Article 51
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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 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 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 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 affairs18th BRICS Summit 2026, New Delhi: India's Chairship, Theme, Agenda and What to Expect on September 12–13India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12–13, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi — India's fourth BRICS chairship. The theme is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability." Over 350 BRICS meetings were held across 25+ cities under India's 2026 presidency. The expanded BRICS+ grouping now includes nine members, making this summit the largest in the bloc's history. Current affairsWMO Warns of Very Strong El Niño Through Early 2027: India's Monsoon Risks, IOD Interaction, and Global Extreme Weather OutlookThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued an El Niño/La Niña Update (September 2026) warning of a near-100% probability that a very strong El Niño will persist through February 2027, with Niño 3.4 sea-surface temperature anomalies reaching +2.2–2.6°C above normal. The event — the most unequivocal El Niño forecast WMO has ever issued — raises risks of floods, drought, and extreme heat globally. A developing positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) may partially offset El Niño's typical weakening effect on India's monsoon. 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 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 affairsEl Niño 2026-27: NOAA Forecasts 69% Probability of Record-Breaking Intensity — India's Monsoon, Food Security, and Climate RisksNOAA's Climate Prediction Center has assessed a 69% probability that the 2026-27 El Niño will become the strongest on record (instrumental records date from 1950), with multi-model forecasts projecting a peak Niño 3.4 sea surface temperature anomaly of +3.6°C — surpassing the 2015-16 record of +2.75°C. The event is still intensifying with peak expected in November–December 2026, and poses significant risks to India's monsoon, kharif harvest, and global food security. Current affairsHuman-Wildlife Conflict in India 2026: National Portal Launch, Gaj Gaurav Awards, and PMFBY Coverage — Complete UPSC GuideIndia launched the National Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) Portal on July 10, 2026 — a single digital platform for recording incidents and supporting policy decisions — alongside the establishment of a Centre of Excellence on HWC at Coimbatore. World Elephant Day (August 12, 2026) marked conferral of the Gaj Gaurav Awards and reaffirmation of ₹500 crore government support for elephant corridor conservation and early-warning systems. Animal-related crop losses have been included in PMFBY from the kharif 2026 season. Current affairsIndia Crosses 300 GW Non-Fossil Fuel Power Capacity: Milestones, Breakdown, and Road to 500 GW by 2030India's installed non-fossil fuel electricity generation capacity reached 300.50 GW as of July 31, 2026 — announced by PIB on August 9, 2026. This milestone represents 54% of India's total 552 GW installed capacity and 60% progress toward the 500 GW target by 2030 committed under the Paris Agreement's Panchamrit pledges. Current affairsBRICS ICT Track 2026, Pune: Digital BRICS Forum, 12th Communications Ministers Meeting — India's Chairship PrioritiesIndia, as BRICS Chair 2026, is hosting the BRICS ICT Track in Pune from August 17–21, comprising the 7th BRICS ICT Working Group, Digital BRICS Forum and Expo (August 20), and the 12th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting (August 21). The five-day programme — themed "Innovate, Cooperate and Transform for a Resilient Future" — covers cybersecurity, digital skilling, AI governance, and digital infrastructure for BRICS's 11 member nations.
In previous-year questions
- Which Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP) in the Constitution of India directs the State to endeavour to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (2026) involves Türkiye — a NATO member. Collective defence under NATO is governed by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Which similar article in the UN Charter is typically invoked as the legal basis for bilateral or multilateral collective self-defence arrangements like the MJDA?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Article 48A of the Constitution of India, added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), directs the State to:UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution (a Directive Principle of State Policy) directs the State to promote international peace and security and to maintain just and honourable relations between nations?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Article of the Indian Constitution contains the Directive Principle on promotion of international peace and security and maintenance of just and honourable relations between nations — the constitutional basis for India's active multilateral engagement through forums like BRICS?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Constitutional Article directs the State to protect every monument or place of artistic or historic interest declared by Parliament to be of national importance — directly relevant to the conservation of UNESCO-listed heritage sites in India?UPSC · Current Affairs