outsourcing sterilisation to a facility, holding a valid licence under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, will no longer require a separate loan licence for the sterilisation activity. Traceability will be retained: manufacturers must mention the licence number of the sterilisation facility on the medical device label.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs constituted a high-level committee following a key meeting of Gorkha leaders with the Union Home Minister and West Bengal government representatives in Siliguri. What are the Roots of the Gorkhas’ Demand? The Gorkhas’ movement for a separate administrative identity is among the oldest of its kind in **India**.

The Union Home Minister directed the security agencies to take strict measures against infiltration, asking the police chiefs to detect and deport illegal migrants. In the last three Censuses, roughly 94% of all **India**’s Bangladesh-born residents lived in the five border States (West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram). **India** and Bangladesh share a 4,096.7-km-long border, which till recently was mostly porous.

The Defence Minister said that a vacuum created by the declining capacities of traditional shipbuilding industries across the world presents a major opportunity for **India** to emerge as a global shipbuilding hub. It refers to the construction, repair, and maintenance of vessels used for transportation, defense, and trade. Shipbuilding is carried out in specialised facilities called shipyards, which are equipped to handle large-scale projects and complex assembly processes.

Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana (PM-SSY) with a total outlay of ₹5,070 crore to deploy 5,000 MW of Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FSPV) projects integrated with 10,000 MWh of battery energy storage systems across **India**’s reservoirs and inland water bodies. Floating solar (or Floating Photovoltaic – FPV) involves mounting photovoltaic panels on buoyant platforms anchored to the bed or banks of freshwater bodies, such as dams, reservoirs, lakes, and industrial water ponds. Generated electricity is transmitted onshore via underwater cables.

The historic Parichha Dam/Weir in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, has been recognised by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS). It will receive the WHIS Award-2026 at the 26th ICID International Congress in Marseille, France, in October 2026. Location: Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh; important for the Bundelkhand region.

The National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) has reported substantial progress in controlling Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis through nationwide vaccination and surveillance. Since its launch in September 2019, 147.16 crore FMD vaccine doses have been administered, benefiting 8.04 crore farmers. FMD outbreaks declined from 132 in 2019 to 40 in 2025.

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) delivered INS Mangrol to the Indian Navy on 21 August 2026. It is the third of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW-SWCs) being indigenously designed and constructed by CSL. Type: Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC).

The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) conducted its sixth outreach programme in Ahmedabad under the theme “Creating a Better Financial Reporting Ecosystem”, with particular focus on small and medium audit practitioners. The programme seeks to improve audit quality and professional capacity. Established in 2018 under Section 132 of the Companies **Act**, 2013.

PM Modi interacted with founders and CEOs of over 20 space start-ups and highlighted the potential of **India**’s private space ecosystem to attract global scientific and technological talent. **India**’s Emerging Private Space Ecosystem **India**’s space economy currently stands at $8.4 billion, accounting for 2–3% of the global space economy.

The National Horticulture Board (NHB) has amended the guidelines for the development of Commercial Horticulture through Production and Post-Harvest Management of Horticulture Crops scheme to ensure equitable distribution of government assistance. Key Amendments by the National Horticulture Board (NHB) Expanded definition of ‘family’: The revised definition of family brings within its ambit the subsidy applicant’s spouse, father, mother, sons and daughters.

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2025 reveals a significant increase in the Female Labour Force Participation rate (FLFPR) since 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall FLFPR for those aged 15 years and above increased from 30% in 2019-20 to 40% in 2025. The increase was more pronounced in rural areas, where the FLFPR rose from 33% to 45.9%, compared with an increase from 23.3% to 27.7% in urban areas.

The Prime Minister of **India** recently shared Sanskrit Subhashitam stressing the virtues of Compassion (Karuna) and Contentment (Santosha). He said that this ethos further strengthens the links of collaboration and peace in society. Compassion and contentment are mutually enriching virtues, strengthening individual character and public morals alike.