Current Affairs - September 2, 2026 Current Affairs

Kyrgyzstan hosted the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at the Yrys Ordo Congress Hall in Bishkek under the chairmanship of President Sadyr Japarov. The summit brought together leaders from the SCO’s 10 member states, along with partner and observer countries. India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan participated as member states. The 2026 summit also marked the 25th anniversary of the SCO. Discussions focused on strengthening mutual trust, regional peace and stability, security, connectivity, economic cooperation, and multilateral engagement. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the priorities of Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity.

Copenhagen hosted the 4th India-Denmark MSME Joint Working Group meeting, which focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the MSME sector, innovation, and technology. The meeting brought together representatives from India’s Ministry of MSME and the Danish Patent and Trademark Office. Key areas of discussion included Intellectual Property-led growth, technology transfer, startup support, and innovation. The delegation also participated in TechBBQ, a major Nordic startup event, and visited Aarhus University Innovation Kitchen and Agro Food Park. The engagement reflects the growing economic and technological partnership between India and Denmark, including cooperation benefiting MSMEs and startups.

14.8% was the year-on-year growth recorded in India’s gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue in August 2026. The total gross GST collections reached ₹1,99,853 crore, reflecting strong revenue performance. Domestic transactions increased by 9.3% to ₹1,37,249 crore, while revenue from imports rose by 29% to ₹62,604 crore. After accounting for refunds, net GST revenue stood at ₹1,68,057 crore, registering an 8.3% increase. Total refunds increased significantly by 67.9% to ₹31,795 crore. The 57th GST Council meeting is scheduled for September 12, 2026.

62% was the growth recorded in India’s coconut exports during FY26, taking the total export value to ₹7,038.25 crore. The increase was supported by rising international demand for value-added coconut products and the expansion of India’s export market to 155 countries. Coconut-based products have applications across several sectors, including food, pharmaceuticals, water purification, capacitors, and other industries. The strong export performance highlights the growing economic importance of the coconut sector and India’s expanding role in the global coconut market. World Coconut Day 2026 will be observed on September 2, with celebrations planned in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to score a half-century in Duleep Trophy history at the age of 15 years and 157 days. He achieved this milestone during the 2026 semifinal between East Zone and Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru. Sooryavanshi scored 92 runs from 81 balls and reached his fifty in just 42 balls. He surpassed Laxman Singh’s 57-year-old record, who had scored a Duleep Trophy fifty at 16 years and 23 days in the 1969 edition.

September 2 is observed as World Coconut Day, and in 2026 it will be celebrated on Wednesday, September 2. The day highlights the importance of coconut in agriculture, food production, trade, and the economy. It also recognises the livelihoods of communities involved in coconut cultivation and promotes sustainable agricultural practices. World Coconut Day was first celebrated in 2009 in association with the International Coconut Community (ICC), formerly known as the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC). The coconut is often called the “tree of life” because its water, meat, milk, oil, husk, shell, and leaves have numerous uses.

Turkey became the 71st signatory to the Artemis Accords on August 31, 2026. The agreement was signed by Turkiye’s Minister for Industry and Technology, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Artemis Accords establish principles for peaceful, transparent, and cooperative exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Turkiye’s participation reflects its growing interest in space exploration and international cooperation. The country is developing its national space program and preparing its first lunar mission, AYAP-1. Turkiye’s first astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı, travelled to the International Space Station in 2024 and conducted scientific research.

Jeetendra Mishra, a retired Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force, was appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. He brings more than three decades of experience in the Indian Air Force and was commissioned as a fighter pilot on December 6, 1986. Mishra is a fighter combat leader and experimental test pilot with over 3,000 hours of flying experience. He has studied at prestigious institutions including the National Defence Academy, Air Force Test Pilots School, Air Command & Staff College in the USA, and Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK.

Nepal was the country involved in the Bhashini Shilpi session organised by the Digital India Bhashini Division on August 31, 2026. The initiative aimed to strengthen India-Nepal cooperation in multilingual artificial intelligence technology and digital inclusion. Bhashini serves as India’s national platform for AI-enabled translation and speech services, helping reduce language barriers in digital public infrastructure. It supports more than 800 government websites, processes over 9 billion AI-related information units, and handles more than 24 million AI inferences daily. The platform provides text-based support for 36 Indian languages, voice technology for 23 Indian languages, and multilingual capabilities across 35 international languages.

Shakti Sharma created history by becoming the first woman officer from the non-medical cadre in the Indian Defence Forces to be promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, a two-star rank. Commissioned into the Indian Air Force Education Branch on June 18, 1994, she has served for more than three decades across training institutions, field units, command headquarters and Air Headquarters. From September 1, 2026, she took charge as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Education) at Air Headquarters. Her career also includes serving as Principal of Sainik School, Kapurthala, and establishing academic-defence partnerships with institutions such as IIT Kanpur and Pune University.

Suman Ray was appointed as an Executive Director (ED) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) effective September 1, 2026. Before this appointment, he served as the Regional Director of the RBI for Maharashtra. As Executive Director, he will oversee the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) and the Premises Department. Ray has more than three decades of experience with the RBI and has worked across areas such as currency management, financial inclusion, payments and settlements, consumer education and protection, and human resources. He has also served as secretary to the Western Area Local Board.