Article 39
On UPSC.wiki
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 affairsRBI Financial Stability Report June 2026: Banking Sector at Multi-Decadal Low NPA, Rising Household Debt, and AI-Driven Cyber RisksThe Reserve Bank of India's Financial Stability Report (FSR) for June 2026 reports India's banking sector has achieved a multi-decadal low Gross Non-Performing Asset (GNPA) ratio of 1.8%, while flagging rising household debt (45.5% of GDP) and AI-enabled cyberattacks as the top emergent systemic risks — critical reading for UPSC, Banking, and SSC aspirants. Current affairsLIC Gets RBI Approval to Acquire Up to 9.99% Stake in ICICI Bank: Regulatory Framework, Insurance-Banking Linkage, and UPSC SignificanceThe Reserve Bank of India granted the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) approval to acquire up to 9.99% of ICICI Bank's paid-up share capital or voting rights within one year from September 4, 2026. This marks a significant regulatory development at the intersection of banking supervision, insurance regulation, and India's evolving financial conglomerate architecture. Current affairsDRDO-ACRHEM Patent for BAM-H24: India's Next-Generation Solid Rocket Propellant Fuel and Its Defence-Space SignificanceThe Indian Patent Office granted Patent No. 599900 (August 20, 2026) to DRDO and ACRHEM (University of Hyderabad) for BAM-H24 — a boron-hydrogen-nitrogen-rich energetic compound with high thermal stability, low impact sensitivity, and high specific impulse. BAM-H24 can function as a solid rocket propellant fuel, propellant additive, or burn-rate accelerator for missile systems and launch vehicles, advancing India's Atmanirbhar defence capability. Current affairsIndia's GDP Grows 7.8% in Q1 FY2026-27: Manufacturing and Services Drive Expansion, Beats RBI ForecastIndia's real GDP grew 7.8% in Q1 FY2026-27 (April–June 2026), as per MoSPI data released on 31 August 2026, surpassing both the RBI's 7% estimate and a Reuters poll forecast of 7.1%. Nominal GDP rose 10.3% to ₹88.27 lakh crore, driven by strong manufacturing (9.2%), financial services (12.1%), and construction (7.7%) growth. Current affairsVarsha Ashok Aglawe: First Woman Director General of the Geological Survey of India in Its 176-Year History — Geology, Critical Minerals, and the GSI MandateVarsha Ashok Aglawe assumed charge as the 54th Director General (DG) of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in August 2026, becoming the first woman to head the institution in its 176-year history since its founding in 1851. A palaeontologist and palynologist with over three decades of GSI service, she identified a new dinosaur nesting site in Central India and brings expertise in critical mineral exploration that aligns directly with India's National Critical Minerals Mission. Current affairsPM Jan Dhan Yojana Turns 12: 59.09 Crore Accounts, ₹3.17 Lakh Crore Deposits — India's Financial Inclusion TransformationThe Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), launched on 28 August 2014, completed 12 years on 28 August 2026 with 59.09 crore active accounts, ₹3.17 lakh crore in deposits, and 78% accounts in rural/semi-urban areas — marking India's most transformative financial inclusion programme that has brought banking access to 55 crore previously unbanked citizens. Current affairsHindalco Commissions India's First Superfine PPT ATH Plant in Belagavi: Halogen-Free Flame Retardant and Atmanirbhar Specialty AluminaHindalco Industries (Aditya Birla Group) commissioned India's first greenfield Superfine Precipitated Aluminium Trihydrate (PPT ATH) manufacturing plant in Belagavi, Karnataka on August 27, 2026, with an initial annual capacity of 30,000 tonnes (expandable to 60,000 tonnes). PPT ATH is a halogen-free flame-retardant used in fire-safe cables, polymer insulators, and composites — previously entirely import-dependent. The plant runs entirely on renewable energy. Current affairs45 Coal-Fired Power Plants at Critical Fuel Levels: India's Energy Security Warning and the Coal-Logistics ChallengeGovernment data as of August 27, 2026 shows 45 thermal power plants operating with critically low coal stocks — equivalent to approximately 10 days of operational requirement — up sharply from 31 plants at end-July. Stocks fell 19% from end-July levels as El Niño-linked demand surges and monsoon-disrupted rail logistics widened the gap between coal receipts and burn rates. Current affairsDraft SHANTI Rules 2026: India Opens Nuclear Sector to Private Players — Licensing, Liability and the 100 GW TargetThe Department of Atomic Energy has released Draft SHANTI Rules 2026 for public comment (open until September 4, 2026), operationalising the SHANTI Act 2025 that replaced the Atomic Energy Act 1962. The rules establish a composite licensing framework, strict operator liability, mandatory insurance, and a pathway for private and foreign investment in India's nuclear sector — aligned with India's target of 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047. Current affairsMission Samriddh Gaon: Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Convergence Model for Poverty-Free, Employment-Rich VillagesUnion Rural Development and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Mission Samriddh Gaon to develop "poverty-free, employment-rich villages" through the convergence of multiple government schemes, with pilot projects in two Madhya Pradesh blocks — Budni (Sehore district) and Khategaon (Dewas district) — to be scaled nationally upon success. Current affairsIndia Lifts Wheat and Wheat-Flour Export Ban After 3+ Years: DGFT Notifications 34 and 35 of 2026-27The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued two notifications on 24 August 2026, moving wheat (durum and standard) and all major wheat-derived products (flour/atta, maida, semolina/rava, wholemeal atta, resultant atta) from "Prohibited" to "Free" export status with immediate effect. The ban had been in force since May 2022. India cites record domestic production and adequate buffer stocks as the rationale for lifting restrictions after over three years.
In previous-year questions
- India's handloom sector employs over 35.22 lakh weavers and allied workers, more than 72% of whom are women. Which Article of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) mandates the State to secure a living wage and decent working conditions for all workers, including cottage industry workers?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution provides the primary constitutional mandate for the State to bring about prohibition of the consumption of intoxicating drinks and drugs injurious to health — the provision that underpins India's drug abuse control policy including the NMBA?UPSC · Current Affairs