Daily Current Affairs - 02-09-2026

National News

India Wins Nine Medals at 19th International Earth Science Olympiad

India won nine medals at the 19th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) held in Torino, Italy, with participation from teams representing more than 42 countries. Soumik Mandal, Aaron Maiti, Riddhi Ranjan and Mohammed Ehtesham Rizvi represented India. In the International Team Field Investigation, Riddhi Ranjan and Soumik Mandal won gold medals, Ehtesham Rizvi won a silver medal and Aaron Maiti won a bronze medal. In the Earth Science Project, Aaron Maiti won a gold medal, Riddhi Ranjan and Soumik Mandal won silver medals, and Ehtesham Rizvi won a bronze medal. In the Individual Written and Practical Examination, Soumik Mandal won a gold medal and also secured the third highest individual rank in the 19-year history of the International Earth Science Olympiad.

Supreme Court Seeks Centre’s Response on EVM Totalisers

The Supreme Court of India sought a response from the Central Government on the use of totalisers in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) vote-counting process while hearing a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. A totaliser is a device that can connect up to 14 EVM control units through a cable and provide a consolidated voting result without disclosing individual booth-wise voting trends. The Election Commission of India (ECI) opposed the unrestricted use of totalisers, stating that aggregation of votes could affect transparency and make it difficult to verify the functioning of individual EVMs. The Commission also pointed out that the Representation of the People Act and the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 do not presently provide a legal framework for the use of totalisers. It emphasized the importance of Form 17C and the existing booth-wise and EVM-wise correspondence in the vote-counting process. The Law Commission of India, in its 255th Report, had recommended the selective use of totalisers.

LIC Completes 70 Years of Service

The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) completed 70 years of service on September 1, 2026. LIC was established on September 1, 1956, with an initial capital contribution of ₹5 crore by the Government of India. It was formed by merging 245 Indian and foreign insurance companies and provident societies into a single statutory corporation. LIC was established to provide a safe avenue for family savings and mobilise these savings as capital for national development. LIC began its operations with assets of around ₹400 crore and currently manages Assets Under Management (AUM) worth ₹57.29 lakh crore. Of this, ₹34.85 lakh crore, based on book value, has been invested in Central and State Government securities. LIC has also settled more insurance claims than the combined total settled by all private sector insurance companies.

Science and Technology News

ISRO to Launch EOS-05 Satellite on September 4

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the EOS-05 (GISAT-1A) Earth Observation Satellite aboard the GSLV-F17 rocket on September 4 at 2:55 AM from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The satellite will be placed in a geostationary orbit approximately 36,000 km above the Earth, enabling continuous observation of the Indian subcontinent and near-real-time imaging. EOS-05 is equipped with advanced multi-spectral and hyper-spectral cameras and will support monitoring of floods, cyclones, earthquakes, forest fires, crop growth, forest cover changes and water bodies. It will also provide data for monitoring India's border regions and national security infrastructure. EOS-05 is India's first imaging satellite designed to monitor the country from geostationary orbit, and the mission marks the 19th flight of a GSLV-class rocket.

Tamil Nadu News

Guidelines Released for Thaymaman Thanga Mothiram Scheme

The Tamil Nadu Government has released guidelines for the Thaymaman Thanga Mothiram Scheme, under which a one-gram gold ring will be provided to newborn babies born in government hospitals. The scheme will be launched on September 15, the birth anniversary of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai (Anna). The scheme will be implemented by the Health Department, with an annual allocation of ₹755.83 crore, and two vendors have been selected to supply the gold rings. To be eligible, beneficiaries must be natives of Tamil Nadu, and pregnant women must deliver in government hospitals and be registered under PICME (Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation) and possess an RCH-ID (Reproductive and Child Health ID). Tamil Nadu nativity may be established through documents such as a Ration Card, Voter ID, Aadhaar Card, Labour Welfare Board Identity Card, Postal Department Address Identity Card, or Residence Certificate. The scheme will cover all eligible newborn babies irrespective of whether they are the first, second or subsequent child.

Chennai to Get 11 Air-Conditioned Smart Bus Stops

The Greater Chennai Corporation signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with corporate stakeholders to establish 11 modern air-conditioned bus stops in Chennai under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding. The bus shelters will be established at Anna Salai DMS, Mylapore, Vadapalani Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Velachery Vijaya Nagar Bus Depot, Vadapalani SIMS Hospital entry and exit routes, Guindy Chinna Malai, Arcot Road Avichi School, Alandur Metro, Egmore North and Egmore South. The MoUs were signed at the Ripon Building, Chennai, in the presence of Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G.S. Sameeran and Police Commissioner A. Amalraj. The proposed bus stops will include facilities such as air-conditioned waiting rooms, 24-hour CCTV surveillance, free Wi-Fi, ramps for persons with disabilities, bus route display screens, electric lighting, heat-resistant roofing, safety glass and USB mobile charging points.

Tamil Nadu Announces Welfare Measures for Construction and Gig Workers

During the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly debate on the demand for grants for the Department of Labour Welfare and Skill Development, Minister Ja. Mohamed Parvez announced 15 welfare and skill development initiatives. The government will introduce the Chief Minister’s Construction Worker Success Awards with prize money for outstanding workers selected through district and state-level competitions. Construction Skill Excellence Centres will be established in five Government ITIs at a cost of ₹76.46 crore, while residential facilities for job-seeking workers will be established in Chennai and Coimbatore at a cost of ₹14 crore. Under the Tamil Nadu Construction Winning Hands Scheme, 1,000 construction workers will receive international-standard training for overseas employment at a cost of ₹15.06 crore. Further, 50,000 workers will receive seven-day training in carpentry, electrical work and plumbing, with a wage compensation of ₹800 per day. Platform-based gig workers will receive accident insurance coverage of ₹10 lakh, and the government will bear the loan interest for 1,000 gig workers purchasing e-bikes. A 50% subsidy, up to ₹75,000, will be provided to 1,000 unorganised sector drivers for purchasing electric autos, while another 1,000 drivers will receive a 50% subsidy, up to ₹30,000, for converting existing autos to CNG. The allocation for the virtual learning portal for students preparing for TNPSC and teacher recruitment examinations will be increased to ₹25 lakh, and the ITI Overseas Employment Success Scheme will be implemented at a cost of ₹7.33 crore to facilitate overseas employment opportunities for ITI students.

Sakthi Sharma Becomes First Woman Air Vice Marshal in IAF’s Non-Medical Branch

Sakthi Sharma has been appointed as the first woman Air Vice Marshal in the non-medical branch of the Indian Air Force (IAF). She assumed charge as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Education) at the Air Headquarters, New Delhi, after serving earlier in the rank of Air Commodore. Sakthi Sharma joined the Education Branch of the Indian Air Force on June 18, 1994, and has served in various divisions during her career. She had earlier created history as the first woman officer from the Tri-Services to serve as the Principal of Sainik School, Kapurthala.

Tamil Nadu Announces Nine New Women’s Industrial Parks

Tamil Nadu Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), P. Madhanraja, announced several new industrial development and financial assistance initiatives during the Assembly demand-for-grants debate. Nine new Women’s Industrial Parks will be established at nine locations in eight districts at a cost of ₹237.56 crore, including districts such as Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Tirupattur, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli. Five new industrial estates will be established in Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts at a cost of ₹234.38 crore. A Pharmaceutical Park will be established in Krishnagiri on 60.36 acres at a cost of ₹48.08 crore, a Medical Technology Park in Suriyur, Tiruchirappalli, on 5 acres at ₹2.06 crore, an industrial park in Sengam, Tiruvannamalai, on 75 acres at ₹18 crore, and a new SIDCO Industrial Estate in Villupuram on 26.85 acres at ₹20.60 crore. New industrial estates will also be established in Kanyakumari and Salem at a cost of ₹30.88 crore, while a Coir Industrial Estate in Coimbatore will be established at ₹11.50 crore. The State has allocated ₹600 crore to clear pending investment subsidies, ₹30 crore for supporting MSMEs adopting Artificial Intelligence and modern technologies, ₹20 crore to encourage electric vehicle spare-parts manufacturing, and ₹100 crore for the Margin Money Assistance Scheme for micro-manufacturing enterprises. A new Startup Investment Fund of ₹100 crore will be established, while new industrial units under the Start-Smart City Fund will receive financial assistance of ₹25 lakh. Four Common Facility Centres for products including Dindigul locks, Athangudi tiles and coir products will be established at a cost of ₹32.95 crore, and a Common Facility Centre for the Elampillai weaving cluster at Peri Seeragapadi in Salem will be established at ₹9.89 crore. The time limit for starting operations on allotted SIDCO industrial plots has been extended to three years, while the period for payment of the plot allotment amount has been extended to nine months. Other initiatives include implementation of One District One Product (ODOP) exhibition programmes, an exhibition and sales centre for the Coir Business Development Corporation at ₹1.50 crore, and a building complex for the Irula Snake Catchers' Cooperative Society in Chengalpattu district at ₹2.43 crore.