🔆 ONE LINERS – 02 SEPTEMBER 2026
📍 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & ISSUES
🔆 G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meeting
🟢 Venue: Two-day meeting held in Asheville, USA, under the US Presidency.
🟢 India’s focus: Needs of emerging economies, sustainable growth, trade and investment.
🟢 Agenda: Global economic growth, financial stability, rising debt and reforms of the international financial system.
🟢 Issues: Russia’s participation caused disagreements; US raised concerns over China’s trade surplus.
🟢 Significance: Reflects India’s growing role in shaping global economic policies; G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled in Miami.
🔆 Dialogue Partner Status – GCAP 6th-Generation Fighter Jet
🟢 India joins the UK–Japan–Italy Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) as a “Dialogue Partner”.
🟢 India is not a buyer or developer; it will access discussions on the sixth-generation fighter aircraft, TEMPEST.
🟢 Benefit: Insight into advanced combat-air technologies while India develops its own AMCA (5th-generation) fighter.
🟢 GCAP: Funded with USD 6.1 billion; aircraft targeted for entry into service by 2034.
🟢 Context: India is also exploring the France-led Future Combat Air System (FCAS).
🟢 Significance: Positions India in the global sixth-generation fighter ecosystem.
🔆 SCO Summit 2026 – Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
🟢 26th SCO Summit held from 31 August–1 September 2026 at Yrys Ordo, Bishkek, under Kyrgyz chairmanship.
🟢 Theme: “25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity.”
🟢 Members: 10 states – India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus.
🟢 Agenda: Regional security, counter-terrorism, organised crime, cyber threats, trade, connectivity, energy security and sustainable development.
🟢 Highlights: Draft Bishkek Declaration, proposal for an SCO Energy Consortium and discussions on an SCO Development Bank.
🟢 Coincided with the SCO’s 25th anniversary and opening of the 6th World Nomad Games.
🟢 Significance: Strengthens Eurasian cooperation, multilateral engagement and people-to-people ties.
📍 ECONOMY
🔆 Veligonda Irrigation Project
🟢 Andhra Pradesh CM inaugurated the first phase and dedicated the project to the nation.
🟢 Scope: Diverts Krishna River water from Srisailam Reservoir to Nallamala Sagar through a gravity and canal network.
🟢 Phase I: Twin tunnels of 18.8 km and a 21.8-km feeder canal.
🟢 Benefits: Drinking water, irrigation and relief to around 4 lakh people.
🟢 Storage: 10.70 TMC; addresses drought in the Markapuram region.
🟢 Future: Second phase targeted for completion by 2028.
🔆 UPI Payments in Uzbekistan
🟢 NPCI International partnered with Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre.
🟢 Indian travellers can scan UZQR codes for instant merchant payments across retail, hospitality and services.
🟢 HUMO is the authorised partner; approvals came from the RBI and Central Bank of Uzbekistan.
🟢 Enables direct person-to-merchant (P2M) payments from Indian bank accounts, reducing dependence on cards, cash and forex markups.
🟢 UPI is now accepted in 10 countries: Singapore, UAE, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Greece.
🔆 Chennai Rain Futures Contract – NCDEX
🟢 NCDEX launches a rainfall-based weather derivatives futures contract for Chennai.
🟢 Purpose: Hedge financial risks linked to the Northeast Monsoon.
🟢 Feature: A rainfall index serves as the benchmark.
🟢 Significance: First-of-its-kind contract, strengthening weather-linked financial instruments in India.
🟢 Impact: Helps farmers, traders and businesses manage monsoon-related financial risks.
📍 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
🔆 National Conference on Quantum Biotechnology
🟢 Held at IIT Bombay, hosted by the QMet Tech Foundation.
🟢 Focused on applying quantum science to diagnostics, biomedical imaging, drug discovery and precision medicine under the National Quantum Mission.
🟢 Key areas included quantum for biology, biosensors, lab-to-industry innovation and biosensing.
🟢 Significance: Strengthens India’s collaborative quantum ecosystem and positions quantum-enabled life sciences as a key frontier.
🔆 Türkiye – 71st Artemis Accords Signatory
🟢 Türkiye officially joins the US-led Artemis Accords as the 71st signatory.
🟢 Framework: Promotes safe, transparent and peaceful exploration of the Moon, Mars and deep space, based on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
🟢 Commitments: Scientific data sharing, astronaut assistance, interoperability and protection of historic sites.
🟢 Türkiye’s ambitions: Developing its first lunar mission AYAP-1 and hosting the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya.
🟢 Milestones:Alper Gezeravcı became Türkiye’s first astronaut on the ISS in 2024; Tuva Atasever flew on Virgin Galactic 07.
🟢 Regional context: Türkiye is the seventh West Asian signatory, after UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Israel.
🟢 Significance: Strengthens the global Artemis coalition for long-term lunar presence and future Mars missions.
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