UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 14 SEPTEMBER 2026

Context: The Leaders of the BRICS nations issued the BRICS New Delhi Declaration during the 18th BRICS Summit held under India’s chairship in New Delhi.

• Convening on the landmark 20th anniversary of BRICS under the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, the summit produced a comprehensive 140-point consensus.

About BRICS New Delhi Declaration:

What it is?

• The 18th BRICS Summit marks the institutionalization of the expanded grouping, consolidating cooperation across its three primary pillars:

• • Political and Security Cooperation
  • Economic and Financial Cooperation
  • Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges

• Under the 2026 Indian presidency, the grouping organized over 400 ministerial, official, and technical meetings across 30 Indian cities, anchoring initiatives in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a people-centric, balanced, and development-oriented Global South agenda.

Key Highlights of the New Delhi Declaration:

• Reforming Global Multilateral Institutions & the UN:
  • Reaffirmed commitment to comprehensive UN reform, including expanding developing-country representation in the UN Security Council (UNSC) to reflect contemporary multipolar realities.
  • Explicitly recognized the aspirations of African nations as reflected in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.
  • Reasserted support from permanent members China and Russia for the aspirations of Brazil and India to play a greater role in the UN, including the Security Council.
  • Noted that in the history of the United Nations, no woman has ever been elected Secretary-General, while calling for equitable geographical representation across senior international agency appointments without state monopolies.
• Bretton Woods & International Trade Reforms:
  • Called for expedited quota increases under the IMF’s 16th General Review of Quotas (GRQ) and urgent, meaningful quota realignments under the 17th GRQ based on the Diriyah Guiding Principles to reflect the true economic weight of Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs).
  • Advocated for the immediate restoration of a fully functional, two-tier binding WTO dispute settlement mechanism and the prompt appointment of Appellate Body members.
  • Strongly opposed unilateral protectionist tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers, particularly highlighting that measures such as Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM) distort trade and penalize developing nations under the guise of environmental goals.
  • Endorsed the accession bids of Ethiopia and Iran to the WTO.
• Counter-Terrorism & Security Priorities:
  • Condemned terrorism in all forms and manifestations, reiterating zero tolerance and rejecting double standards.
  • Specifically condemned the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which claimed 26 lives.
  • Called for the swift finalization and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) within the UN framework and coordinated multilateral action against all UN-designated terrorist entities.
  • Welcomed the Guwahati Declaration adopted by the BRICS Heads of Anti-Drug Agencies to coordinate counter-narcotics operations.
• Middle East & Regional Peace Mandates:
  • Expressed grave concern over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, reaffirming an unwavering commitment to a sovereign, viable State of Palestine within 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital under the two-state solution, alongside full UN membership for Palestine.
  • Opposed the forced displacement of Palestinians, endorsed the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and demanded unhindered access for humanitarian aid and UNRWA.
  • Welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon, demanding full adherence to UNSC Resolution 1701 and condemning attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers, expressing deep condolences for the deaths of Indonesian and fellow peacekeepers.
  • Condemned deliberate attacks on peaceful civilian nuclear facilities operating under full International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.
  • Welcomed the African Union peace initiatives for Sudan based on African solutions to African problems, called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Syria, and urged an end to the unilateral blockade against Cuba in line with UNGA resolutions.

Major Economic, Financial & Technological Initiatives:

• Local Currencies & Cross-Border Payments: Tasked the BRICS Payment Task Force (BPTF) to advance practical, fast, low-cost cross-border payment interoperability and promote settlements and investment using BRICS local currencies rather than creating a single top-down currency.
• Insurance & Risk Management Architecture: Welcomed discussions on establishing a BRICS Insurance Resilience Centre (BIRC) to build collective reinsurance capacity, and noted member support for India’s proposal to host a BRICS Risk Lab at GIFT City IFSC in Gujarat.
• SME Invoice Discounting & Trade Finance: Endorsed the Jaipur Consensus to formulate an Invoice Discounting Mechanism for BRICS members to unlock working capital for export-oriented MSMEs.
• Agro-Inputs & Food Security:
  • Endorsed discussions on operationalizing the BRICS Grain Exchange and expanding it to broader agricultural commodities.
  • Established BRICS AGRIN (Agro-Inputs, Genetic Resources, and Information Network) as a farmer-centric collaborative platform, and launched the Global Forum on Farmers’ Rights in Seed Systems.
• Green Energy, Grid Modernization & Critical Minerals:
  • Emphasized technological neutrality and the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), acknowledging that fossil fuels remain necessary for developing-world energy transitions alongside renewables.
  • Initiated the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence for Smart Grids and Energy Storage under the BRICS Energy Research Cooperation Platform (ERCP).
  • Affirmed the need for resilient, diversified, and sustainable supply chains for critical minerals while preserving resource-rich nations’ sovereign rights over domestic deposits.
• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) & Artificial Intelligence:
  • Supported the creation of a BRICS Digital Public Infrastructure Repository to export and scale open-source digital public goods across members.
  • Acknowledged the outcomes of India’s AI Impact Summit and Shanghai’s World AI Conference, committing to implement the BRICS Leaders’ Statement on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence.
• Space Sustainability & The Gagarin Jubilee:
  • Finalized amendments to include new member space agencies into the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation (RSSC) and drafted the Terms of Reference for the BRICS Space Council.
  • Commemorated the 65th jubilee of Yuri Gagarin’s historic first human space flight (April 12, 1961).

Public Health & Social Sector Outcomes:

• Institutionalizing Mental Health & Lifestyle Medicine: Endorsed the launch of the BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle (2026–2029) and established a BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence on mental well-being, designating the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, as the coordinating nodal center.
• Traditional Medicine Integration: Proposed the establishment of a dedicated BRICS Expert Working Group on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) to coordinate scientific research and pharmacopoeia standardization.
• Pandemic Preparedness: Established a dedicated sub-working group to operationalize the BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for Mass Infectious Diseases.
• Labor & Gig Worker Protections: Adopted BRICS CONNECT (Cooperation Network for Capacity Building, Employability, and New Skills and Technologies) to forecast green/digital labor shifts and develop social security portability frameworks for cross-border and platform/gig workers.

Environmental & Climate Commitments:

• Pre-eminence of the UNFCCC & CBD: Reaffirmed adherence to the Paris Agreement, calling on developed countries to fulfill financial and technological transfer obligations for adaptation.
• Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF): Welcomed the launch of the TFFF at the COP30 Belém Climate Summit to mobilize long-term results-based financing for tropical forest conservation.
• International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA): Acknowledged India’s initiative to lead the IBCA and encouraged member collaboration to safeguard endangered big cat species across their natural ranges.
• Grasslands, Deserts & Holistic Landscape Restoration: Welcomed the adoption of the BRICS Principles for Integrated Landscape-Based Greening and Land Restoration, committing to holistic protection across forests, wetlands, mangroves, peatlands, and arid savannahs.

Conclusion:

The 2026 BRICS New Delhi Declaration consolidates the expanded 11-member bloc into an active, institutionalized coalition capable of addressing complex global divides. By balancing political positions on UN reform, Gaza, and terrorism with pragmatic initiatives in local-currency payments, Digital Public Infrastructure, and health networks, India’s presidency helped maintain group cohesion without allowing the platform to devolve into a polarized anti-Western bloc.

Context: A Srinagar artisan has developed the Grass Mache technique, converting aquatic weeds and grasses removed from Dal Lake into decorative and utility products.

About Grass Mache Technique:

What it is?

• Grass Mache is an innovative craft technique that uses discarded aquatic weeds and grasses from Dal Lake as raw material for making handicrafts.
• It adapts techniques from Kashmir’s centuries-old papier-mâché tradition to create sustainable products from biological waste.

How it Works?

The dried weeds are processed into a fine fibrous pulp, mixed with suitable materials, moulded into different shapes and dried to produce a natural, stone-like texture.

Key Features:

• Waste-to-Wealth Craft: Converts unwanted aquatic vegetation from Dal Lake into useful and marketable products.
• Traditional Craft Innovation: Combines modern experimentation with the skills and techniques of Kashmiri papier-mâché.
• Diverse Products: Produces flower vases, hanging decorations, ornaments and home décor, while experimenting with fireproof switchboards and panelling.
• Women-Led Livelihood Model: Creates scope for women and girls to participate in sustainable handicrafts and earn livelihoods.
• Circular Use of Resources: Reuses lake biomass and recycled paper, reducing waste while potentially lowering dependence on fresh plant and wood-based materials.

Significance:

• Dal Lake Conservation: Productive use of removed weeds can support lake-cleaning efforts and environmental awareness.
• Reviving Traditional Crafts: Gives Kashmir’s papier-mâché skills a contemporary and eco-friendly application, helping keep traditional knowledge relevant.
• Green Livelihoods: Links women’s employment, local entrepreneurship and circular economy principles with environmental conservation.

Relevance in UPSC Examination

• GS Paper II – Social Justice: Women’s empowerment, livelihood generation and community participation.
• GS Paper III – Environment: Waste-to-wealth, circular economy, wetland conservation, sustainable resource use and green livelihoods.
• GS Paper IV – Ethics: Innovation, environmental responsibility, community participation and social entrepreneurship.

Context: During Day 1 of the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Prime Minister of India and Chinese President shook hands in front of a high-definition projection of the iconic 1,212-pillar corridor of Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathaswamy Temple.

About Ramnathswamy Temple:

What it is?

• A world-renowned Hindu temple constructed in the classical Dravidian architectural style, dedicated to Lord Shiva (enshrined as Ramanathaswamy). It is revered as one of the sacred 12 Jyotirlingas across India and forms the southernmost anchor of the foundational Char Dham pilgrimage circuit.

Located in: Situated in the pilgrim island town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island, Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu (flanked by the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar).

History:

• Sacred Mythology: Believed to be established by Lord Rama, who consecrated a lingam of sand (Ramalingam) to worship Lord Shiva upon returning from Lanka.
• Evolution of Structure: Managed by ascetic monks until the 10th century; the inner sanctum was constructed in the 12th century by King Parakramabahu of Sri Lanka (Ceylon).
• Patronage of the Sethupathis & Nagarathars: Extensively expanded from the 15th to 18th centuries by the Sethupathi kings of Ramanathapuram. The 126-foot-high, nine-tiered East Rajagopuram was completed between 1897 and 1904 by the AL. AR. Nagarathar family of Devakottai.

Key Features of the Temple:

• World’s Longest Pillared Corridor: The outer (third) corridor features 1,212 meticulously carved granite pillars rising roughly 6.9 metres, forming an architectural avenue spanning a cumulative perimeter of approximately 3,850 feet.
• Linear Perspective and Symmetrical Grid: Built on elevated platforms with perfectly aligned columns, beams, brackets, and capitals that create a mesmerizing optical effect where parallel lines visually converge toward a vanishing point.
• Intricate Dravidian Sculptural Detailing: Each individual column is ornamented with dynamic bas-reliefs, floral carvings, seated yalis (mythical leonine beasts), and dynastic sculptural portraits of the Sethupathi rulers.
• Monumental Monolithic Nandi: Houses a colossal monolithic statue of Nandi the Bull, measuring an impressive 17 feet in height, 22 feet in length, and 12 feet in width.
• Network of Sacred Theerthams: Contains 22 consecrated freshwater theerthams (wells and tanks) within the temple precincts, where pilgrims undergo ceremonial purification baths believed to possess mineral and spiritual potency.

Significance:

• Bridges the two major streams of Hinduism by linking the worship of Lord Shiva directly with the epic journey of Lord Rama, making it an enduring symbol of national spiritual unity.
• Represents an extraordinary achievement in transport and stone masonry, as massive granite blocks were ferried across ocean waters to Pamban Island centuries before the advent of modern rail or bridge infrastructure.

Context: India is set to host the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from September 15 to 18, 2026.

About World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026:

What it is?

• The world’s premier global platform and landmark annual event dedicated to advancing the transition from a linear take-make-waste model to a regenerative circular economy through cross-sectoral collaboration, policy development, and business innovation.

2026 Host: Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.

2026 Theme: Circular Economy: Transition for People and Prosperity.

Background:

• Created in 2017 on the initiative of Sitra (the Finnish Innovation Fund) to mark the centenary of Finland’s independence and foster global circular business solutions.
• The 2026 edition marks the 10th milestone edition of WCEF and its debut in the South Asian region.

Aim: To accelerate market transformation, foster international partnerships with the Global South, mobilize private-sector capital and circular finance, and demonstrate scalable solutions that reconcile economic prosperity with planetary boundaries.

Key Functions:

• Mobilising Circular Finance & Investments: Facilitates venture linkages, institutional capital flows, and green funding mechanisms to scale bankable circular technologies and business models.
• Promoting Technology & Digital Innovation: Explores the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), IoT, and digital product passports to optimize material tracking, industrial symbiosis, and life-cycle management.
• Catalysing Cross-Sectoral Policy Dialogue: Convenes governments, researchers, and industry leaders across key governance tracks to harmonize regulatory frameworks, standard-setting, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates.
• Showcasing Scalable Market Solutions: Hosts an international expo of over 125 exhibitors alongside 80 independent global accelerator sessions to demonstrate practical, market-ready recycling, remanufacturing, and bio-economy technologies.
• Advancing Global Framework Alignments: Integrates global governance, including hosting the UN’s 10YFP Board meeting on the sidelines.

Significance:

• Shifts the circular economy discourse from predominantly developed-nation perspectives to the resource realities, and informal recycling sectors.
• Highlights India’s domestic achievements under Mission LiFE, comprehensive EPR regulations, and its leadership as Co-Chair of the 10 YFP Board.

Context: Four newly developed moth bean varieties (CAZRI Moth-4, 5, 6, and 7) by ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) demonstrated remarkable field-level resilience during an El Niño year in Kharif 2026.

About Moth Bean:

What it is?

• Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia), commonly known as mat bean, Turkish gram, or dew bean, is an extremely drought-hardy, herbaceous, short-day annual legume belonging to the family Fabaceae. It is recognized as one of the most resilient pulse crops cultivated in the hot arid and semi-arid agro-ecological zones of South Asia.

Habitat & Growing Conditions:

• Native to South Asia, primarily cultivated across hot, rainfed, and marginal desert tracts—most extensively in the Thar Desert region of western Rajasthan, as well as parts of Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab.
• Thrives in regions receiving extremely low and erratic rainfall, poor sandy soils with low organic carbon, low fertility, and high ambient temperatures exceeding 40°C.

Key Characteristics:

• Exceptional Drought and Heat Tolerance: Possesses extensive drought-avoiding and drought-tolerating mechanisms, featuring a deep taproot system that taps into deeper subsoil moisture during extended rainless spells.
• Prostrate Growth & Soil-Covering Canopy: Characterized by a creeping, spreading, mat-forming canopy that effectively binds loose sandy soils, reduces surface evaporation, prevents wind erosion, and conserves moisture in the rhizosphere.
• Marked Developmental Plasticity: Shows phenological flexibility, flowering within 30 days of sowing and adjusting growth and maturity to soil moisture availability.
• Atmospheric Nitrogen Fixation: Possesses active root nodules that associate symbiotically with Rhizobium bacteria, fixing atmospheric nitrogen to naturally replenish fertility in depleted arid soils.
• Profuse Podding Under Moisture Stress: Produces small, cylindrical pods in clusters bearing tiny, protein-rich seeds, maintaining reproductive success and green foliage even when surface soil moisture falls to critical thresholds.

Significance:

• Serves as a vital source of plant-based protein, essential amino acids, and minerals for resource-poor rural populations in desert ecosystems, while acting as a staple raw material for traditional cottage industries.
• Provides palatable, protein-rich dry and green fodder (pala) for desert livestock during harsh post-monsoon and drought months.
• Plays an indispensable role in dryland crop rotation, mixed cropping, and sand-dune stabilization, advancing India’s national push toward pulse self-reliance amid accelerating climate variability.

Context: A three-day Table Top Exercise (TTX) conducted under the aegis of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) successfully culminated at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) in Visakhapatnam.

About The Table Top Exercise (TTX):

What it is?

• A simulated operational maritime defense and security exercise designed for tactical commanders and security delegations to rehearse joint protocols, tabletop war games, and coordinated responses to regional threats without deploying actual physical assets at sea.

Host: Hosted by the Indian Navy at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Visakhapatnam.

Participating Nations:

• Conducted among member states of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)—comprising India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius, and Bangladesh—along with designated observer states.

Key Features:

• Focus on Non-Traditional Security Threats: Simulates responses to drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, human trafficking, piracy and IUU fishing, strengthening preparedness against cross-border maritime threats.
• SOP Harmonisation: Aligns operational procedures and inter-agency protocols among participating countries for faster, coordinated responses during maritime crises.
• Information-Sharing Framework: Strengthens Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through real-time surveillance, intelligence sharing and white-shipping information exchange.
• Alignment with Regional Doctrine: Supports India’s MAHASAGAR and SAGAR visions by promoting cooperative security, capacity building and stability across the Indian Ocean Region.

Significance:

• Strengthens the Colombo Security Conclave as a regional mechanism for tackling shared threats and protecting vital Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs).
• Provides smaller littoral partners a cost-effective platform to improve capabilities and align naval and coast guard procedures with regional partners.

Context: A 750-kg female Indian Gaur (Bos gaurus) was rescued by forest officials after getting caught in an illegal wire snare laid by poachers in the Eco-Sensitive Zone of Papikonda National Park in Andhra Pradesh.

About Papikonda National Park:

What it is?

• A major protected wilderness expanse covering approximately 1,068 square kilometres (412 square miles) across the northern Eastern Ghats, renowned for its rugged hill tracts, riverine gorges, and rich floral and faunal diversity.

Located in: Situated primarily along the banks of the Godavari River in the Alluri Sitharama Raju and Eluru (Polavaram) districts of Andhra Pradesh, extending into parts of neighboring Telangana, with administrative boundaries proximate to Rajahmundry.

Background:

• Originally declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1978, the area was upgraded to a National Park in 2008 to safeguard its unique moist deciduous forest biomes and critical tiger and herbivore habitats.
• Historically, the Papikonda Hill Range in the Godavari Valley was referred to by British naturalists and local administrators as the ‘Bison Hills’ owing to its dense populations of the Indian Gaur (bison).

Key Features:

• Riverine Gorge Landscape: Spans the Papikonda hills, where the Godavari River forms deep gorges, sandy riverbeds, islands and riparian habitats.
• Diverse Forest Ecosystem: Comprises southern tropical moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests, interspersed with evergreen patches and extensive bamboo breaks, featuring valuable timber species such as teak, rosewood, and Terminalia.
• Rich Avian & Mammalian Sanctuary: Recognised as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA), supporting tigers, leopards, Indian gaur, sloth bears and rare birds like the Malabar pied hornbill.
• Indigenous Tribal Fabric: Home to ancient tribal communities (including the Konda Reddis and Koyas), whose sustainable indigenous knowledge, forest gathering practices, and traditional folklore are deeply intertwined with the landscape.

Significance:

• Acts as a vital watershed catchment regulating hydrological flows, preventing soil erosion, and maintaining freshwater balance across the Godavari River basin.
• Serves as a crucial biodiversity corridor in the Eastern Ghats under active monitoring, where balancing infrastructure demands with anti-poaching and habitat-connectivity measures is paramount.