Administrative Reforms Commission
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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. 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. Current affairsSupreme Court Directs States to Raise District Judges' Retirement Age: Pendency Crisis, Constitutional Framework, and Judicial ReformA Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant directed all States and Union Territories on September 1, 2026, to consider raising the retirement age of district judiciary judicial officers from 60 to 61/62 years, in the long-pending case All India Judges Association v. Union of India (W.P.(C) No. 1022/1989). The direction is driven by over 5.18 crore pending cases in district courts and 1,744 vacancies, and is contested by 10 States citing financial constraints. Current affairsMoSPI Revises GDP Base Year to 2022-23: PPI Replaces WPI, Double Deflation Adopted — What Changes and Why It MattersThe Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released the National Accounts Statistics (NAS) 2026 with a revised base year of 2022-23, replacing the earlier 2011-12 series. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) has been replaced by the Producer Price Index (PPI) for GDP deflation, and India has adopted the Double Deflation Method — aligning with IMF standards and providing a more accurate picture of sectoral value addition in the economy. Current affairsNational Teachers' Day 2026: President Murmu Honours 48 Teachers; SRCC Centenary and the Legacy of Dr. Sarvepalli RadhakrishnanSeptember 5, 2026 marks the 138th birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, celebrated as National Teachers' Day across India. President Droupadi Murmu conferred National Teachers' Awards on 48 outstanding school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Prime Minister Modi also addressed students at Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), which is celebrating its centenary year (est. 1926). Current affairsFCRA Amendment Bill 2026: 31-Member JPC Constituted Under Sanjay Jaiswal — Foreign Funding Regulation and Its UPSC SignificanceLok Sabha Speaker Om Birla constituted a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on September 3, 2026 to examine the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal (Bettiah, Bihar) was appointed Chairperson. The JPC — comprising 21 Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members — must submit its report by the first week of the Winter Session (November–December 2026). Current affairsLegal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules 2026: 'One Nation, One Time' — IST Made Legally Enforceable Nationwide with NavIC and White Rabbit TechnologyThe Ministry of Consumer Affairs notified the Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026 on 27 August 2026, making Indian Standard Time (IST) the single legally enforceable time reference for all legal, administrative, commercial, and official purposes in India. The rules come into force 180 days after gazette notification (approximately March 2027), giving institutions time to align with the 'One Nation, One Time' initiative backed by NavIC and White Rabbit Technology. Current affairsChandler Good Government Index 2026: India Rises to 76th Among 133 Nations — Second Consecutive Year of Governance Score Improvement After Three-Year DeclineIndia ranked 76th out of 133 countries in the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) 2026, released on August 18–19, 2026 by the Chandler Institute of Governance, Singapore. India's overall governance score rose for the second consecutive year — reversing a three-year decline from 2021 to 2024 — driven primarily by improvement in Financial Stewardship. India leads all South Asian nations across five of the index's seven governance pillars. Current affairsIndia-China 25th Round of Special Representatives' Talks on the Boundary Question: Doval-Wang Yi Meet in Beijing, 26th Round Scheduled for India in 2027On August 25, 2026, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi held the 25th Round of Special Representatives' Talks on the India-China Boundary Question in Beijing. Both sides committed to a "fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable package solution" and pledged to maintain peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The 26th round of talks is scheduled to be held in India in 2027. Doval also called on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng during the visit. Current affairsSarnath Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site: India's 45th — 2,500 Years of Buddhist Heritage Now on the Global MapThe Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 25 July 2026 at the 48th World Heritage Committee session in Busan, Republic of Korea — 28 years after being placed on the tentative list in 1998. India now has 45 World Heritage Sites; Sarnath is Uttar Pradesh's fourth. Current affairsGanga Floodplain Amendment 2026: Centre Removes 'Construction-Free Zone', Redefines Three-Zone Framework — NGT Issues NoticeThe Jal Shakti Ministry notified the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Second Amendment Order, 2026 (Gazette: August 10, 2026), redefining the Ganga floodplain into three flood-return-period zones and controversially removing the earlier 'construction-free zone' language from the 2016 Order. The National Green Tribunal has issued notices to the Centre, and environmentalists warn the change opens floodplain land to construction activity. Current affairsPM Modi's Uzbekistan State Visit and 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek: India's Central Asia Strategy and SCO at 25Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a four-day visit to Central Asia from August 29 to September 1, 2026 — a bilateral state visit to Uzbekistan followed by participation in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, marking the organisation's 25th founding anniversary.