Article 246
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Current affairsISRO's NETRA Programme: Advanced Radar Research Centre Foundation Stone Laid at Chandrapur, Assam for Space Situational AwarenessAssam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone of ISRO's Advanced Radar Research Centre at Chandrapur (near Guwahati) on September 21, 2026. The facility, under ISRO's Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) programme, will be operated by ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network) on a 67-acre site at the former Chandrapur Thermal Power Station. It will enhance India's Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capabilities, tracking satellites and space debris, and will also support atmospheric and cloud research. Current affairsSC in Sandeep Ghandat vs RBI (2026 INSC 955): RBI's Power to Supersede Multi-State Co-operative Bank Boards Not Capped at Six MonthsOn September 3, 2026, the Supreme Court of India held in Sandeep S. Ghandat vs Reserve Bank of India (2026 INSC 955) that the RBI's statutory power under Section 36AAA(1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to supersede the Board of Directors of a multi-State co-operative bank is not limited to the six-month cap prescribed under Article 243ZL(1) of the Constitution. The court set a five-year aggregate ceiling and ruled that state government consultation is not required for multi-State co-operative banks. Current affairsMMDR Amendment Act 2026: Uniform Mineral Taxation, Fiscal Federalism, and Mining Revenue ReformThe Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 — passed by Lok Sabha on August 12 and Rajya Sabha on August 13, 2026 — bars state governments from levying fresh taxes or cesses on mineral rights beyond Central Government-prescribed conditions, creating a uniform fiscal framework for India's mining sector while states retain approximately 90% of mining revenue. Current affairsGlobal Fintech Fest 2026: RBI on Tokenisation, Agentic AI, and India's Financial Inclusion Index at 70The Global Fintech Fest 2026, held in Mumbai, brought together policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders under the theme "Potential to Impact: Agentic AI | Tokenisation | Quantum: Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance." RBI highlighted tokenisation of financial assets and responsible Agentic AI as the next frontiers of India's fintech evolution. India's Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) rose to 70.0 as of March 2026, up from 67.0 in March 2025. Current affairsUPI MDR Policy Clarification 2026: P2P Transactions Remain Free; 0.4% MDR on Select Merchant Payments Above ₹2,000The Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) clarified on September 15, 2026, that all person-to-person (P2P) UPI transactions will remain completely free. A Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) of 0.4% — capped at ₹300 — will now apply on select person-to-merchant (P2M) UPI payments above ₹2,000. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is implementing the change to make the zero-MDR model financially sustainable for payment ecosystem participants. Current affairsAASHVAST Lab: Indian Army's Air-Gapped Drone Security Testing Facility to Detect Hidden Chinese Components and Firmware ThreatsThe Indian Army inaugurated the AASHVAST Lab (Assessment and Analysis of Systems Hardware for Vulnerabilities And Security Threats) on August 14, 2026, to detect Chinese-origin components, hidden malware, GPS spoofing vulnerabilities, and unauthorised firmware in military drones. The air-gapped, read-only facility at DG EME Headquarters in Delhi represents a critical step in securing India's growing military drone fleet against supply-chain cyber threats. Current affairsIndia-Sri Lanka Sign 3 Defence MoUs: Rajnath Singh's Historic Colombo Visit, L70 Anti-Aircraft Guns, and Neighbourhood First PolicyDefence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Colombo in September 2026 — the first Indian Defence Minister to do so in 38 years — signing 3 defence MoUs with Sri Lanka covering upgradation of L70 anti-aircraft guns under an Indian grant, academic cooperation between national defence colleges, and NCC Youth Exchange. The visit reinforces India's Neighbourhood First Policy and counters Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean. Current affairsNITI Aayog Launches PACT and ZET Marketplace at 5th e-FAST India Summit: Decarbonising India's Road Freight SectorNITI Aayog launched the Platform for Aggregating Clean Transport (PACT) and the Zero Emission Truck (ZET) Marketplace on 7 September 2026 at the 5th e-FAST (Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport) India Summit in New Delhi. The twin platforms target India's road freight sector, where heavy commercial vehicles — just 3–4% of the total fleet — contribute over one-third of all transport-sector carbon emissions. Current affairsDAC Approves ₹1.10 Lakh Crore Defence Procurement: India's Largest-Ever Capital Acquisition — CBRN Vehicles, ALH, Sarvatra Bridge and 98% IndigenisationThe Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) on 7 September 2026 for capital acquisition proposals worth ₹1.10 lakh crore covering CBRN Recce Vehicles, Advanced Light Helicopters, the Sarvatra Bridge System, Arudhra Radars, Marine Gas Turbines, and electronic-warfare jammers — with approximately 98% of procurement sourced from Indian industry under the Atmanirbhar Bharat push. Current affairsIndia Joins Global 6G Initiative as 26th Member: 'Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security', Bharat 6G Vision, and IMT-2030India formally joined the US-led 'Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security' initiative on 7–8 September 2026 on the sidelines of the G20 Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, becoming the 26th member nation. India's MoS for Commerce Jitin Prasada met US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick; the initiative was launched by NTIA (US Department of Commerce) in July 2026 and aims to coordinate 6G standards, security frameworks, and supply chains among like-minded democracies. Current affairsIndia Adds 4 Sites to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List: Colonial Andaman, Nicobarese Culture, Ahom Sivasagar, Shekhawati Havelis — Total Now 73India added four new cultural sites to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List in September 2026, taking the national total to 73 sites (53 cultural + 17 natural + 3 mixed). The four sites are: the Colonial Penal Settlement of the Andaman Islands, the Continuity of Nicobarese Culture, the Rangpur-Sivasagar Historic Architectural Ensemble (Ahom dynasty, Assam), and the Painted Havelis of Shekhawati (Rajasthan). Current affairsRBI Proposes On-Tap Licensing for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs): Ending a 22-Year Pause, Tier Framework, and Banking Sector SignificanceThe Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is proposing to resume licensing of Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) after a 22-year pause — licensing was stopped in 2004 following the failures of the 1993–2001 liberalisation era. RBI issued a Discussion Paper in January 2026 and Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced in August 2026 that draft guidelines would be issued shortly for public consultation. The on-tap model means applications will be accepted on a continuous rolling basis once eligibility criteria are met, rather than in periodic windows.
In previous-year questions
- The 'Census' subject in the Indian Constitution is listed under which entry and which list of the Seventh Schedule?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's nuclear energy sector falls under which entry of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, making it exclusively a Union subject?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, which proposes to rename Kerala as 'Keralam', was passed by the Lok Sabha on 11 August 2026. Under which Article of the Constitution of India does Parliament derive the power to alter the name of a state?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's target for nuclear power capacity under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision is 100 GW, up from approximately 8.8 GW currently. The Draft SHANTI Rules 2026 enable this by allowing private entities into nuclear power. Which constitutional provision gives Parliament the exclusive power to legislate on atomic energy, making State entry into nuclear power impossible without Central legislation?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The GST Council of India is a constitutional body created under which Article of the Constitution, inserted by the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which entry in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India gives Parliament exclusive power to enter into treaties with foreign countries?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Article 355 of the Indian Constitution imposes a duty on the Union to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance. This provision forms the constitutional basis for Central intervention in which of the following scenarios? 1. Deploying Central paramilitary forces for counter-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh. 2. Invoking President's Rule under Article 356 when a state government fails to protect law and order. 3. The NIA assuming jurisdiction over terrorist attacks in states under the NIA Act, 2008.UPSC · Current Affairs
- Consider the following statements about India's space governance framework: 1. The Indian Space Policy 2023 is India's first codified space policy. 2. IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) enables private sector participation in space activities. 3. The Department of Space reports to the Ministry of Science and Technology. 4. Space activities fall under the Union Government's residuary legislative powers under Article 246 read with Entry 97, Union List. Which of the statements above are correct?UPSC · Current Affairs