Daily Current Affairs - 04-09-2026

International News

India–Belgium Strategic Partnership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever held bilateral talks in New Delhi on September 3, 2026. During the visit, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken signed 10 agreements to strengthen defence cooperation, including joint military training and intelligence exchange. The two countries also signed 5 agreements in the renewable energy sector. India and Belgium agreed to expand cooperation in trade, security, critical minerals, clean energy, technology, semiconductors and innovation, along with university research, culture and migration and mobility partnership. The bilateral trade between India and Belgium reached 13 billion US dollars (approximately ₹1.22 lakh crore) in 2025–26, with a target to double it within the next five years. Belgium invested 4.2 billion US dollars (approximately ₹39,698 crore) as Foreign Direct Investment in India between 2000 and 2025. India and Belgium have historical relations spanning over 300 years, and formal diplomatic relations were established in 1947.

National News

Parliamentary Committee Report on School Dropouts

The 10th Report of the Parliamentary Estimates Committee on the quality of school education and infrastructure has reported that 73% of students in India drop out before completing higher secondary education. According to UDISE 2024–25, India has over 10.92 lakh government and government-aided schools, including 9,11,032 primary schools, while only 90,866 schools offer higher secondary education. Student enrolment declines from 6.18 crore at the primary level to 1.64 crore at the higher secondary level. The report identified exam stress, textbook shortages and curriculum gaps as major reasons for school dropouts. It also noted gaps in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023, particularly affecting students in Classes 10 and 12. The committee recommended upgrading middle and secondary schools to higher secondary schools, bridging learning gaps, reducing examination stress and increasing public expenditure on education to the long-standing target of 6% of GDP. In Tamil Nadu, continuous attendance monitoring helped prevent dropouts at the primary and middle school levels in 2025, supported by schemes such as free uniforms, free bicycles, breakfast scheme and midday meal programme.

Sports News

Tamil Nadu Olympic City in Chennai

Chief Minister Vijay announced the establishment of a world-class ‘Tamil Nadu Olympic City’ in Chennai through the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT). The integrated sports centre will focus on developing talented sportspersons from Tamil Nadu to win medals at the Olympic Games and other international sporting events. The proposed Olympic City will also serve as a venue for conducting national and international sports competitions and for training athletes capable of achieving excellence at the international level.

Tamil Nadu News

Subsidised Onion Sale Scheme in Tamil Nadu

The Government of Tamil Nadu has launched a scheme to sell onions at a subsidised price of ₹35 per kg to control rising onion prices. The State government procured 1,000 tonnes of onions from Nashik, Maharashtra, through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF). Under the scheme, each family cardholder can purchase a maximum of one kilogram of onions at ₹35. The subsidised onion sale was inaugurated at a TUCS fair price shop in Alwarpet, Chennai, by Minister for Food Venkatraman and Minister for Cooperation Kanthiraj. The scheme is implemented through 8,914 outlets in urban areas across Tamil Nadu, including Fair Price Shops, District Consumer Cooperative Wholesale Stores, Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation retail outlets and Farm Fresh Outlets (Pannai Pasumai Kadai). P. Amudha, Additional Secretary of the Cooperation, Food and Consumer Protection Department, and G. Latha, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, were also associated with the scheme's launch.

Tamil Oli Birth Centenary Literary Competitions

The Tamil Development Department has announced Tamil literary competitions for school students to commemorate the birth centenary of poet Tamil Oli, to be held on September 9, 2026, at Sri Ramakrishna Matriculation Higher Secondary School, T. Nagar, Chennai. Tamil Oli was a descendant of Mahakavi Bharathiyar and a student of Bharathidasan, and authored poems, essays, literary reviews, stage plays and children's songs. Students of Classes 6 to 8 will participate in a poetry recitation and explanation competition based on Tamil Oli's poems, while students of Classes 9 to 12 will participate in oratory and poetry writing competitions. The oratory topics include “Bharathi's Dream and Today's Youth,” “Essential Need for Water Management,” “Grammar of Friendship,” and “Plastic-free World,” while the poetry writing topic is “Light of Education” (Kalvi Tharum Oli). The winners will receive ₹10,000 as first prize, ₹7,000 as second prize and ₹5,000 as third prize, along with certificates and shields.

New Secretariat Complex in Chennai

Chief Minister S. Joseph Vijay announced under Rule 110 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly that a new modern Secretariat and Legislative Assembly Complex will be constructed in Chennai at an estimated cost of ₹1,200 crore. The proposed complex will have a built-up area of 20 lakh square feet and will accommodate government departments under a single administrative campus. The existing Secretariat functions at Fort St. George, which was constructed by the East India Company between 1640 and 1644 and has served as an administrative centre for nearly 400 years. The 107-acre Fort St. George complex has only about 4 acres available for Secretariat use, while the remaining area is controlled by the Ministry of Defence and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). At present, over 30 government departments and more than 6,000 employees function from the main Secretariat building and the Namakkal Kavingar Maaligai, which was constructed in 1978. The new complex will include a modern Legislative Assembly, fire safety facilities, accessibility features for differently-abled persons, green building standards, parking facilities, conference halls and public service centres. The heritage buildings of Fort St. George will be preserved as historical monuments.

World-Class Motor Sports City in Tamil Nadu

Chief Minister S. Joseph Vijay announced under Rule 110 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on September 3, 2026, that a world-class Motor Sports City will be established in Tamil Nadu. The proposed facility will include international-standard racing tracks and modern infrastructure for conducting motor racing events from Formula 1 (F1) to Formula 4 (F4). Tamil Nadu already has major motor racing facilities, including the Madras International Circuit at Irungattukottai near Chennai and the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, where national-level F3 and F4 car races are conducted. The Motor Sports City aims to promote sports tourism, encourage youth participation in motor sports and provide professional training for developing national and international-level racers. The project is also expected to support specialised vehicle manufacturing, generate employment and contribute to the economic development of Tamil Nadu.