Current Affairs — 14 September 2026

1. The 18th BRICS Summit and the New Delhi Declaration

Basic Concept

BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and, since 2024, an expanded group including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) is a grouping of major emerging economies that meets annually to coordinate positions on global economic governance, security and development. India held the BRICS chairship in 2026, giving New Delhi the diplomatic weight to set the summit's agenda. This is core GS2 (International Relations, India and its neighbourhood/global groupings) content.

Core Context

The 18th BRICS Summit, held under India's presidency, concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, a 140-point consensus document covering reform of the UN Security Council and Bretton Woods institutions (the IMF and World Bank), counter-terrorism cooperation, Middle East peace efforts, and steps to promote local-currency cross-border payments among member states.

Latest Developments

• The Declaration announced a new BRICS Insurance Resilience Centre and a digital public infrastructure (DPI) cooperation framework, extending India's own DPI experience (Aadhaar, UPI) as a model for other member states.

• The UN Secretary-General separately backed expansion of the Security Council, echoing India's long-standing call for reform and describing existing power relations at the Council as "distorted."

• Chinese President Xi Jinping used the summit to announce open-source AI initiatives for BRICS nations, while Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed grain-trade mechanisms to counter global trade restrictions.

• Analysts noted the summit exposed continuing friction points, with India raising concerns over the weaponisation of technology and critical mineral supply chains, and India-China relations being described as an uneasy "Nash equilibrium."

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The 18th BRICS Summit (2026) was held under India's presidency and adopted the New Delhi Declaration.

• BRICS was expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE alongside its founding members.

• The New Delhi Declaration addressed UN Security Council reform, Bretton Woods reform, counter-terrorism and local-currency payments.

• Bretton Woods institutions refer to the IMF and the World Bank, established in 1944.

2. Dryland Congress 2026 and the Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D)

Basic Concept

Drylands cover roughly 40% of India's land area and support a large share of its rainfed agriculture, making dryland-specific research and technology transfer critical to national food security. South-South Cooperation refers to technical and economic collaboration among developing countries, distinct from traditional North-South aid relationships, and is a recurring theme in India's international agricultural diplomacy. This is core GS3 (Agriculture, International Cooperation) content.

Core Context

The Dryland Congress 2026, held in New Delhi, concluded with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D), themed "Transforming Dryland Agriculture with South-South Cooperation," coordinated jointly by ICAR, ICRISAT, CGIAR, the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and NABARD.

Latest Developments

• The congress featured the first-ever ISSCA (International Society for Semi-Arid and Dryland Agriculture) Global Awards 2026, recognising innovations from 34 countries, with Indian states including Odisha and Bihar among the honourees.

• ICRISAT, headquartered in Hyderabad, is a CGIAR research centre specifically focused on crop improvement for the semi-arid tropics, making it a natural technical anchor for the Declaration.

• The Declaration is expected to guide future dryland-agriculture technology transfer and financing partnerships between India and other Global South countries facing similar arid-zone farming challenges.

• NABARD's involvement signals an intent to link the Declaration's research outcomes to actual rural credit and financing instruments for dryland farmers.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The Delhi Declaration on Drylands (3D) emerged from the Dryland Congress 2026 in New Delhi.

• ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) is headquartered in Hyderabad and is part of the CGIAR network.

• The Declaration's theme was "Transforming Dryland Agriculture with South-South Cooperation."

• Drylands cover about 40% of India's total land area.

3. CAZRI's Climate-Resilient Moth Bean Varieties

Basic Concept

The moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) is a hardy, drought-tolerant legume traditionally grown in the arid tracts of western Rajasthan, valued for its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and its low water requirement. The Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur, an ICAR institute, specialises in developing crop varieties and land-management practices suited to India's hot arid and semi-arid zones. This is core GS3 (Agriculture, Science and Technology) content.

Core Context

CAZRI released four new moth bean varieties, CAZRI Moth-4 through CAZRI Moth-7, that demonstrated resilience by surviving a continuous 35-day drought spell during the El Niño-affected Kharif 2026 cropping season.

Latest Developments

• The new varieties were bred specifically to maintain yield stability under prolonged moisture stress, a growing concern as El Niño years bring erratic and delayed monsoon rainfall to western Rajasthan.

• Moth bean is an important protein source for dryland farming communities and plays a role in soil health through biological nitrogen fixation, reducing dependence on chemical fertilisers.

• The release aligns with the broader dryland-agriculture push showcased at the Dryland Congress 2026 held the same week in New Delhi.

• El Niño is a periodic warming of central and eastern Pacific Ocean surface temperatures that typically weakens and delays the Indian summer monsoon, directly affecting kharif-season rainfed crops like moth bean.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• CAZRI (Central Arid Zone Research Institute), Jodhpur, is an ICAR institute focused on arid-zone agriculture.

• Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) is a nitrogen-fixing, drought-tolerant legume grown mainly in western Rajasthan.

• The four new varieties are named CAZRI Moth-4 to CAZRI Moth-7.

• El Niño years are typically associated with weaker, more erratic monsoon rainfall over India.

4. Colombo Security Conclave: Maritime Table Top Exercise (TTX)

Basic Concept

The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) is a regional security grouping formed by India, Sri Lanka and Maldives in 2011 (originally as a trilateral maritime security dialogue), later expanded to include Mauritius and Bangladesh as full members, with Seychelles as an observer. Its focus areas include maritime security, terrorism, trafficking, cyber security and disaster management in the Indian Ocean Region. This is core GS2/GS3 (India's neighbourhood, maritime security) content.

Core Context

The Colombo Security Conclave conducted a maritime Table Top Exercise (TTX) — a simulation-based exercise rather than a live field exercise — in Visakhapatnam, bringing together India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Bangladesh to coordinate responses to non-traditional maritime threats such as piracy and trafficking.

Latest Developments

• A Table Top Exercise is a structured, discussion-based simulation used to test coordination, communication and decision-making protocols among partner nations without deploying actual ships or personnel at sea.

• The exercise is designed to strengthen shared maritime domain awareness (MDA) across the Indian Ocean Region, an area of growing strategic competition.

• The CSC framework is often viewed as India's answer to extra-regional (including Chinese) inroads into Indian Ocean littoral states, reinforcing New Delhi's "Neighbourhood First" and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrines.

• Visakhapatnam, home to the Eastern Naval Command, was a natural choice of venue given its role as a key Indian Navy hub facing the Bay of Bengal.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) was formed in 2011 by India, Sri Lanka and Maldives; Mauritius and Bangladesh later joined as full members, with Seychelles as an observer.

• A Table Top Exercise (TTX) is a discussion-based simulation, distinct from a live field exercise.

• SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) is India's maritime strategic doctrine for the Indian Ocean Region.

• Visakhapatnam hosts the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command.

5. Ramanathaswamy Temple: The World's Longest Temple Corridor

Basic Concept

Dravidian temple architecture, characteristic of South India, is distinguished by its stepped pyramidal gopurams (gateway towers), enclosed courtyards and long pillared corridors, evolving over centuries under successive dynasties including the Pandyas, Cholas, Nayakas and the Setupatis of Ramanathapuram. Rameswaram, on Tamil Nadu's Pamban Island, is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites and among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. This is core GS1 (Art and Culture, Indian architecture) content.

Core Context

The Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, built over centuries with significant patronage from the Setupati kings, houses the world's longest pillared temple corridor, comprising 1,212 intricately carved granite columns in classical Dravidian style.

Latest Developments

• The temple is associated with 22 sacred theerthams (temple tanks/wells), each believed to have distinct ritual and therapeutic significance for pilgrims.

• Rameswaram holds a unique place in Hindu tradition as a site connecting Shaiva worship (as a Jyotirlinga) with the Ramayana narrative, since Lord Rama is believed to have worshipped Shiva here before crossing to Lanka.

• The temple's corridor construction is a recurring subject in Indian art-and-culture questions, given its record-holding scale and status as a masterwork of Dravidian pillared-hall (mandapa) architecture.

• Rameswaram is one of India's Char Dham sites (alongside Badrinath, Dwarka and Puri), a pilgrimage circuit associated with Adi Shankaracharya.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram, has the world's longest pillared temple corridor (1,212 pillars).

• It is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines and one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites.

• The Setupati kings of Ramanathapuram were major patrons of the temple's later expansion.

• The temple has 22 sacred theerthams (tanks/wells) associated with it.

6. Papikonda National Park: An Eastern Ghats Biodiversity Corridor

Basic Concept

The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of hills running along India's eastern coast, ecologically distinct from the more continuous Western Ghats, and host important but less-studied biodiversity corridors, particularly along major river valleys such as the Godavari. Protected-area status in India follows a hierarchy — from Reserve Forest to Wildlife Sanctuary to National Park — with a National Park generally carrying the strictest protection and the least permitted human activity. This is core GS3 (Environment, Biodiversity, Protected Areas) content.

Core Context

Papikonda National Park, spanning roughly 1,012 sq. km across the East and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh, protects moist deciduous forests along the Godavari river gorge and was upgraded from Wildlife Sanctuary to National Park status in 2008.

Latest Developments

• The park shelters endangered species including the Indian gaur (Bos gaurus) and tiger, and its forested gorge stretch of the Godavari is a scenic and ecologically significant landscape often called the "Kashmir of Andhra Pradesh."

• As part of the Godavari river basin's upper watershed, the park plays a regulatory role in maintaining water flow and preventing soil erosion for downstream agricultural areas.

• The park's Eastern Ghats location places it in a biogeographic zone that is comparatively less protected and less studied than the Western Ghats, making its conservation status ecologically significant.

• Papikonda is accessed largely by boat along the Godavari, a feature that shapes both its tourism potential and the practical challenges of patrolling and protecting it.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• Papikonda National Park is located in Andhra Pradesh's East and West Godavari districts, in the Eastern Ghats.

• It was upgraded from Wildlife Sanctuary to National Park status in 2008.

• It protects moist deciduous forest and species including the Indian gaur and tiger.

• The Eastern Ghats are discontinuous, unlike the more continuous Western Ghats range.

7. Grass Mache: Turning Dal Lake's Weeds into Livelihoods

Basic Concept

Dal Lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, has long struggled with eutrophication — excessive nutrient enrichment that fuels uncontrolled growth of aquatic weeds — which chokes the lake's ecology and threatens both its tourism value and the livelihoods of communities dependent on it. "Waste-to-wealth" initiatives convert such ecological problems into economic opportunities, a theme increasingly emphasised in India's circular-economy and livelihood-generation policy discourse. This is core GS1 (Art and Culture, traditional crafts) and GS3 (Environment, livelihoods) content.

Core Context

A Srinagar-based artisan developed the "Grass Mache" technique, adapting traditional papier-mâché methods to convert invasive aquatic weeds harvested from Dal Lake into decorative handicrafts, creating a new livelihood stream for local women while supporting the lake's conservation.

Latest Developments

• The technique directly repurposes lake-weed biomass that would otherwise need costly mechanical removal and disposal, turning a conservation cost into an income-generating raw material.

• It builds on Kashmir's long tradition of papier-mâché (locally "kar-e-kalamdani") craftsmanship, adapting the core technique to a new, sustainability-linked raw material.

• The initiative supports women's economic participation in a region where formal employment opportunities can be limited, tying craft revival to livelihood generation.

• Similar waste-to-wealth models — converting invasive biomass, agricultural residue or waste into craft or fuel products — are increasingly cited in India's environment and rural-livelihoods policy discussions.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• "Grass Mache" is a Srinagar-origin craft technique converting Dal Lake's aquatic weeds into papier-mâché-style handicrafts.

• It adapts Kashmir's traditional papier-mâché craft to a new, sustainability-linked raw material.

• Dal Lake's weed overgrowth is primarily linked to eutrophication (nutrient over-enrichment).

• The initiative is an example of a "waste-to-wealth" livelihood and conservation model.

8. Uniform Civil Code: Amit Shah's 2029 Deadline for NDA-Ruled States

Basic Concept

Article 44 of the Constitution, a Directive Principle of State Policy, urges the State to secure a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for citizens across India, replacing the personal laws currently governing marriage, divorce, inheritance and succession for different religious communities. Because Directive Principles are not judicially enforceable, implementation has historically depended on political will; Uttarakhand became the first state to enact a state-level UCC, which came into force in 2024. This is core GS2 (Indian Polity, Directive Principles, personal law reform) content.

Core Context

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that all 21 BJP-NDA-ruled states will introduce and implement the Uniform Civil Code before 2029, indicating that the ruling alliance intends to pursue UCC implementation through individual state legislatures rather than a single central law.

Latest Developments

• This state-by-state approach follows the precedent set by Uttarakhand, whose UCC (in force since 2024) has been cited as a template that other BJP-ruled states may adapt to their own legislatures.

• Because personal law touches subjects that fall partly under the Concurrent List, states retain constitutional room to legislate their own UCC-style laws, subject to central and judicial scrutiny.

• Political commentary has flagged this rollout as a test of NDA alliance unity, since some regional allies have historically been cautious about UCC due to concerns among minority and tribal communities.

• UCC implementation raises recurring constitutional questions around Article 25-28 (freedom of religion) and Article 371 (special provisions for certain states), particularly regarding exemptions for Scheduled Tribes.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• Article 44 (a Directive Principle of State Policy) calls for a Uniform Civil Code for all citizens.

• Uttarakhand was the first Indian state to enact and implement a state-level UCC (2024).

• Amit Shah's announcement targets UCC implementation across 21 NDA-ruled states before 2029.

• Personal law subjects fall partly under the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule.

9. National Green Tribunal: Three Environmental Rulings

Basic Concept

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, is a specialised judicial body for the expeditious resolution of cases relating to environmental protection, forest conservation and other natural-resource matters, with powers to award compensation and enforce remediation. This is core GS3 (Environment, environmental governance and law) content.

Core Context

The NGT issued rulings on three separate matters: an unauthorised leather-processing cluster operating without statutory clearance near Meerut, Uttar Pradesh; large-scale non-compliance among stone crushers in Punjab's Roopnagar district; and a contested waterbody-encroachment case in Odisha's Kataka/Niali area.

Latest Developments

• In the Meerut case, the Hapuriya Leather Society was found to be operating without a Consent to Operate (CTO) and lacked adequate effluent treatment and storm-water drainage, though health and agricultural officials found no documented crop or health damage; the NGT ordered a full compliance review before any resumption of operations, noting the cluster supports around 150 economically disadvantaged families.

• In Punjab's Roopnagar district, of 171 surveyed stone crushers, the Pollution Control Board found only 10 fully compliant, while 25 units were ordered closed, 72 were non-compliant and 60 partially compliant, with penalties imposed on four units — highlighting continuing illegal mining activity in the area.

• In Odisha's Kataka/Niali matter, cleanup and embankment restoration of an encroached pond were undertaken via self-help groups, even as an encroachment-eviction case remains pending before the High Court.

• Collectively, the three rulings illustrate the NGT's recurring balancing act between livelihood protection, industrial regulation and environmental compliance across different ecological contexts.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was established under the NGT Act, 2010.

• A "Consent to Operate" (CTO) is a statutory clearance required from Pollution Control Boards for industrial units to function.

• The NGT's Punjab ruling found only 10 of 171 surveyed stone crushers in Roopnagar fully compliant.

• The NGT can order compensation, closure and remediation but its orders in encroachment matters can still be affected by parallel High Court proceedings.

10. India-Philippines: Deepening Strategic Cooperation

Basic Concept

India's Act East Policy and its broader Indo-Pacific outlook have driven expanding engagement with Southeast Asian nations, particularly those, like the Philippines, that share India's interest in a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The Philippines has been a notable recent recipient of Indian defence exports, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. This is core GS2 (India's bilateral relations, Act East Policy, Indo-Pacific) content.

Core Context

India and the Philippines agreed to deepen cooperation across defence, space, trade and technology, extending an already growing strategic relationship between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

Latest Developments

• The Philippines was the first international customer for India's BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, a landmark deal that has anchored deeper defence-industrial ties between the two countries.

• Expanding cooperation into the space sector reflects India's growing profile as a space-technology partner for Southeast Asian nations, building on ISRO's satellite-launch services track record.

• Both countries share overlapping interests in freedom of navigation given the Philippines' own maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea.

• The engagement is consistent with India's Act East Policy, which seeks to deepen economic and strategic linkages with ASEAN member states.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The Philippines was the first export customer for India's BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

• India-Philippines cooperation was expanded to defence, space, trade and technology.

• This engagement falls under India's Act East Policy framework.

• The Philippines has its own maritime territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

11. India-Germany Green and Strategic Partnership

Basic Concept

India and Germany established an Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership in 2022, a framework aimed at mobilising climate finance and technology cooperation to support India's renewable-energy and sustainable-development goals. Germany is among India's largest European trade and investment partners and a key voice within the European Union on climate diplomacy. This is core GS2 (India's bilateral relations) and GS3 (Environment, climate cooperation) content.

Core Context

India and Germany firmed up their green and strategic partnership framework, reinforcing cooperation on climate action and environmental initiatives as part of the broader Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership first launched in 2022.

Latest Developments

• The partnership framework typically covers renewable energy deployment, green hydrogen cooperation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable urban development financing.

• Germany has committed significant development assistance toward India's clean-energy transition under this and related bilateral frameworks over the years.

• Deepened green cooperation with Germany also supports India's climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, including its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

• The strategic dimension of the relationship extends beyond climate to trade, technology and skilled-migration cooperation between the two countries.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• India and Germany's Green and Sustainable Development Partnership was first launched in 2022.

• The partnership focuses on renewable energy, green hydrogen and sustainable development financing.

• Germany is a major European trade and investment partner for India.

• India's climate commitments are formalised through its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

12. India's Semiconductor Sector Crosses $1.4 Billion in Funding

Basic Concept

India's Semicon India programme, launched in 2021 with a production-linked incentive framework, aims to build a domestic semiconductor design, fabrication and packaging ecosystem, reducing reliance on imports for chips used across electronics, automobiles, telecom and defence applications. Equity funding trends in the sector are tracked as an indicator of investor confidence in India's chip-manufacturing ambitions. This is core GS3 (Indian Economy, Science and Technology, industrial policy) content.

Core Context

A new industry report showed India's semiconductor sector has cumulatively attracted $1.4 billion in equity funding across 281 companies, with roughly half of that capital raised since 2025 alone, reflecting accelerating investor interest in the sector.

Latest Developments

• The funding spans chip design, fabless semiconductor start-ups, packaging and testing facilities, and ancillary equipment and materials suppliers rather than being concentrated in large fabrication plants (fabs) alone.

• The report's finding of roughly half the cumulative funding arriving since 2025 suggests a marked acceleration, coinciding with the government's continued rollout of production-linked and capital-support incentives under Semicon India.

• India currently has multiple semiconductor and display fabrication units under different stages of construction or approval, part of the broader push to localise chip manufacturing.

• Growth in domestic semiconductor investment is viewed as strategically significant given global supply-chain vulnerabilities exposed since the COVID-19-era chip shortages.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• India's semiconductor sector has attracted a cumulative $1.4 billion in equity funding across 281 companies.

• Roughly half of this cumulative funding was raised since 2025.

• Semicon India, launched in 2021, is India's flagship programme to build a domestic semiconductor ecosystem.

• The funding spans chip design, fabless start-ups, and packaging/testing, not fabrication alone.

13. India-EU Trade: Steel Quota Gains Amid Rising Auto Imports

Basic Concept

India and the European Union have been negotiating a long-pending Free Trade Agreement, and incremental market-access adjustments — such as tariff-rate quotas on specific goods — often precede or accompany the broader negotiation process. A tariff-rate quota allows a fixed quantity of a good to be imported (or exported) at a preferential tariff, with higher tariffs applying beyond that quota. This is core GS3 (Indian Economy, external trade) content.

Core Context

India secured an expanded steel export quota of 1.64 million tonnes to the European Union, even as EU car imports into India are projected to increase roughly sixfold, reflecting a shifting and increasingly two-way India-EU trade relationship.

Latest Developments

• The EU's steel-safeguard quota system, originally introduced to protect European steel producers from import surges, has been periodically revised, and India's expanded allocation reflects its growing share of EU steel demand.

• The projected sharp rise in EU car imports into India is linked to ongoing India-EU FTA negotiations, which are expected to include phased tariff reductions on automobiles, a long-sensitive category for India's domestic auto industry.

• The trade dynamic illustrates the balancing act India faces in FTA negotiations: securing better market access for its exports (like steel) while managing the competitive impact of opening up sensitive domestic sectors (like automobiles).

• India-EU trade talks have been ongoing intermittently since 2007, with renewed momentum in recent years amid both sides' interest in diversifying trade partnerships.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• India secured a 1.64-million-tonne steel export quota to the EU.

• EU car imports into India are projected to rise roughly sixfold.

• A tariff-rate quota permits a fixed quantity of goods to be traded at a preferential tariff, with higher tariffs applying beyond it.

• India-EU FTA negotiations have been under discussion, with renewed momentum in recent years.

14. S-400 Triumf: Record 314 km Air Defence Kill During Operation Sindoor

Basic Concept

The S-400 Triumf is a long-range surface-to-air missile system procured by India from Russia under a 2018 agreement, capable of engaging multiple aerial targets — aircraft, missiles and drones — at long range and high altitude; India has inducted it under the codename "Sudarshan Chakra." Operation Sindoor refers to India's military response following the Pahalgam terror attack, involving precision strikes on terror infrastructure and subsequent aerial engagements with Pakistan. This is core GS3 (Defence, Science and Technology, internal/external security) content.

Core Context

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that India's S-400 Triumf air defence system destroyed a Pakistani aircraft at a range of 314 km during Operation Sindoor, described as the longest confirmed surface-to-air intercept recorded in the conflict.

Latest Developments

• The 314 km engagement significantly exceeds most publicly documented surface-to-air missile kill ranges globally, underscoring the S-400's long-range detection and engagement capability.

• India operates multiple S-400 squadrons under long-term contracts with Russia, layered alongside indigenous systems such as the Akash and the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) for a multi-tiered air defence network.

• Beyond the S-400 engagement, Indian Air Force leadership has stated that a total of several Pakistani aircraft were downed during Operation Sindoor, reflecting the scale of aerial engagements during the operation.

• The episode has renewed policy discussion on India's air-defence modernisation priorities and the strategic value of layered, indigenous-plus-imported air defence architecture.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The S-400 Triumf is a Russian-origin long-range air defence system inducted by India under the codename "Sudarshan Chakra."

• India's S-400 procurement agreement with Russia was signed in 2018.

• During Operation Sindoor, the S-400 destroyed a Pakistani aircraft at a confirmed range of 314 km.

• The Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) coordinates India's layered air defence network.

15. BRICS Working Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Basic Concept

Traditional medicine systems — including India's AYUSH systems (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) — have gained growing international policy recognition, reflected in the WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034, which encourages member states to integrate evidence-based traditional medicine into national health systems. India has actively promoted global cooperation on traditional medicine through platforms like the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This is core GS2 (International Relations, Health Diplomacy) content.

Core Context

At the 18th BRICS Summit, member states agreed to establish a dedicated Working Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM), building on a preparatory meeting held in Chandigarh in July 2026, with the group's mandate aligned to the WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034.

Latest Developments

• The TCIM Working Group's stated focus areas include research on medicinal plants and developing evidence-based regulatory frameworks for traditional medicine practice across member states.

• India, as a global leader in traditional medicine systems through AYUSH, is well positioned to shape the working group's research and regulatory agenda within BRICS.

• The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre, hosted in Jamnagar, Gujarat, is the world's first and only WHO centre dedicated to traditional medicine, reinforcing India's leadership role in this space.

• Institutionalising TCIM cooperation within BRICS also supports India's broader health-diplomacy goals of positioning AYUSH systems for larger global acceptance and regulatory harmonisation.

UPSC Prelims Pointers

• The BRICS Working Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) followed a preparatory meeting in Chandigarh (July 2026).

• AYUSH is India's umbrella system for Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.

• The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre is located in Jamnagar, Gujarat — the world's first such WHO centre.

• The TCIM Working Group aligns with the WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034.

16. Practice MCQs

Practice MCQs

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC):
1. It was originally formed in 2011 as a trilateral grouping of India, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
2. Mauritius and Bangladesh are full members of the CSC, while Seychelles holds observer status.
3. The CSC's mandate is limited exclusively to counter-terrorism cooperation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only

• (b) 2 and 3 only

• (c) 1 and 3 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation: The CSC's mandate covers maritime security, terrorism, trafficking, cyber security and disaster management — not counter-terrorism alone — making statement 3 incorrect. Statements 1 and 2 correctly describe its founding members and later additions.

Q2. With reference to Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, consider the following statements:
1. It is a Fundamental Right guaranteed to all citizens.
2. It directs the State to secure a Uniform Civil Code for citizens throughout India.
3. Uttarakhand was the first Indian state to enact and implement a state-level UCC.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 and 2 only

• (b) 2 and 3 only

• (c) 1 and 3 only

• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only

Explanation: Article 44 is a Directive Principle of State Policy, not a Fundamental Right, making statement 1 incorrect. Statements 2 and 3 are correct: Article 44 calls for a Uniform Civil Code, and Uttarakhand was the first state to implement one, in 2024.

Q3. The S-400 Triumf air defence system, inducted by India under the codename "Sudarshan Chakra," is of which origin?

• (a) Israeli

• (b) French

• (c) Russian

• (d) American

Answer: (c) Russian

Explanation: The S-400 Triumf is a Russian-origin long-range surface-to-air missile system, procured by India under a 2018 agreement with Russia.

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre:
1. It is located in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
2. It is the world's first WHO centre dedicated to traditional medicine.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 only

• (b) 2 only

• (c) Both 1 and 2

• (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

Explanation: The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre is indeed located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, and is the world's first and only WHO centre dedicated exclusively to traditional medicine. Both statements are correct.

Q5. Papikonda National Park, recently in the news, is located in which Indian state and was upgraded from Wildlife Sanctuary status in which year?

• (a) Odisha; 2010

• (b) Andhra Pradesh; 2008

• (c) Telangana; 2012

• (d) Tamil Nadu; 2015

Answer: (b) Andhra Pradesh; 2008

Explanation: Papikonda National Park is located in Andhra Pradesh's East and West Godavari districts in the Eastern Ghats, and was upgraded from Wildlife Sanctuary to National Park status in 2008.

Q6. Consider the following statements regarding CAZRI's newly released moth bean varieties:
1. Moth bean is a nitrogen-fixing legume suited to arid regions.
2. The new varieties (CAZRI Moth-4 to 7) demonstrated resilience during a 35-day drought spell in Kharif 2026.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 only

• (b) 2 only

• (c) Both 1 and 2

• (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

Explanation: Moth bean is indeed a nitrogen-fixing, drought-tolerant legume, and CAZRI's four new varieties demonstrated resilience by surviving a 35-day drought during the El Niño-affected Kharif 2026 season. Both statements are correct.

Q7. India's expanded steel export quota to the European Union, recently in the news, was set at how many million tonnes?

• (a) 1.2 million tonnes

• (b) 1.64 million tonnes

• (c) 2.1 million tonnes

• (d) 0.9 million tonnes

Answer: (b) 1.64 million tonnes

Explanation: India secured an expanded steel export quota of 1.64 million tonnes to the European Union under the EU's steel-safeguard tariff-rate-quota system.