Article 2
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Current affairsUN Political Declaration on Sea-Level Rise 2026: UNGA Affirms Statehood Continuity and Frozen Maritime Zones for Island NationsOn September 24, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted by consensus the "Political Declaration on Sea-Level Rise" at a High-Level Plenary Meeting of its 81st session in New York — the first global political compact addressing the existential legal and territorial threats that rising seas pose to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and low-lying coastal nations. 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 affairsUNEP "Limiting Overshoot" Report 2026: World Set to Breach 1.5°C — Paris Agreement Pathways and India's Climate ObligationsUNEP's "Limiting Overshoot" report (September 2026) declares that breaching the 1.5°C Paris Agreement warming threshold is now unavoidable in the near term. Without enhanced action, global temperatures could reach 2.6°C by 2100, but an "overshoot-peak-decline" pathway can return temperatures below 1.5°C through aggressive emissions cuts and large-scale carbon dioxide removal. Current affairsKerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026: Parliament Renames Kerala as "Keralam" — Article 3, First Schedule, and Constitutional ProcedureParliament passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 in both Houses — Lok Sabha on August 11 and Rajya Sabha on August 12, 2026 — to rename the state from "Kerala" to "Keralam" in the First Schedule of the Constitution. The Bill awaits Presidential assent. It follows the constitutional procedure under Article 3, requiring only a simple majority, not a constitutional amendment under Article 368.