Article 51
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Current affairsIndia-CELAC Foreign Ministers' Meeting 2026: Jaishankar Co-chairs Largest-Ever CELAC Engagement on Sidelines of UNGA 81External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar co-chaired the India-CELAC Foreign Ministers' Meeting on September 22, 2026, on the sidelines of UNGA 81 in New York, with 30 of CELAC's 33 member nations attending — described as the "largest-ever" such engagement. Key outcomes included formalising an annual ministerial dialogue, establishing a permanent India-CELAC Commission, and adopting a bilateral Cooperation Roadmap. India-CELAC bilateral trade exceeds USD 50 billion annually. Current affairs40th Anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development: UN High-Level Meeting at UNGA 81, September 23, 2026A UN High-Level Meeting to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development was held on September 23, 2026, at UN Headquarters, New York, authorised by UNGA Resolutions 79/170 and 80/207. The Declaration — adopted on December 4, 1986, under UNGA Resolution 41/128 — proclaims development as an inalienable human right. Not a single SDG indicator aligned with the Declaration's vision is on track globally, highlighting persistent implementation gaps four decades on. Current affairsProject Cheetah: India-Born Cheetah KGP12 Delivers Four Cubs at Kuno National Park — Population Reaches 56On September 18, 2026 — one day after Project Cheetah completed four years — KGP12, an India-born female cheetah and daughter of South African cheetah Gamini, delivered four cubs at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. Confirmed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change via PIB, this brings India's total cheetah population to 56, marking continued second-generation breeding success in the world's only cheetah reintroduction programme. Current affairsAsian Games 2026 Aichi-Nagoya: India's First MMA Medal — Suchika Tariyal Bronze, Shooting Dominates Day 2On Day 2 of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (21 September), India's Suchika Tariyal (36, Haryana) won bronze in women's traditional MMA (-60 kg) — India's first-ever medal in mixed martial arts at the Asian Games, which is also MMA's debut edition. Indian shooters dominated with three medals: men's 10m air rifle team silver, and individual silver (Himanshu Dhillon) plus individual bronze (Rudrankksh Patil). India's Day 2 tally stands at 6 medals (4 silver, 2 bronze). Current affairsUS Lindsey Graham Russia Sanctions Act 2026: India's Energy Security and the 100% Tariff Threat on Russian Oil ImportsThe US President signed the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026" on September 18, 2026, authorising tariffs of up to 100% on countries among the five largest purchasers of Russian crude oil and gas. India, which imports approximately 2.08 million barrels per day from Russia (≈45% of its total crude imports), faces potential designation — raising fundamental questions about India's energy security architecture and strategic autonomy doctrine. Current affairs18th BRICS Summit 2026: New Delhi Declaration — India's Chairmanship, UN Reform, and Global South AgendaIndia hosted the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 12–13, 2026, under its 2026 BRICS Chairmanship. The 11-member bloc adopted the New Delhi Declaration — a 140-point document covering United Nations reform, multilateral trade, artificial intelligence governance, climate finance, and the Palestinian conflict. Current affairsUK Recognises India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) Under UK CBAM — A Climate and Trade MilestoneThe United Kingdom's HM Treasury has officially recognised India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) as a qualifying carbon-pricing mechanism under its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), effective ahead of the UK CBAM's full launch on January 1, 2027. Indian exporters of steel and aluminium to the UK can now claim carbon-price relief, avoiding double taxation on emissions already priced domestically under CCTS — a major win for India's climate diplomacy and export competitiveness. Current affairs18th BRICS Summit 2026 New Delhi: India's Chairship, New Delhi Declaration, and Global South LeadershipIndia is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on 12–13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — India's fourth time chairing the 11-member bloc — under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." Prime Minister Modi held key bilaterals with Presidents Putin and Pezeshkian; the New Delhi Declaration is the expected joint outcome. Current affairsVeer Guardian-2026: India-Japan Bilateral Air Exercise at Jodhpur — 2nd Edition, IAF-JASDF Interoperability, and Strategic SignificanceIndia and Japan launched the 2nd edition of their bilateral air exercise Veer Guardian-2026 at Air Force Station, Jodhpur, from September 9–22, 2026. The exercise, involving the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF), deepens military interoperability under the India-Japan Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership amid shared Indo-Pacific security objectives. 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 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 affairsUNGA Declares November 27 as International Day Against Child, Early and Forced Marriage: India's Role, Legal Framework, and SDG 5.3The 193-member United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted by consensus on September 4–5, 2026, a landmark resolution designating November 27 every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. India co-sponsored the resolution, which carries special national significance — November 27, 2024 was the launch date of India's 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat' campaign.
In previous-year questions
- Which Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP) in the Constitution of India directs the State to endeavour to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (2026) involves Türkiye — a NATO member. Collective defence under NATO is governed by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Which similar article in the UN Charter is typically invoked as the legal basis for bilateral or multilateral collective self-defence arrangements like the MJDA?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Article 48A of the Constitution of India, added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), directs the State to:UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution (a Directive Principle of State Policy) directs the State to promote international peace and security and to maintain just and honourable relations between nations?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution contains the Directive Principle on promotion of international peace and security and maintenance of just and honourable relations between nations — the constitutional basis for India's active multilateral engagement through forums like BRICS?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Constitutional Article directs the State to protect every monument or place of artistic or historic interest declared by Parliament to be of national importance — directly relevant to the conservation of UNESCO-listed heritage sites in India?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which constitutional provision states that the State shall endeavour to promote international peace and security and maintain just and honourable relations between nations — the spirit underlying India's defence diplomacy including exercises like Veer Guardian?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution directs the State to promote international peace and security and encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's consistent policy position on international sanctions is that it follows only those sanctions mandated by which body, and not unilateral sanctions imposed by individual countries?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which constitutional provision forms the primary legal basis for India entering into bilateral defence agreements such as the one with Japan that enables Acquisition and Cross-Servicing (ACSA)?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Fundamental Duty under the Indian Constitution requires citizens to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Directive Principle of State Policy in the Indian Constitution is cited as the primary constitutional basis for India's advocacy of the Right to Development in international forums, as it mandates the State to promote international peace, foster respect for international law, and encourage settlement of disputes by arbitration?UPSC · Current Affairs