UPSC Daily Current Affairs | One Liners 09-09-2026

One Liners 09-09-2026

History, Art and Culture

Pallava‑Era Lingam and Pandya Coin

13th‑century Pandya copper coin and ancient Sivalingam discovered near Budalur, Thanjavur.

• Coin –
• Belongs to Emperor Jatavarman Sundara Pandiyan I (AD 1250–1284),
• An issue from the king’s first regnal year, corresponding to AD 1251.

• Weighs –   3.30 gm;
• Tamil legend ‘Ellanthalaiyanan’ runs around the rim along with numeral ‘1’ marking first regnal year.
• Design – Obverse–  human figure; Reverse–  fish between two lamps.
• Lingam – Large 3‑ft Sivalingam in nearby grove, dated to Pallava period.
• Context – Region historically ruled by Cholas, Pallavas, Mutharaiyars, Pandiyas, Nayaks, Marathas.

International Relations and Issues

79^th Session of WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia

• Location – Dili, Timor-Leste.
• Participants – Health ministers and senior officials from South-East Asia Region (SEARO) member states to address regional public health priorities.
• (SEARO) member states – Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.
• Core Theme – Human Resources for Health–  Equity in Specialized Care.
• Major Outcome – Adoption of the Dili Declaration on Human Resources for Health–  Equity in Specialised Care
• To improve regional access to specialized care, digital health, and teleconsultations.
• WHO Awards – India received two awards for eliminating maternal/neonatal tetanus and managing noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

Environment

‘JSJB 3.0’ – Catch the Rain Campaign 2026

Chhattisgarh leads nation with 77,719 water conservation structures completed in JSJB 3.0.

• Presentation – Chhattisgarh CM showcased model at Ministry of Jal Shakti Summit in New Delhi.
• Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) – A community-led programme that promotes water conservation and groundwater recharge.
• Process – Building low-cost structures under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan–  Catch the Rain initiative.
• Four Measures for Strengthening Water Conservation –
  • State-specific ‘Catch the Rain’ plans.
  • State Water Awards for high-performing states.
  • Mapping of water conservation structures through      BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics).
  • Quarterly reviews chaired by chief secretaries.
• Innovation – 5% Model in Koriya district – farmers dedicate land for groundwater recharge.
• Impact – 5 Five districts “Surajpur, Mahasamund, Balod, Baloda Bazar-Bhatapara and Kabirdha” have secured places among the country’s top 10 districts in water conservation efforts.
• Groundwater-stressed blocks classified as ‘critical’ and ‘semi-critical’ in Chhattisgarh has declined from 26 to 19.

Wildfire Crisis in Kalimantan

Wildfires impacted 60% (25.8M hectares) of Bornean orangutan habitat in 2026, driven by climate change and severe El Niño.

• Hotspot Intensity – 17,865 hotspots (78.5% of region's total) were detected in orangutan territories.
• Severe Extinction Threat –  Population fell by 80% in <50 years to 57,350.
• Ecosystem Risks –  Loss of forest canopy, food sources, nesting trees, and habitat connectivity.
• Emergency Response–  Immediate post-fire damage surveys to reset Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) baselines.
• Policy Action – Formulate an Emergency Action Plan focusing on habitat corridors, fire prevention, law enforcement, and ecosystem restoration.

Science

New Type of ‘Leather’ – Coffee Husk Innovation

Scientists at CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Chennai, developed leather‑like material from coffee husk.

• Process – A multi-stage process that converts the husk into a matrix using plant-derived materials.
• The matrix is then coloured, coated, and embossed to give it different textures and a leather-like finish.
• Eco Concept – Zero‑liquid and zero‑solid waste discharge; alternative to PU (polyurethane) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) synthetics, not real leather.
• Output – Used for bags, wallets, footwear, notebook covers; transferred patent to Bengaluru‑based company.
• Scale – India produces 3.5 lakh tonnes coffee annually to 1 lakh tonnes husk waste.
• Past Work – CLRI earlier created mango pulp leather‑like material; developed technologies with around 24 varieties of waste materials.

Five New Space Industry Partnerships – Australia and India

Australia and India expand space cooperation with five industry partnerships at 9th Bengaluru Space Expo, Sep 8, 2026.

• Satellite Infrastructure – LatConnect 60 partners with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for SWIRSAT mission using India’s ground stations.
• Reusable Recovery and Spaceports – Space Angel Group signs MoUs with Andura Expeditions, Inbound Aerospace, Red Balloon Aerospace for spaceport activities, capsule recovery, asteroid resource return.
• Research and Education – University of Western Australia collaborates with Space Industry Association of India under Global Engagement Alliance.

Miscellaneous

First Ever Global Road Surface Dataset 

Heidelberg University and HeiGIT released first global, multi‑temporal road surface dataset.

• Multi-temporal road surface dataset – A dataset tracking road material, width, and passability over time to monitor infrastructure changes.
• Coverage – Mapped 9.2 million km arterial roads (2020 and 2024) with 89.2% accuracy using GeoAI and PlanetScope imagery.
• Findings – Reveals global infrastructure disparities; Europe/North America 97% paved, Sub‑Saharan Africa 63% paved.
• Urban‑Rural Divide – Urban networks 93% paved; rural pavedness lags, especially in Central Africa and South America.
• Applications – Supports planning, logistics, climate resilience, humanitarian operations.

27^th World Knowledge Forum

27^th World Knowledge Forum opened Sep 8–10, 2026 at Jangchung Arena and The Shilla Seoul.

• World Knowledge Forum – Asia's largest business and knowledge-sharing forum, established to promote balanced global growth and prosperity through the exchange of ideas.
• Theme – “The Promethean Moment: Architecting the Co‑Intelligence Order”.
• Focus – Artificial Intelligence, Co‑Intelligence, Global Economic Change.
• Sessions – Personal AI, Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity.
• Awards – ASEAN Entrepreneurs Award to Jose Ma. Concepcion III and Don Lam.

5^th Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards

• MoEFCC organised Swachh Vayu Diwas 2026 on International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.
• Top Rank – Lucknow secured 1st position among million‑plus cities for proactive air pollution control.
• Measures – EVs in waste fleet, mechanised sweeping, legacy waste remediation.
• Other Ranks – Indore 2^nd, Jabalpur 3^rd; Delhi 30^th, Mumbai 37^th; Chennai, Jamshedpur, Kota, Kolkata, Madurai bottom five.
• Framework – Awards under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP); 130 cities assessed via self‑evaluation, Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB) for review and field verification.