CURRENT AFFAIRS 02-03 September, 2026

CURRENT AFFAIRS 02-03 September, 2026

1. INDIA TO HOST INAUGURAL WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2027 –

• The upcoming ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 will take place in India following the transfer of the maiden championship from Sri Lanka by the ICC. The championship will take place between February 14 and February 28, 2027, with six sides vying for the championship trophy. The move comes following the apprehensions about government meddling in the administration of Sri Lanka Cricket, which is currently running its affairs with an interim committee as it implements the reform measures.

Why was the Championship Moved to India?

• The championship was initially awarded to Sri Lanka. However, the ICC later stripped the country of the hosting rights amid concerns about government meddling in the affairs of Sri Lanka Cricket.
• Sri Lanka Cricket is currently undergoing reforms that were mandated by the ICC. The ongoing reforms necessitated the transfer of the hosting of the championship to India.

2. GOLLALA GUDI TEMPLE GETS NATIONAL MONUMENT STATUS –

• An ancient historic Gollala Gudi Temple in the village of Palampet in Mulugu district of Telangana state has been designated as a Monument of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The Kakatiya era temple is located near the World Heritage site of Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple, which is also popular as the Ramappa Temple. With the notification issued in the Gazette of India dated 31st August 2026, the lesser known heritage site will come under more stringent protection and conservation measures that can preserve its unique architecture and improve accessibility.

ASI Designates National Importance

• ASI has designated the Gollala Gudi temple as a monument of national importance by a notification issued in the Gazette S.O. 4802(E).
• The temple is located to the south-west of the UNESCO heritage listed Ramappa Temple.
• The significance of the declaration lies in the fact that national monuments carry higher status regarding preservation and conservation.

Why is Gollala Gudi Special?

• Gollala Gudi is a Trikutalaya, which is a temple that has three sanctums. The mandapa of this temple, which is facing east, is attached to three garbhagrihas.
• A Shiva Linga is there in the central sanctum, while the external parts of this temple have elaborate workmanship of the Kakatiya style.

3. RETIRED AIR MARSHAL JEETENDRA MISHRA NAMED RAM TEMPLE TRUST CEO –

• Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra, who has retired, has been chosen to be the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. The move comes at a time when the trust is beefing up its administration and finances amid a scandal over theft of donations meant for building Ram temple. Mishra boasts of more than three decades of experience in the Indian Air Force.

Appointment of Jeetendra Mishra As CEO of Ram Temple Trust

• Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has appointed retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as the CEO of the trust.
• The creation of the position of CEO came as a result of the trust being concerned about the management of temple donations amidst a donation theft scandal in Ayodhya.
• Mishra was chosen through a rigorous recruitment process where the trust had narrowed down to 18 candidates from 5,200 applications for the interview process, which started in August.

Who is Retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra?

• Jeetendra Mishra is an ex-Air Force pilot and officer from India who has gained rich experience in operations and technology.
• As per the PIB, he was commissioned as a fighter pilot into the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. In his career, he has served in different operations and leadership positions.

4. UPI TRANSACTIONS HIT RECORD HIGH 24.51 BILLION IN AUGUST –

• In the month of August 2026, UPI transactions touching an all-time high of 24.51 billion, as per the latest figures published by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The total transactions had a value of ₹29.82 trillion, which makes UPI central to India’s fast-growing digital payment ecosystem. The volume of transactions went up 3.6% on month-on-month basis and by 22% on year-on-year basis, on the other side the average daily transaction volume saw an increase to 791 million.

UPI Transactions Touch All-Time High in Number

• The month of August saw the second month in a row of record UPI transaction volumes. In July, UPI processed 23.66 billion transactions having a value of ₹29.88 trillion.
• Although there was a slight dip in UPI’s transaction value in August compared with July by 0.2%, the number of transactions saw an increase. The highest monthly transaction value of UPI was reported in the month of May at ₹29.9 trillion, where it processed 23.2 billion transactions.
• Compared with August 2025, the transaction volume of UPI saw an increase of 22%, while the transaction value saw a growth of 20%.

UPI Transactions Per Day Surpass 791 Million

• The magnitude of the UPI system is better understood when the system is considered daily. Daily average transactions on UPI rose from 763 million in July to 791 million in August.
• While daily average transaction value stood marginally lower at ₹96,205 crore in August from ₹96,383 crore in July, the growing number and relatively stable average transaction value indicate that UPI is processing an increasing number of digital transactions.
• According to industry experts, it is because of the growing use of digital payments for all kinds of commerce.

5. ISRO TO LAUNCH GSLV-F17 WITH EOS-05 EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITE-

• ISRO will be launching the GSLV-F17 rocket that will take the EOS-05, the most advanced Earth observation satellite, into the orbit on September 4, 2026. The mission is scheduled for 2:55 AM IST from the Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The significance of the mission lies in the fact that EOS-05 will become the first imaging satellite of India to operate from a geosynchronous orbit. The mission reflects the growing competence of the country in satellite-based Earth observation.

What Is GSLV-F17?

• The GSLV-F17 is the 19th flight of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) of India. The GSLV is the vehicle of ISRO designed to place satellites into high-orbit altitudes.
• During the GSLV-F17 mission, the GSLV will launch EOS-05 and put it into Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO) from where the satellite will perform the required manoeuvres to reach its target geosynchronous orbit.
• This mission will reveal the role of the GSLV as a means of launching heavy technologically advanced satellites into high altitudes of Earth’s orbit.

What Is EOS-05?

• EOS-05 is the advanced Earth observation and imaging satellite designed to collect the information about the Earth’s surface.
• In contrast to conventional imaging satellites that operate in low Earth orbit, EOS-05 will work from geosynchronous orbit. In that way, the satellite will be able to observe a larger part of Earth’s surface from the relatively higher altitude.

MCQ QUIZ

Q1.  What is rank of India in the V-Dem Institute’s 2026 Electoral Democracy Index ?

1. a) 101st
2. b) 104th
3. c) 106th
4. d) 109th

Q2.  Gollalagudi (Gollala Gudi) Temple, that was recently seen in news, is located in which state ?

1. a) Telangana
2. b) Madhya Pradesh
3. c) Uttar Pradesh
4. d) Gujarat

Q3.  Kavach is an indigenous system designed primarily for which purpose ?

1. a) Railway electrification
2. b) Automatic train protection
3. c) Passenger ticketing
4. d) Freight tracking

Q4.  Consider the following statements regarding the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):

1. The summit was hosted in Bishkek, marking the 25th anniversary of the founding of the SCO.
2. English was approved as an official and working language of the SCO via a protocol amendment to the SCO Charter during this summit.
3. Turkmenistan is one of the ten full member states that signed the Bishkek Declaration at this summit.

         Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1. a) 1 and 2 only
2. b) 2 only
3. c) 2 and 3 only
4. d) 1, 2, and 3

Explanation-

• Statement 1 is correct: The 26th Heads of State Summit of the SCO took place from August 31 to September 1, 2026, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, under its rotating chairmanship. The event coincided with the 25th anniversary of the organization’s formal establishment in 2001.
• Statement 2 is correct: During the 2026 Bishkek summit, leaders approved a protocol amending the SCO Charter to include English as an official and working language of the organization.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Turkmenistan is not a member state of the SCO; it maintains a status of permanent neutrality. The SCO currently has 10 member states: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. Turkmenistan is not part of this list.

Q5.  Consider the following statements regarding the National Accounts Statistics – 2026 released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI):

1. The publication introduces a new base year of 2022-23 for key macroeconomic indicators.
2. In the updated index series, the Producer Price Index (PPI) has replaced the old Wholesale Price Index (WPI) as an underlying price-related input in sectors like Manufacturing and IIP compilation.
3. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and the Banking Services Price Index (BkSPI) are kept on their older base years of 2011-12 to maintain historical continuity.

         Which of the statements given above are correct ?

1. a) 1 and 2 only
2. b) 1 and 3 only
3. c) 2 and 3 only
4. d) 1, 2, and 3

Explanation-

• Statement 1 is correct: The MoSPI released the National Accounts Statistics – 2026 publication shifting and updating indicators to the new base year of 2022–23.
• Statement 2 is correct: The updated series incorporates new series of output Producer Price Index (PPI), IIP, and BkSPI with the base year 2022-23. The PPI has replaced the obsolete WPI series, improving the mapping of price measures to economic activities in manufacturing and trade services.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Not just PPI, but the IIP and BkSPI have also been updated to the new base year of 2022–23 (released in June 2026), rather than retaining the older base year.

Answer Key