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Current affairsSupreme Court Collegium Approves 12 Additional Judges as Permanent in Four High CourtsOn September 23, 2026, the Supreme Court Collegium comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Vikram Nath and B.V. Nagarathna approved the confirmation of 12 Additional Judges as Permanent Judges across the High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, and Gauhati — reinforcing the collegium-driven judicial appointment mechanism that has governed India's higher judiciary since 1993. Current affairsPremier Energies Commissions India's Largest Solar Cell Manufacturing Plant — 7GW TOPCon Facility at Naidupeta, Andhra PradeshPremier Energies commissioned a 7GW N-type TOPCon solar cell manufacturing plant at Naidupeta, Andhra Pradesh, in September 2026 — raising its total capacity to 10.6GW and making it India's largest solar cell manufacturer. The ₹3,293 crore facility, spanning 101 acres, produces approximately 88,000 cells per hour with an average efficiency of 25.8%, advancing India's National Solar Mission targets and domestic manufacturing push under PLI schemes. Current affairsWMO 2026 Water Report: 2025 Fourth Consecutive Year of Universal Glacier Mass Loss — 408 Gigatonnes, 1.1 mm Sea-Level RiseThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its 2026 State of Global Water Resources Report on September 22, 2026, revealing that 2025 was the fourth consecutive year in which every major glaciated region on Earth recorded a net loss of ice mass. Global glacier mass loss in 2025 totalled 408 (±132) gigatonnes — equivalent to 1.1 mm of sea-level rise — raising serious concerns about freshwater availability, river discharge, and accelerating climate feedback loops. Current affairsWestern Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area: 6th Draft Notification 2026, Kerala's Push to Exclude 131 Villages, and the Conservation-Livelihood DebateThe Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued its 6th draft notification on July 25, 2026, proposing to declare over 56,825 sq km of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). The public objection window closes September 24, 2026. Kerala has moved to exclude 131 villages and approximately 9,993 sq km, while the Centre insists no part — except the Palakkad Gap — should be excluded to maintain ecological continuity. Current affairsIndia's First Soil Carbon Payments: Aadi Programme Disburses ₹2.9 Crore to 2,550 Farmers in Punjab and HaryanaIndia launched its first direct-benefit-transfer soil carbon payments on September 17, 2026 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Under the Aadi farmer carbon programme, 2,550 smallholder farmers in Punjab and Haryana received more than ₹2.9 crore for adopting regenerative agriculture practices — direct seeded rice, reduced tillage, and crop residue management — between 2019 and 2022, marking a landmark convergence of climate finance and agricultural welfare. Current affairsNational Quantum Mission (NQM): IIT Bombay Facilities Inaugurated — India's ₹6,003 Crore Quantum LeapFabrication and central research facilities under the National Quantum Mission (NQM) were inaugurated at IIT Bombay in September 2026, marking a key milestone in India's ₹6,003.65 crore quantum technology programme (2023–2031). NQM aims to develop quantum computers with 50–1,000 physical qubits by 2031, making India one of only six countries with a dedicated national quantum mission. 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 affairsEl Niño 2026 OND Forecast: India's Rabi Crops, Wheat, and Winter Agriculture at RiskThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and India Meteorological Department (IMD) have confirmed that El Niño conditions are intensifying and forecast to peak during the October–December (OND) 2026 quarter, with sea surface temperature anomalies in the Niño 3.4 region reaching approximately +3.6°C. This raises significant risks for India's Rabi crop season — particularly wheat, chickpea, mustard, and lentils — through reduced winter rainfall in northwest India and above-normal temperatures. Current affairsISRO CE20 Cryogenic Engine Hot Test at 220 kN: LVM3 M7 Mission and Gaganyaan SignificanceISRO successfully conducted a hot test of the CE20 cryogenic engine at 220 kN (22 tonnes) thrust at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu on 9 September 2026. The test validated the C32 upper stage for the LVM3 M7 mission and demonstrated the LOX Tank Pressurisation Module (LTPM) for India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. Current affairsBuellia maharajensis: New Lichen Species Discovered in Mathikettan Shola National Park, Kerala — Biodiversity Significance and UPSC AngleScientists from Maharaja's College (Ernakulam), KFRI, and CSIR-NBRI have discovered a new-to-science lichen species, Buellia maharajensis, from Mathikettan Shola National Park in Idukki district, Kerala. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Taiwania on September 8, 2026, this is the fourth new lichen species found in this single national park, underscoring the Western Ghats' extraordinary biodiversity value and the importance of protecting shola-grassland ecosystems. 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 affairsAll 25 High Courts Get Permanent Chief Justices: Centre Notifies Eight Appointments — Collegium System, Article 217, and Judicial PendencyThe Ministry of Law and Justice on September 5, 2026, notified the appointments of eight High Court judges as Chief Justices across eight High Courts. Following these appointments, all 25 High Courts in India now function with permanent Chief Justices for the first time — a milestone reflecting both the Supreme Court Collegium's functioning and efforts to address the judiciary's leadership deficit amid India's record case pendency crisis.
In previous-year questions
- Which of the following correctly identifies the apex body for Ganga rejuvenation policy and its chairperson, as restructured in 2017?UPSC · Current Affairs
- IN-SPACe, established under the Indian Space Policy 2023, plays which primary role in India's space sector?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The National Water Mission (NWM), which seeks to increase water use efficiency by 20%, is one of how many missions under India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC, 2008)?UPSC · Current Affairs
- India's National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) is one of how many missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), 2008?UPSC · Current Affairs