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Current affairsBuellia maharajensis: New Lichen Species Discovered in Mathikettan Shola National Park, Kerala — Biodiversity Significance and UPSC AngleScientists from Maharaja's College (Ernakulam), KFRI, and CSIR-NBRI have discovered a new-to-science lichen species, Buellia maharajensis, from Mathikettan Shola National Park in Idukki district, Kerala. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Taiwania on September 8, 2026, this is the fourth new lichen species found in this single national park, underscoring the Western Ghats' extraordinary biodiversity value and the importance of protecting shola-grassland ecosystems. 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 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 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 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 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 affairsGollala Gudi Temple in Telangana Declared Monument of National Importance by ASI — Kakatiya Heritage Near Ramappa UNESCO SiteThe Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has declared the Gollala Gudi temple complex in Palampet village, Mulugu district, Telangana, a Monument of National Importance — bringing ASI-protected sites in the state to 10. The Kakatiya-era temple, featuring three sanctums with a Shiva Lingam, is located near the UNESCO World Heritage Ramappa Temple. 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 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 affairsHeatwaves and Lightning Notified as Natural Calamities: SDRF/NDRF Coverage Expanded — 16th Finance Commission Recommendation ImplementedThe Union Home Ministry formally notified heatwaves and lightning as 'natural calamities' eligible for relief under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) operational guidelines in August 2026, implementing a key recommendation of the 16th Finance Commission. Previously, heatwaves were classified as a local disaster (limiting states to 10% of SDRF), and lightning had no SDRF recognition at all. 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 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.