Daily Current Affairs - 07-09-2026

International News

Dominican Republic’s Joheri Mola Wins Miss World

Joheri Mola of the Dominican Republic won the Miss World title at a competition held in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Elizabeth of Spain secured the first runner-up position, while Thanusya Shetty, a Tamil woman representing Malaysia, secured the second runner-up position.

First India-China Corps Commander-Level Talks in Arunachal Pradesh

The Indian and Chinese Armies held their first Corps Commander-level meeting in the Eastern Sector at the Vacha-Damai Border Personnel Meeting Point in Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian delegation was led by Lieutenant-General Girish Kalia, Commander of the 3 Corps (Spear Corps), and included a 12-member delegation with an Inspector-General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). In Arunachal Pradesh, the Tezpur-based 4 Corps and Rangapahar-based 3 Corps are responsible for guarding the frontier. Earlier, high-level military talks between India and China were mainly held at the Chushul-Moldo point in Eastern Ladakh. The 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) was held on August 6, followed by the 25th round of Special Representatives (SR) talks in Beijing on August 26. India was represented by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, while the Chinese side was led by Wang Yi. An eight-point outcome document was signed, under which both countries agreed to establish two additional Border Personnel Meeting Points, one each in the Eastern Sector and Central Sector, along with new hotlines. Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth also visited the 3 Corps headquarters to review operational preparedness along the frontier.

Tamil Nadu News

Third Phase of Underwater Archaeological Survey at Poompuhar

The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) commenced the third phase of underwater archaeological exploration off the coast of Poompuhar (Kaveripoompattinam) in Mayiladuthurai district. The exploration was launched by School Education and Archaeology Minister Rajmohan along with Director of Archaeology V.P. Jayaseelan and other archaeological experts. The survey is planned for nearly 20 days, taking into account ocean currents and the upcoming Northeast Monsoon. The previous phase of underwater exploration was conducted in September 2025 by the TNSDA in collaboration with the Indian Maritime University, using advanced equipment such as a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), Side-Scan Sonar, Sub-Bottom Profiler, and Multibeam Scanner. Poompuhar, the ancient port city also known as Kaveripoompattinam, finds references in Sangam and post-Sangam literary works including Pattinappaalai, Silappadikaram, and Manimekalai, which record its maritime trade links with Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and Western countries.

State Planning Commission under Review for Abolition

The Tamil Nadu Government is considering the abolition of the State Planning Commission (SPC). The SPC was conceived in the early 1970s for assessing State resources and formulating development plans. In March 2017, the AIADMK government announced the replacement of the SPC with the State Development Policy Council (SDPC), which came into existence in April 2020. After the change of government, the SDPC was renamed the State Planning Commission (SPC) in August 2021. The SPC functions as an apex advisory body providing evidence-based policy guidance for the State's development. Since January 1989, the incumbent Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has served as the ex-officio head of the SPC. The first Vice-Chairman of the SPC was E.P. Royappa. Other notable Vice-Chairpersons include V. Karthikeyan (1983), C.V.R. Panikar (1985), Santha Sheela Nair (2011), K.A. Mathiazhagan (1974), V. Ramaiah (1976), Kovai Chezhian (1978), M. Muthuswami (1983), V.R. Nedunchezhian (1992), C. Ponnaiyan (2020), M. Naganathan (2006–11) and J. Jeyaranjan (2021–26), who was subsequently designated as the Executive Vice-Chairperson

National News

Judicial Accountability and Integrity in India

Serious allegations concerning judicial administration were raised against Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, the Acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, following reports that Supreme Court Judge Justice Sandeep Mehta wrote letters to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on August 2, 10 and 17, seeking his transfer. On August 31, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the appointment of Justice Sanjay Agrawal as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. The issue also highlights important mechanisms relating to judicial accountability in India, including the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, which deals with the investigation of allegations against judges. In K. Veeraswami vs Union of India (1991), the Supreme Court held that prior permission of the Chief Justice of India is necessary for registering an FIR against a judge of the higher judiciary. The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in 2012, but lapsed following the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. The removal of Supreme Court and High Court judges is provided under Articles 124(4) and 217(1)(b) of the Constitution of India. The Supreme Court's in-house mechanism, adopted in 1999, is another institutional mechanism for dealing with complaints against members of the higher judiciary. Historical examples include the proceedings against Justice V. Ramaswami in 1990 and the recent transfer of Justice Yashwant Varma. Justice K. Chandru, in his book Who Will Judge the Judges? (2026), has discussed judicial accountability and the handling of allegations against judges.

Target of Drug-Free India by March 2029

The Central Government has set a target of achieving a Drug-Free India by March 2029. The announcement was made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Panaji, Goa. The national strategy is based on four key pillars: detection, destruction of drug trafficking networks, reduction of drug consumption, and rehabilitation and coordination. To strengthen action against drug trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been strengthened and Special Purpose Groups have been established in States and Union Territories. The government has also launched the MANAS portal and the 1933 helpline number to create public awareness and enable reporting of drug-related activities. During the current year, a target has been set to destroy at least 75 illegal drug laboratories.

Science and Technology News

ISRO’s Role in India’s Expanding Space Ecosystem

Indian National Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) clarified that ISRO will continue to play a central role in India’s space sector. The space sector reforms initiated in 2020 aimed to expand India’s space ecosystem by enabling greater participation of non-government entities. IN-SPACe, chaired by Pawan Kumar Goenka, facilitates and authorises private sector participation, while NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) commercialises mature space technologies. Under the Indian Space Policy 2023, India is developing an ISRO-led national space ecosystem, with ISRO focusing on advanced Research and Development (R&D), scientific and strategic missions, and complex national space infrastructure. Major future programmes include the establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and an Indian crewed lunar mission by 2040. India currently has more than 450 space start-ups, compared with only a handful in 2020. The Indian space economy, currently estimated at around $8.4 billion, has a target of reaching $44 billion by 2033. Dr. V. Narayanan is the Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO. The participation of Department of Space employees in recognised service associations is governed by the Central Civil Services (Recognition of Service Associations) Rules, 1993.

EOS-05 Earth Observation Satellite Launched by ISRO

EOS-05 Earth Observation Satellite Launched by ISRO: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the EOS-05 (GISAT-1A) Earth Observation Satellite aboard the GSLV-F17 rocket in the early hours of September 4, 2026, placing it in a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO). The mission is significant as GSLV Mk II was used to place a satellite weighing about 2.3 tonnes into a GTO-like orbit for the first time since 2010. EOS-05 is equipped with multispectral and hyperspectral imaging capabilities and is intended to provide frequent observations of the Indian subcontinent and surrounding maritime regions, supporting the Indian Navy's Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA). The satellite can repeatedly image a 5° × 5° region at intervals of about 10 minutes, enabling monitoring of rapidly changing events such as cyclones, floods and forest fires, while a wider 10° × 10° region can be monitored at intervals of about six hours. Hyperspectral imaging captures data across hundreds of narrow wavelengths and can help identify crop types, crop stress caused by water scarcity, nutrient deficiency and diseases, and support forest, mining and ocean studies. A Geostationary Orbit (GEO) is located at approximately 36,000 km above Earth, where a satellite takes about 24 hours to orbit Earth and therefore appears stationary relative to the Earth's surface. The satellite's repeated imaging capability can support monitoring of vessel movements, cyclone paths, ports, islands and surrounding seas, strengthening Maritime Domain Awareness.

Sports News

International Sports City Proposed Near Chennai

International Sports City Proposed Near Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Government has proposed an international-standard integrated sports city near Chennai to host major international sporting events such as the Asian Games and Olympic Games. The project, initially estimated at ₹205.89 crore through the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), has been expanded into a mega project with an estimated investment of ₹3,500 crore to ₹5,000 crore. Potential locations include Thiruvidanthai, Vandalur, Gummidipoondi and Kuthambakkam, with approximately 250–300 acres of land required. The proposed sports city will include a 30,000–40,000-seat main stadium, an 8,000–12,000-seat indoor stadium, facilities for athletics, hockey, basketball, badminton, gymnastics, shooting and swimming, a sports medicine, physiotherapy and rehabilitation centre, sports technology research and development centres, athlete accommodation facilities and an international media centre.