Article 253
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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 affairsSEBI-ESMA MoU on Central Counterparties (September 2026): India-EU Clearing House Cooperation and Its SignificanceSEBI and ESMA (European Securities and Markets Authority) signed an MoU on September 4, 2026, in Paris, covering cooperation and information exchange on Central Counterparties (CCPs). The agreement — signed by SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey and ESMA Chair Verena Ross — replaces the 2017 MoU and enables Indian CCPs to re-apply for ESMA recognition under EMIR, restoring EU clearing members' access to Indian clearing infrastructure. Current affairsIndia-Belgium Joint Statement 2026: Investment Fast-Track Mechanism, IMEC Semiconductor Partnership, and Defence CooperationBelgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever visited India (September 2–4, 2026) — the first Belgian PM visit in two decades — and issued a comprehensive Joint Statement. India and Belgium set a target of doubling bilateral trade from approximately USD 13 billion, established an Investment Fast-Track Mechanism, announced IMEC semiconductor research collaboration, and signed a defence Letter of Intent covering exchanges, staff talks, and joint production. Current affairs26th SCO Summit Bishkek 2026: Bishkek Declaration, English as Official Language, and India's Priorities Under PM ModiThe 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on August 31–September 1, 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended, signed the Bishkek Declaration alongside 13 key outcome agreements, and advanced India's three-pillar agenda of Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity. English was recognised as an official SCO working language for the first time. Current affairsNepal Monsoon Floods 2026: Death Toll Crosses 1,000 — India's Humanitarian Response, Disaster Diplomacy, and India-Nepal RelationsNepal's 2026 monsoon floods have claimed over 1,000 lives — one of the country's worst flood disasters — with Nepal's hydropower generation dropping approximately 10%, requiring emergency power imports from India. India deployed rescue teams, dispatched humanitarian aid, and coordinated with China and Nepal for relief operations, demonstrating India's Neighbourhood First policy in action. Current affairsIndia Hosts International Tiger Landscapes Workshop; IBCA Signs MoU with ADB for Nature-Positive Conservation FinancingThe International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) signed a landmark MoU with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the sidelines of the International Tiger Landscapes Workshop (September 2–3, 2026) in New Delhi — unlocking nature-positive blended finance for landscape-scale tiger conservation across six Asian tiger-range nations. Current affairsPCA Rules Indus Waters Treaty Remains Fully Binding: India Cannot Suspend the 1960 Accord — Kishanganga, Ratle Hydropower Dispute and India's Jurisdictional StandThe Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague unanimously ruled on 31 August 2026 that India cannot unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, declaring the accord "remains fully in force." India, which placed the treaty in abeyance in April 2025, rejected the court's jurisdiction and did not participate in the hearings — a ruling with major implications for India-Pakistan relations, water security, and international treaty law. Current affairsUNCCD COP17 Ulaanbaatar 2026: "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope." — India, Land Degradation Neutrality, and the Global Desertification CrisisThe 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) concluded in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (17–28 August 2026) under the theme "Restoring Land. Restoring Hope." The conference focused on converting land pledges into finance and action, amid warnings that 77% of Mongolia's land is already degraded and global dryland degradation threatens 2 billion people. Current affairsBRICS Summit 2026: India Hosts 18th Edition in New Delhi — Xi Jinping's First Visit Since 2019, Local-Currency Trade, and the Architecture of a Multipolar WorldIndia hosts the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12–13, 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — its fourth chairmanship. The summit's theme is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend, marking his first visit to India since 2019, alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and heads of state from the expanded BRICS+ membership. Current affairsExercise Sahyog HOP TAC 2nd Edition: India-Vietnam Coast Guard Maritime Partnership in the Indo-PacificThe Indian Coast Guard (ICG) hosted the 2nd edition of the bilateral Joint Exercise Sahyog HOP TAC with the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) on August 27, 2026, at sea off Chennai, alongside the 7th High-Level ICG-VCG Meeting — strengthening maritime pollution response, law enforcement cooperation and Indo-Pacific maritime security between the two countries. Current affairsPress Note 3 Amendment 2026: India Eases FDI from Land-Border Countries — Sub-10% Ownership on Automatic Route, ₹4,896 Crore Flows Across 29 ProjectsThe Union Cabinet on 10 March 2026 amended Press Note 3 (2020 Series) — the FDI restriction framework for countries sharing a land border with India (China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Afghanistan). The key change: investors where the land-border country entity holds below 10% ownership may now invest via the automatic FDI route. By 10 August 2026, ₹4,896 crore had flowed in across 29 projects under the relaxed framework, primarily channelled through Mauritius, Singapore, and the US — not yet through direct Chinese FDI. Current affairsOperation Economic Outcast: US Sanctions Nearly 60 Iran-Linked Entities — Two Indian Firms and Two Individuals NamedOn 24 August 2026, the US Treasury Department launched "Operation Economic Outcast," sanctioning nearly 60 entities, individuals, and vessels with Iran links under Executive Order 13902. Two Indian firms (Portease Partners LLP and Prakrutees Infra Impex India Pvt Ltd) and two Indian nationals were designated for facilitating Iranian petroleum imports. The action comes amid India's energy-security scramble after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed in early 2026 — a route for ~41% of India's crude oil.
In previous-year questions
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution empowers Parliament to make laws for giving effect to international agreements and treaties — the constitutional basis for the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) 1999 and India's FDI policy framework?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which constitutional provision gives India's Parliament the power to make legislation for implementing international treaties and agreements entered into with other countries, such as BRICS commitments?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Under which Article of the Constitution of India does Parliament have the power to make laws for implementing treaties, agreements or conventions with foreign countries?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
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution empowers Parliament to legislate for the implementation of international treaties, agreements, and conventions — including climate agreements like the Paris Agreement?UPSC · Current Affairs