Daily Current Affairs - 13-09-2026

National News

BRICS Leaders Visit ‘Bharat Innovates’ Exhibition

New Delhi, September 12: The ‘Bharat Innovates’ exhibition was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, as part of the BRICS Summit. The two-day exhibition was jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of External Affairs and showcased 37 advanced Indian technological innovations. The exhibits included a floating solar power generation system, an autonomous marine robot for infrastructure inspection, rare-earth-free electric powertrains, an AI-based cervical cancer screening method providing results in less than 60 seconds, and an AI-based fetal monitoring system. The exhibition was first held in Nice, France, from June 14 to 16, and aims to connect Indian startups, higher education institutions, technology laboratories and research institutions with international investors, global corporations and industry professionals.

ranian President’s Daughter Visits Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya and BRICS Bazaar

New Delhi, September 12: Sara Pezeshkian, daughter of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, visited the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya and BRICS Bazaar in New Delhi on September 12, 2026, during the BRICS Summit. At the Iranian pavilion at the BRICS exhibition, she met artisans and visited the exhibits. The Embassy of Iran in India stated that Sara Pezeshkian learned about the history, contributions and journeys of Indian Prime Ministers at the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya. Union Minister Annapurna Devi was also present during her visit to the Iranian pavilion.

Personalities, Awards and Events

Global Governance Reform Emphasized at BRICS Summit

New Delhi, September 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the need for global governance reforms at the BRICS Summit held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 12, 2026. India holds the BRICS presidency in 2026, with 11 member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia; Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam are BRICS partner countries. The two-day summit proposed a 10-point action plan for global governance reform, based on representation, responsiveness and rule-making, to be formulated by the next summit. The proposal also called for reforms in the UN Security Council and greater representation in international financial institutions. Prime Minister Modi also proposed an emergency support network for seafarers to coordinate maritime authorities and embassies and provide emergency warnings, medical assistance, family information and rescue support. A joint declaration was adopted by consensus at the Delhi BRICS Summit.

18th BRICS Summit Held in New Delhi

The 18th BRICS Summit was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, with the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, along with other leaders and heads of international organisations. Modi, Xi Jinping and Putin met for the third time in three years. BRICS was established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, and Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia joined the expanded grouping in 2024. Pakistan applied for BRICS membership in 2023, but its entry has not been approved, as BRICS decisions on new membership require consensus among members. The summit was held at Bharat Mandapam, located in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, which was inaugurated in 2023, covers about 123 acres, and was constructed at a cost of approximately ₹2,700 crore. A 27-foot-tall Nataraja statue made of eight metals (Ashtadhatu) is installed at its entrance. Chinese President Xi Jinping travelled with the Hongqi N701 official vehicle, while Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled in the Il-96-300PU aircraft, which has a reported continuous range of about 11,000 km.

Ramanathaswamy Temple Featured at BRICS Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed BRICS leaders at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, against a backdrop featuring Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram, during the 18th BRICS Summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were among the leaders received by the Prime Minister. The Ramanathaswamy Temple is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites and is associated with the belief that Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva after his victory over Ravana. It is the only Char Dham shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.

R. Chudamani’s Virunthinarkalil Oruvan Released in Chennai

A collection of 20 short stories by Tamil writer R. Chudamani, titled Virunthinarkalil Oruvan, was released in Chennai by N. Ram, Director of The Hindu Group, at an event organised by the R. Chudamani Memorial Trust. The book was published to preserve and disseminate Chudamani’s literary works. The trust also honoured individuals associated with preserving her literary legacy, including Justice Prabha Sridevan, retired High Court judge; translators T. Sriraman, C.T. Indira, Hem Mahesh and Sumathi Padmanabhan; artist Nikila Kesavan; industrialist R.T. Chari; retired IAS officer Gnanarajasekaran; documentary filmmaker V. Jayashree; illustrator Maniam Selvan; Amudha Surabhi editor Tiruppur Krishnan; publisher Karuna Prasath; Sethu Chokkalingam of Kavitha Publishers; trust auditor V. Ravichandran; K. Sreekumar of Real Impact Solutions; and archivist S. Anuradha. K. Bharathi, Managing Trustee of the R. Chudamani Memorial Trust, and writer J. Rajagopalan also participated in the event.

Tamil Nadu News

Fourth Tamil Sangam Established in Madurai

The Fourth Tamil Sangam was established in Madurai on September 14, 1901, with Pandithurai Thevar as its founder and with the support of M. Bhaskara Sethupathi, the ruler of Ramanathapuram; the idea of reviving a Tamil Sangam in Madurai was pioneered by Gnaniyar Gnana Desika Swamigal of Thiruvarur. The need for a Tamil Sangam was discussed by Pandithurai Thevar at the Madras Provincial Conference held in Madurai on May 22–23, 1901. The institution was officially registered as Madurai Tamil Sangam and was registered as a charitable institution on October 16, 1908. The monthly journal Senthamizh, published under the Fourth Tamil Sangam, began publication in January 1902 and carried Tamil research articles. M. Raghava Iyengar, author of Senthamizh Valartha Thevargal, recorded the circumstances connected with the establishment of the Fourth Tamil Sangam. The Sangam's Pandiyan Library serves Tamil researchers and the public and contains around 60,000 books and more than 40 journals. The Fourth Tamil Sangam has completed 125 years and continues to function as an institution associated with Tamil language, literature, culture and research in Madurai.

Anaimangalam Copper Plates Repatriated to India

The 11th-century Chola-period Anaimangalam copper plates were formally handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof at a repatriation ceremony held in The Hague on May 16, 2026. The copper plates, associated with Anaimangalam village and the Chudamani Vihara at Nagapattinam, weigh about 30 kg and consist of 21 large plates and 3 smaller plates, bearing the Chola royal seal. The plates contain inscriptions in Sanskrit and Tamil; the Tamil portion records information on land measurement, administrative terminology, legal documentation, Rajaraja Chola I’s Meykeerthi, royal genealogy, officials and conquered territories. In 1005 CE, during the 21st regnal year of Rajaraja Chola I, Mara Vijayottungavarman of the Srivijaya Empire built the Chudamani Vihara at Nagapattinam, and Rajaraja Chola I granted the entire village of Anaimangalam as Palli-chchandam to the religious institution. Rajendra Chola I, son of Rajaraja Chola I, later recorded his father’s grant on copper plates. During the 18th-century Dutch colonial period, the plates were taken from Nagapattinam to the Netherlands by Floris Camper and eventually reached the Leiden University Museum in 1862. Their repatriation to India in 2026 is a significant example of the return of historical cultural heritage to its country of origin.

Industrial Worker Housing Expands Around Manufacturing Corridors

A specialised worker-housing service sector is emerging around manufacturing corridors such as Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, to provide accommodation and related services to industrial and migrant workers. Professional operators are offering managed accommodation with facilities such as bunk beds, food, recreation, yoga, housekeeping, security, transport, connectivity and digital worker-management services. Companies such as Nia and Manzl have developed industrial-housing models, with Nia operating in NCR, Chakan (Pune), Bengaluru and Sriperumbudur and serving more than 10,000 members, while Manzl operates in Tada and Sri City and has identified Oragadam for expansion. The Union Budget 2024–25 proposed rental housing with dormitory-style accommodation for industrial workers through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, supported by viability-gap funding and anchor industries. NITI Aayog’s December 2024 SAFE (Site Adjacent Factory Employee) Accommodation report recommended a market-driven model for long-term dormitory-style housing near workplaces and identified worker accommodation as an important infrastructure requirement for manufacturing growth. The report projected India’s manufacturing workforce to increase from 65 million in 2023 to 120 million by 2033, while formal accommodation for manufacturing workers could increase from 1 million to 25 million during the same period; it also estimated that about 20% of the projected 2033 manufacturing workforce could prefer affordable formal accommodation. In Tamil Nadu, SIPCOT has completed and operationalised worker hostels with a combined capacity of 2,330 persons, including 330 at Irungattukottai, 1,000 at Sriperumbudur and 1,000 at Thervoykandigai. The SIPCOT Industrial Living Complex at Vallam Vadagal, Sriperumbudur, has a capacity of 18,720 persons. Worker-housing projects of Tamil Nadu Industrial Housing Private Limited (TNI HPL) include Siruseri, Gangaikondan, Shoolagiri, Irungattukottai and Cheyyar, with upcoming projects at Bargur, Vallam Vadagal, Thervoykandigai, Pillaipakkam, Hosur and Oragadam. These developments indicate the growing importance of organised worker accommodation in supporting labour mobility, worker welfare, productivity and manufacturing growth.

Reports and Indices

New Delhi Declaration Focuses on MSMEs and Global Trade

The New Delhi Declaration was adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi in 2026, during India’s BRICS Chairship, with China scheduled to assume the chairship in 2027. The declaration focused on strengthening Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and their integration into Global Value Chains (GVCs), and recognised the initiatives of the BRICS SME Working Group and India’s hosting of the first BRICS SME Forum in Agra. It also highlighted the report “Advancing MSME Competitiveness in BRICS: Strengthening Access to Finance & Technology and Sustainable Growth” and welcomed the Jaipur Consensus to study an Invoice Discounting Mechanism for BRICS members. The declaration raised concerns over the increasing use of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures, unilateral coercive measures, and their impact on global trade and supply chains. It reaffirmed support for reforms in the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, United Nations (UN), and UN Security Council, and supported the WTO accession bids of Ethiopia and Iran. It also noted China’s extension of zero-tariff treatment to 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations. Cooperation among BRICS countries was also highlighted in areas including Special Economic Zones, manufacturing, value addition, diamonds and precious metals, customs facilitation, logistics, railways, aviation and industrial upgrading.

Science and Technology News

BRICS Leaders Seek Stronger Cooperation on AI Safety

At the 18th BRICS Summit, the New Delhi Declaration 2026 called for wider access to Artificial Intelligence (AI) resources and stronger international cooperation to ensure that AI is safe, secure, inclusive and reliable and that its potential risks are reduced. BRICS leaders committed to implementing the grouping’s statement on “Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence”. The declaration covered a broad technology agenda including AI, cybersecurity, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), telecommunications, submarine networks, quantum technologies, startups and advanced manufacturing. It also called for coordinated efforts to address digital challenges such as security threats in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), malicious software, data security and misuse of technologies. The declaration further supported the use of AI for science and innovation, the development of trustworthy AI technologies, and improvement of the energy efficiency of AI systems.

Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone Leads BRICS BioDesign Programme

The Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) is leading the BRICS BioDesign Programme, an initiative aimed at promoting cross-border healthcare innovation and medical technology among BRICS member countries. The programme was launched in New Delhi by Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. The launch included the exchange of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) among participating institutions and the unveiling of the programme’s official website. Jitendra Sharma, Managing Director of AMTZ, is associated with the initiative, which operates through a collaborative framework involving AMTZ, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and the Science & Technology Cluster. The programme brings together researchers, healthcare professionals and academic institutions from BRICS countries to accelerate the development of deployable healthcare solutions. The programme operates from ‘The Atrium’ at AMTZ, integrating clinical, design, engineering, prototyping and translational capabilities to support the development of affordable and accessible medical technologies for emerging economies.