Current Affairs - September 4, 2026 Current Affairs

Sudhansh Pant was assigned the additional charge of Secretary for both the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and the National Commission for Backwards Classes (NCBC) on September 2, 2026. He is a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre and currently serves as Secretary of the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment. Earlier, he served as Chief Secretary of Rajasthan and as Union Health Secretary during the COVID-19 pandemic. His additional charge will remain effective until a regular incumbent is appointed or further orders are issued. The NCSC is a constitutional body under Article 338, while the NCBC functions under Article 338B.

PhonePe became the first major Third-Party Application Provider (TPAP) to launch UPI 123Pay on September 2, 2026. The service enables offline UPI payments for feature phone users, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas with limited internet connectivity. It uses an SMS-based architecture that allows transactions even in regions with weak 2G networks. Users can make peer-to-peer transfers, merchant payments, check account balances, and view transaction history. The service is also supported by a voice-first, AI-powered helpline in English and 12 Indian languages. UPI 123Pay was originally launched by RBI and NPCI in March 2022 for non-smartphone users.

National Wildlife Day 2026 will be observed on September 4, focusing attention on wildlife conservation, endangered species, and habitat preservation. The observance encourages people to understand the importance of birds, insects, mammals, and other forms of wildlife in maintaining healthy ecosystems. It was established in 2005 by animal behaviourist and philanthropist Colleen Paige. September 4 is associated with the observance in connection with wildlife conservationist Steve Irwin. Activities include learning about endangered species, avoiding littering, planting native plants, observing wildlife responsibly, watching nature documentaries, and supporting conservation organisations.

Anil Chakravarthy has been named the next President and CEO of Adobe, with his appointment taking effect on December 1, 2026. He will succeed Shantanu Narayen, who will become Adobe’s executive chair. Chakravarthy joined Adobe in January 2020 as Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Digital Experience business. He later took charge of worldwide field operations and became President of Digital Experience and worldwide field operations in 2021. Before Adobe, he served as CEO of Informatica and held positions at Symantec, VeriSign, and McKinsey & Company. He holds degrees from IIT Varanasi and MIT.

Smriti Mandhana became the leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket after scoring 124 runs from just 64 balls against Hong Kong in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup on September 3, 2026. Her career international tally reached 10,880 runs across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, overtaking former India captain Mithali Raj’s 10,868 runs. Mandhana’s innings also included 14 fours and 7 sixes. With this achievement, she became the top run-getter in women’s international cricket and further strengthened her position among the greatest batters in women’s cricket.

Mizoram launched the Mizoram Green Schools League on September 2, 2026, to promote hygiene, cleanliness, and environmental responsibility among school students. The initiative is jointly organised by the Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation and School Education departments under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 framework. The competition is conducted at Block, District, and State levels, encouraging schools to adopt sustainable environmental practices. Cash prizes are also provided to participating schools as incentives. The initiative aims to make cleanliness a key indicator of school performance while integrating hygiene into the daily routines of children and adults.

RAKSHA is the strategy document launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to guide India’s defence diplomacy over the coming decade. It provides a long-term roadmap for strengthening bilateral and multilateral security partnerships and aligning defence interests with India’s international cooperation goals. The document focuses on four major pillars: strategic partnerships, capacity building, indigenous defence exports, and maritime security. It also seeks to enhance India’s role as a dependable defence partner and a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region. The framework represents a broader approach to strengthening India’s global defence engagement and regional security cooperation.

SBI Research revised India’s real GDP growth forecast for FY27 upward to 7.3% from its earlier estimate of 6.6% on September 1, 2026. The revision followed strong economic performance in Q1 FY27, when real GDP growth reached 7.8%, and GVA growth stood at 8.2%. The improved forecast is supported by stronger industrial production, services activity, credit demand, and resilient domestic consumption. SBI Research projected quarterly growth of 7.3% in Q2, 7.2% in Q3, and 6.9% in Q4. The report also highlighted robust manufacturing, services, capital formation, and export growth as important contributors.

Uzbekistan partnered with NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the international arm of NPCI, to enable UPI-based payments through the Unified National QR (UZQR) system. Under the agreement with Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre (HUMO), Indian travellers, including tourists and students, can make Person-to-Merchant (P2M) payments by scanning UZQR codes using UPI-enabled applications. The partnership received formal approval from the Reserve Bank of India and the Central Bank of Uzbekistan. With this development, Uzbekistan joined the growing group of countries accepting UPI for convenient cross-border digital payments.

Roger Federer was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, on September 2, 2026. He achieved this honour in his first year of eligibility after retiring from professional tennis in 2022. Federer won 20 Grand Slam titles, including a record eight Wimbledon championships, and completed his Career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in 2009. He also accumulated 103 ATP Tour titles and held the World No. 1 ranking for 310 weeks. His Olympic achievements include a doubles gold medal in 2008 and a singles silver medal in 2012.