Daily Current Affairs - 03-09-2026

International News

COP30 Global Mutirão Consensus

The 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) was held in Belém, Brazil, in 2025 and adopted a consensus termed “Global Mutirão”, meaning collective effort. COP30 became the first COP outcome to officially acknowledge the likelihood of a temporary overshoot of the 1.5°C global warming limit. Countries committed to limiting the scale and duration of the temperature overshoot through deep, rapid and sustained emission reductions and by addressing adaptation gaps. COP30 also emphasised scaling up nature-based carbon removals, including large-scale reforestation programmes. A UNEP report released in Nairobi highlighted that continued warming above 1.5°C could accelerate sea-level rise, coral reef collapse and glacier loss, with more than 25% of global glacier mass potentially lost by 2100. Without effective adaptation, global food production could decline by up to 14% by 2050. The report also identified potential climate tipping points involving the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, Greenland Ice Sheet, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and the Amazon.

National News

Distinguished Jurist Provision for Supreme Court Judges

Under Article 124(3) of the Constitution of India, a person can be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court through three qualifications: having served as a High Court Judge for at least five years, having practised as an advocate of a High Court for at least 10 years, or being considered a distinguished jurist in the opinion of the President of India. The Constitution does not define the term “distinguished jurist” or prescribe a minimum period of professional experience, and no person has so far been appointed to the Supreme Court under this category. During the Constituent Assembly debate on May 24, 1949, H.V. Kamath supported the inclusion of this category, while M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar cited the appointment of Felix Frankfurter, a Harvard Law professor, to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1939. The proposal to appoint distinguished jurists to High Courts was rejected in 1949, but the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 temporarily introduced such a provision under Article 217. This provision was subsequently removed by the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978. Rule 49 of the Bar Council of India Rules prohibits full-time salaried law teachers from practising as advocates.

Key Provisions of the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 proposes a statutory framework for the vesting, supervision, management and disposal of foreign contributions and assets through a Designated Authority. If an organisation’s FCRA certificate is cancelled, surrendered or ceases to exist due to non-renewal, its foreign contributions and assets created from such contributions may provisionally vest with the Designated Authority. The Bill expands the consequences of non-compliance beyond cancellation of registration by enabling the government to take possession and management control of assets and, where considered necessary in the public interest, manage the activities of the organisation. The Bill also provides for the restoration of assets if the FCRA registration is renewed, restored or obtained within the prescribed period, along with provisions for revision and judicial appeal. The proposed provisions raise issues relating to the constitutional principle of proportionality, which requires a reasonable balance between a legitimate public objective and individual or institutional rights.

Jitendra Misra Appointed First CEO of Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust

Former Indian Air Force officer Jitendra Misra has been appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ayodhya Ram Temple. The decision to appoint a full-time CEO was taken following allegations of irregularities involving devotees’ donations and offerings at the temple. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh Government investigated the matter, confirmed irregularities and arrested eight persons, while the case remains pending before the court. More than 5,300 candidates applied for the CEO post, of whom 18 candidates were shortlisted. The interview panel comprised former Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi, and nuclear scientist Suresh Haware. Following the selection process, retired Air Marshal Jitendra Misra was chosen as the first CEO of the Trust. He will oversee daily administration, facilities for devotees, financial arrangements, staff coordination, security coordination and the management of major religious events. A native of Uttar Pradesh, Misra was commissioned as a fighter pilot officer in the Indian Air Force in December 1986. He later served as the Senior Air Staff Officer at the Western Air Command from January of the previous year and retired in April. He also played a significant role in Operation Sindoor and was awarded the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal by President Droupadi Murmu for his distinguished service.

SC/ST Act and Religious Conversion

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, in an order delivered by Justice Victoria Gowri, held that a person who has converted to Christianity cannot claim protection or initiate proceedings under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on the basis of Scheduled Caste status. The ruling referred to the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, under which persons professing religions other than Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism are not recognised as members of the Scheduled Castes. The court relied on relevant Supreme Court judgments while considering the case of a petitioner who had received baptism in 2015. The court clarified that non-applicability of the special legislation does not deprive a converted person of protections and remedies available under ordinary criminal laws, civil laws or other applicable legal provisions.

Tamil Nadu News

Satyabhama Presides Over Tamil Nadu Assembly as Panel Speaker

Satyabhama, the TVK MLA representing the Tiruppur North constituency, functioned as a Panel Speaker (Alternate Speaker) and presided over the proceedings of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. Under Assembly procedure, the Deputy Speaker presides in the absence of the Speaker, while Panel Speakers conduct the proceedings when both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are absent. Satyabhama presided over the Assembly for 15 minutes before Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar returned. Earlier, Rukmini Lakshmipathi served as the Deputy Speaker of the Madras Provincial Legislative Assembly in 1937. Subsequently, A.S. Ponnammal served as Speaker pro tem in 1991 and 1996 and administered the oath of office to MLAs.

TNPDCL Assistant Engineer Arrested in Bribery Case

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) arrested Chandran, an Assistant Engineer of the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) at the Kadaperi section office, on charges of demanding a bribe for providing an electricity connection. The case was registered based on a complaint lodged with the DVAC by J. Sivaselvan, a resident of Samiyar Thottam, West Tambaram.

New Initiatives for Dairy Development and Animal Husbandry Departments

Minister for Dairy Development, S. Vijayalakshmi, and Minister for Animal Husbandry, S. Kamali, announced several new initiatives during the debate on the demand for grants for their respective departments in Chennai on September 2. The Dairy Development Department announced the introduction of the ‘Aavin Vetri Award’ to encourage outstanding milk producers, women milk producers, cooperative societies and society secretaries involved in milk production and procurement. A sum of ₹10 crore will be allocated for scientific calf rearing and breeding management to improve milk production capacity in Jersey crossbred calves, while another ₹10 crore will be spent on breeding management to reduce the calving interval in 50,000 milch cows. Ancillary equipment will be installed at 100 bulk milk cooling centres at a cost of ₹8.81 crore, and the Ambattur dairy will be improved at a cost of ₹2 crore. Under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, ₹5.18 crore will be allocated for producing 112 high genetic merit bulls through the progeny testing scheme. Further, 25 metric tonnes of green fodder seeds worth ₹50 lakh will be distributed to 5,000 milk producers. A total of 10 state-of-the-art Aavin parlors will be established on a franchise basis, including one each in Namakkal, Karur, Tiruvannamalai, Thoothukudi and Kallakurichi, three in Coimbatore, and two in Tiruppur. Full automation will also be implemented in dairy plants at a cost of ₹5 crore to ensure transparency in milk procurement. The Animal Husbandry Department announced the establishment of rabbit rearing units at government farms in Chettinad, Naduvur and Chinnasalem. A modern integrated meat processing plant with a daily capacity of 30 metric tonnes will be established at Manapparai in Trichy district at a cost of ₹34 crore. A heifer rearing centre will be established at the district livestock farm in Chettinad, Sivaganga district, while a web portal will be created for a scheme to adopt stray animals. Anti-rabies vaccination camps for stray dogs and cats will be conducted at a cost of ₹1 crore. The ‘Kalnadai Kavalan Award’ will also be presented to Artificial Insemination technicians.

Fisheries Welfare and Infrastructure Announcements

Minister for Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare A. Srinath announced that the monthly financial assistance for families of fishermen missing at sea will be increased from ₹10,500 to ₹18,000. The daily assistance for families of fishermen detained by neighbouring countries will be increased from ₹500 to ₹600. A total relief of ₹1.86 crore will be provided for boats captured by the Sri Lankan Navy that cannot be retrieved, including ₹8 lakh per mechanised boat and ₹2 lakh per country/traditional boat. Artificial fish reefs will be established in the coastal areas of Cuddalore district, while the marine fish fingerling stocking scheme will be expanded in Kanyakumari and Chennai districts. A policy for brackish water aquaculture and marine organism farming will be formulated. Subsidies worth ₹4 crore will be provided for fish farming through 80 floating cages, and subsidy assistance will also be extended for seaweed cultivation. An ultra-modern fish market will be established at Tiruvottiyur fishing harbour, and a freshwater prawn breeding centre will be set up. An integrated temperature-controlled digital fish auction hall will be established at Chinna Muttom fishing harbour in Kanyakumari. A Project Design and Management Wing will be created for fisheries infrastructure works, while fishermen's basic infrastructure and safety facilities will be strengthened in Cuddalore district. Students of the Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University will receive international research training, and a new hostel will be established at Muttukadu for students undergoing training at the Fisheries Business Incubator and Vocational Training Centre.

‘Nalam’ App to Display PHC Emergency Facilities and Medicine Stocks

Health Minister K.G. Arunraj announced in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly that the ‘Nalam’ app will be upgraded to enable the public to identify Primary Health Centres (PHCs) with emergency treatment facilities for snakebites and heart attacks, along with the availability of essential medicines. The app will provide information on the availability of doctors, specific emergency treatments and medicine stocks, helping patients access appropriate healthcare facilities during the Golden Hour. The Minister stated that anti-venom, rabies vaccines and life-saving drugs are available in sufficient quantities in PHCs and urban health centres across Tamil Nadu. Snakebite treatment facilities have also been expanded to all Primary Health Centres and Urban Health Centres in the State.

Digital Driving Licence to be Issued on the Same Day

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister S. Joseph Vijay announced under Rule 110 of the Legislative Assembly that digital driving licences will be issued on the same day to applicants who pass the driving test, with the system coming into effect from September 15. A system will also be introduced to enable the public to download digital driving licences and Digital Registration Certificates (Digital RC) online, eliminating delays in receiving chip-fitted cards by post. Documents can be verified electronically by scanning a QR code, helping prevent the use of fake documents. Lost or damaged digital documents can be re-downloaded and printed. The ‘Anywhere Registration License’ system will be implemented in phases, allowing applicants to apply at any Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Tamil Nadu for driving licences, vehicle registration, registration renewal and, gradually, other transport-related services.