PIB Current Affairs 1 September 2026

EnvironmentLowquizQuiz

Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar 5.0 Launched for 12-19 September; MoES Marks 20 Years With a National Quiz

•Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, launched the fifth edition of 'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar 2026: SSSS v.5.0' on 1 September 2026.
•The campaign will run as a week-long nationwide observance from 12 to 19 September 2026, with beach clean-up drives at over 100 locations, a human chain, cycling rallies, marathons, an ocean conservation pledge and the first-ever national Ocean Olympiad for students and youth.
•The Minister launched the SSSS v.5.0 website, the official ocean conservation pledge, an introductory video and an activities-schedule video, alongside the Sagar Prahari mobile app; India's coastline was cited as spanning over 11,000 km.

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Important DaysLowquizQuiz

AIIA Launches 'AyurVarta' Digital Dialogue Series; Ayurveda Day Now Fixed on 23 September

•The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Ayush, launched 'AyurVarta', a digital dialogue series carrying expert conversations on Ayurveda to audiences in India and abroad.
•The inaugural episode, between AIIA Director Professor (Vaidya) P. K. Prajapati and Dean (Ph.D.) Professor (Dr.) Mahesh Vyas, was on the theme 'Why is Ayurveda Day celebrated on 23 September?'
•Ayurveda Day was earlier observed on Dhanvantari Jayanti (Dhanteras), a movable lunar date; the Government has designated 23 September as its fixed annual date, which falls around the autumnal equinox when day and night are approximately equal.

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Polity & GovernanceLowquizQuiz

NHRC Launches Human Rights Quiz 2026 on MyGov Ahead of Its 33rd Foundation Day, Takes Suo Motu Cognizance in Greater Noida Case

•NHRC India, with MyGov, launched the online 'Human Rights Quiz 2026: Celebrating Life, Liberty, Equality and Dignity' on 1 September 2026 in the run-up to its 33rd Foundation Day.
•The quiz is open to all Indian citizens aged 14 and above until 10 October 2026; participants answer a maximum of 15 questions in 300 seconds, and it tests knowledge of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 and the NHRC's functions, powers and duties.
•Prizes are Rs 15,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 with certificates for the top three, plus consolation prizes of Rs 2,000 each for the next seven winners.

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AppointmentsLowquizQuiz

AVM Shakti Sharma Becomes First Non-Medical Woman Two-Star Officer in the Indian Defence Services

•Air Vice Marshal Shakti Sharma became the first woman officer from outside the Medical Branch in the Indian defence services to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshal or its equivalent.
•On 1 September 2026 she assumed the appointment of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) at Air Headquarters.
•Commissioned into the Education Branch of the Indian Air Force on 18 June 1994, she has served in training establishments, field stations, Command Headquarters and Air Headquarters, and set up the IAF Chairs of Excellence at IIT Kanpur and Pune University.

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NationalLowquizQuiz

Railways Sanctions Rs 800 Crore Package: Kavach 4.0 on 712 Rkm of Moradabad, Adra Bypass, EI at 21 Samastipur Stations

•Indian Railways approved Kavach Version 4.0 on the remaining sections covering 712 route kilometres (Rkm) of Moradabad Division, Northern Railway, at a cost of Rs 170 crore.
•An 11 km bypass line between the Adra end and Joychandipahar on South Eastern Railway was sanctioned at Rs 272 crore; it is part of the Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor and is expected to carry an additional 8.88 MTPA of traffic.
•Electronic Interlocking was approved at 21 stations of Samastipur Division, East Central Railway, at Rs 233 crore, replacing the existing Panel Interlocking and enabling Kavach.

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Schemes & CommitteesLowquizQuiz

Rural Development Minister Reviews WDC-PMKSY; 1,220 Watershed Projects Cover 52.93 Lakh Hectares

•Union Rural Development Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviewed the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) on 1 September 2026, framing it around the goal of a 'Drought-Free India for Developed India'.
•Under WDC-PMKSY 2.0, 1,220 projects covering 52.93 lakh hectares have been sanctioned at a total cost of Rs 12,404 crore, of which the central share is Rs 8,134 crore and Rs 6,955.75 crore (85%) has been released.
•Reported outcomes include 1.24 lakh water harvesting structures built or rejuvenated, protective irrigation over an additional 3.08 lakh hectares, 28.50 lakh farmers benefited and 2.85 crore man-days of employment generated; the Minister asked that states be judged on land reclamation, water availability, cropping intensity and farmer livelihood rather than on expenditure.

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NationalMediumquizQuiz

PM's Advisor Reviews Jharia Master Plan Rehabilitation and BCCL Operations in Dhanbad

•Shri Tarun Kapoor, Advisor to the Prime Minister, made a two-day visit to Dhanbad from 31 August to 1 September 2026 to review the Jharia Master Plan and the operations of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
•Day one covered a review meeting at Koyla Bhawan, BCCL's headquarters, and inspections of the Coal Bed Methane Block-I project, the Moonidih XVI Seam Longwall Project and the ENA Fire Project in Kusunda area.
•Day two covered the Belgaria and Karmatand rehabilitation townships, where about 800 youth have completed training at BCCL's Multi Skill Development Institutes run with the National Skill Development Corporation and over 250 are currently in training.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Onion Buffer Moves by Kanda Express; Sugar Dealer Stock Limit Cut to 2,000 Quintals

•The Government began a calibrated release of onion buffer stocks under the Price Stabilisation Fund on 24 August 2026 through NAFED and NCCF, using a hybrid model of railway rakes and road transport.
•Two 'Kanda Express' rakes ran from Nashik - 450 MT reached Delhi on 27 August 2026 and 840 MT reached Chennai on 31 August 2026, the latter to be distributed by Tamil Nadu through the PDS at 1 kg per ration card.
•Retail sale at Rs 35 per kg through NCCF, NAFED, Kendriya Bhandar outlets and mobile vans now covers 19 cities with over 30 trucks deployed; about 669 MT has been sold and Rs 210 crore paid directly to around 3,400 farmers.

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Banking & FinanceMediumquizQuiz

India Post Payments Bank Turns Nine; Launches DakPay Sound Box and Digital Platforms

•India Post Payments Bank marked its 9th Foundation Day on 1 September 2026 and launched the DakPay Sound Box for merchants, a Digital Insurance Technology Platform and a Digital Mutual Fund Platform.
•As on 31 March 2026 the bank had 13.25 crore customers - 77% rural and 49% women - with deposits of Rs 29,104 crore.
•It recorded Rs 21.61 lakh crore of digital financial transactions, including Rs 7.41 lakh crore of UPI remittances, and served 6.5 crore DBT beneficiaries receiving about Rs 1.55 lakh crore.

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DefenceMediumquizQuiz

Defence Minister Reviews 16 DPSUs; Rs 1.8 Lakh Crore Defence Production in 2025-26

•Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh reviewed the annual performance of all 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings in New Delhi on 1 September 2026, briefed by Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar and the CMDs of the DPSUs.
•India's defence production in 2025-26 was approximately Rs 1.8 lakh crore, of which the DPSUs contributed Rs 1.29 lakh crore.
•The CMDs of seven DPSUs - HAL, Mazagon Dock, BEL, BDL, GRSE, BEML and MIDHANI - presented dividend cheques totalling Rs 3,951 crore for the Government's equity shares for FY 2025-26.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

Rs 36.49 Crore PMMSY Fisheries Projects Launched in Puducherry with Seaweed Farming Conclave

•Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh launched fisheries infrastructure projects worth Rs 36.49 crore at Kamarajar Manimadapam, Puducherry on 1 September 2026, alongside a capacity building conclave on cooperative-led seaweed farming under the Blue Economy.
•The three projects are the Rs 18.94 crore Fish Landing Centre at Nallavadu, the Rs 15.63 crore upgradation of the Puducherry (Thengaithittu) Fishing Harbour, and the Rs 1.92 crore Advanced Centre for Innovation and Capacity Development in Seaweed Farming at Karaikal.
•India's fish production has risen from 95.7 lakh tonnes in 2013-14 to 197.7 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, the Minister said.

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EnvironmentMediumquizQuiz

India, Germany Sign Wetlands Declaration at 4th Indo-German Environment Forum

•India and Germany signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on the Conservation and Wise Use of Wetlands of International Importance on the sidelines of the 4th Indo-German Environment Forum in New Delhi on 1 September 2026.
•The Forum was co-chaired by Union Environment Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and German Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety H.E. Carsten Schneider, on the theme 'Together For More Resilience'.
•The IGEF, held since 2008, is the highest-level bilateral forum between India and Germany on environmental policy; the two countries are marking 75 years of diplomatic relations this year.

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EconomyMediumquizQuiz

Ahmedabad Becomes Third Spoke Airport Under India's International Aviation Hub Strategy

•The Ministry of Civil Aviation launched Hub & Spoke international flight operations from Ahmedabad on 1 September 2026, making it the third spoke airport in the framework after Varanasi and Amritsar.
•Under the model, check-in, immigration and customs are completed at the spoke airport and baggage is checked through to the final destination, so passengers do not repeat formalities at the Delhi hub.
•Two services connect out of Ahmedabad - AI 1117 to 22 destinations across Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and AI 1121, departing at 20:15 hours, to 17 destinations across North America, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

Food Secretaries Conference: New Storage Policy to Add 131 LMT, VLTS Deadline December 2026

•The Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, chaired a conference of State/UT Food Secretaries in New Delhi on 1 September 2026 to review procurement, distribution and storage of foodgrains.
•Paddy procurement for Kharif Marketing Season 2026-27 was fixed at 708.64 LMT (in terms of paddy), with 18.85 LMT of coarse grains additionally estimated for State procurement.
•The New Storage Policy under review envisages 131 LMT of additional storage capacity - 111 LMT by States and 20 LMT by the Food Corporation of India.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

SAMAVESH UTSAV Showcases SEED Scheme Gains for De-notified and Nomadic Communities

•The Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities held 'SAMAVESH UTSAV' at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi, with more than 700 beneficiaries, community leaders and artisans taking part.
•The event showcased outcomes under the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED), which the Union Minister described as working through education, healthcare, livelihood and housing interventions.
•Twenty stalls displayed the crafts of DNT artisans from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi.

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Schemes & CommitteesMediumquizQuiz

PM Dhan-Dhaanya Districts' Average Score Rises from 22.54 in April to 38.85 in July

•The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare reviewed the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana at Krishi Bhawan, focusing on the 100 identified districts, scheme convergence and outcome-based monitoring.
•The average score of the 100 districts across the scheme's six objectives rose from 22.54 in April 2026 to 38.85 in July 2026 — an improvement of 16.31 points.
•All 100 districts have uploaded District Action Plans, submitted output-indicator data up to July 2026 and submitted outcome-indicator data for 2025-26.

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Science & TechMediumquizQuiz

Rs 1 Lakh Crore RDI Fund Outreach Push Marks TDB's 30th Foundation Day

•Speaking at the Technology Development Board's 30th Foundation Day, the Union Minister for Science & Technology called for wider outreach on the Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund so that eligible applicants understand its purpose and process.
•He said thousands of applications are being received, including from applicants who appear to treat the Fund as a conventional loan facility or an ordinary source of finance, which it is not.
•The RDI Fund supports projects at Technology Readiness Level 4 and above, and the Technology Development Board is the first to roll out proposals under it.

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EnvironmentMediumquizQuiz

Jan Ganga: Namami Gange's People's Movement for River Conservation Explained

•A PIB Backgrounder sets out Jan Ganga, the public-participation pillar of the Namami Gange Programme, arguing that river revival has to move from awareness through participation to community ownership.
•Ganga Swachhta Pakhwada is observed every year from 16 to 31 March across the five main-stem Ganga basin states — Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal — along with the National Capital Territory of Delhi and towns on the tributaries.
•Two volunteer cadres carry the work: Ganga Praharis, who work at the grassroots on awareness and local biodiversity, and Ganga Seva Doots, who extend outreach across schools, institutions and neighbourhoods.

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EconomyHighquizQuiz

India's Q1 2026-27 Economy: 7.8% GDP Growth, Upward-Revised Series, 11.9% Investment Surge

•Real GDP grew 7.8% in Q1 of FY 2026-27 to Rs 81.36 lakh crore, against 6.9% in the same quarter of 2025-26; nominal GDP rose 10.3% to Rs 88.27 lakh crore.
•Real GVA rose 8.2% to Rs 73.82 lakh crore, and the quarter's outcome beat the Reserve Bank of India's own estimate of 7.0%.
•On the expenditure side, investment measured as Gross Fixed Capital Formation grew 11.9%, household consumption 7.1% and exports 12.0%.

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InternationalHighquizQuiz

26th SCO Summit at Bishkek Adopts Bishkek Declaration on Grouping's 25th Anniversary

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, held between 31 August and 1 September 2026 — the year the grouping completed 25 years.
•The summit adopted the Bishkek Declaration along with four MoUs and over twenty decisions and statements, covering climate, nuclear safety, energy conservation and combating drug addiction.
•Four India-led proposals found place in the Declaration: English as an official language in the SCO Charter, the Civilisation Dialogue Forum, a Young Scientists' Forum and a Young Authors' Conclave.

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Current Affairs Pulse

PIB Current Affairs — 1 September 2026

Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar 5.0 Launched for 12-19 September; MoES Marks 20 Years With a National Quiz

AIIA Launches 'AyurVarta' Digital Dialogue Series; Ayurveda Day Now Fixed on 23 September

NHRC Launches Human Rights Quiz 2026 on MyGov Ahead of Its 33rd Foundation Day, Takes Suo Motu Cognizance in Greater Noida Case

AVM Shakti Sharma Becomes First Non-Medical Woman Two-Star Officer in the Indian Defence Services

Railways Sanctions Rs 800 Crore Package: Kavach 4.0 on 712 Rkm of Moradabad, Adra Bypass, EI at 21 Samastipur Stations

Rural Development Minister Reviews WDC-PMKSY; 1,220 Watershed Projects Cover 52.93 Lakh Hectares

PM's Advisor Reviews Jharia Master Plan Rehabilitation and BCCL Operations in Dhanbad

Onion Buffer Moves by Kanda Express; Sugar Dealer Stock Limit Cut to 2,000 Quintals

India Post Payments Bank Turns Nine; Launches DakPay Sound Box and Digital Platforms

Defence Minister Reviews 16 DPSUs; Rs 1.8 Lakh Crore Defence Production in 2025-26

Rs 36.49 Crore PMMSY Fisheries Projects Launched in Puducherry with Seaweed Farming Conclave

India, Germany Sign Wetlands Declaration at 4th Indo-German Environment Forum

Ahmedabad Becomes Third Spoke Airport Under India's International Aviation Hub Strategy

Food Secretaries Conference: New Storage Policy to Add 131 LMT, VLTS Deadline December 2026

SAMAVESH UTSAV Showcases SEED Scheme Gains for De-notified and Nomadic Communities

PM Dhan-Dhaanya Districts' Average Score Rises from 22.54 in April to 38.85 in July

Rs 1 Lakh Crore RDI Fund Outreach Push Marks TDB's 30th Foundation Day

Jan Ganga: Namami Gange's People's Movement for River Conservation Explained

India's Q1 2026-27 Economy: 7.8% GDP Growth, Upward-Revised Series, 11.9% Investment Surge

26th SCO Summit at Bishkek Adopts Bishkek Declaration on Grouping's 25th Anniversary