UPSC CSE with Daksha

A genetically modified pig kidney has survived inside a human body for nearly nine months — marking a major milestone in the search for alternatives to human organ donations. #MedicalScience #KidneyTransplant #Healthcare #Xenotransplantation

India Has a New Fertiliser Problem: Sulphur A disruption in global energy markets is creating an unexpected challenge for Indian agriculture — soaring sulphur prices. Sulphur is largely recovered as a byproduct of oil refining and natural-gas processing. Disruptions affecting energy infrastructure in Russia and West Asia, alongside supply restrictions, have tightened availability. For India, landed sulphur prices have surged from around $322 per tonne in September 2025 to roughly $1,050–1,100 per tonne. Why does this matter for farmers? Sulphur is converted into sulphuric acid, which is essential for processing rock phosphate and manufacturing major phosphatic fertilisers such as DAP, SSP and complex NPK fertilisers. India consumes roughly 3.8–3.9 million tonnes of sulphur annually, with about 2–2.1 million tonnes used by the fertiliser industry. This makes international supply disruptions and price spikes particularly important for fertiliser economics. There is another source of pressure: EV batteries

𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑹𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒐 𝑫𝒂𝒚: 𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝟐𝟐 World Rhino Day is observed annually on September 22 to raise awareness about rhinoceros conservation and the urgent need to protect these majestic animals. The day highlights critical threats faced by rhinos, including poaching and habitat loss, while recognizing conservation efforts to safeguard rhino populations. It also emphasizes the importance of protecting rhinos for ecological balance, cultural heritage and future generations. #WorldRhinoDay #RhinoConservation #SaveRhinos #WildlifeConservation #ProtectWildlife

Italy is preparing to ban the burqa and niqab in schools, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday, putting the country back in the spotlight of Europe’s long-running debate over face-covering veils, religious expression and integration. European countries take widely different approaches to full-face veils, from nationwide bans to restrictions in specific public spaces.

Meta has spent billions building its tech empire through acquisitions. From WhatsApp’s $19 billion deal and Oculus’ $2 billion acquisition to Instagram’s $1 billion purchase, these deals have shaped Meta’s push into social media, advertising and emerging technology. #Meta #WhatsApp #Instagram #Oculus

Monsoon Retreat Begins, But 43% of India Remains Rain Deficient India’s southwest monsoon has started withdrawing from western Rajasthan, close to its normal withdrawal period. But the season leaves behind a major concern: nearly 43% of the country’s geographical area remains rain deficient. As of September 19, countrywide seasonal rainfall stood at 695.6 mm — 15% below normal. Several states recorded substantial deficits, including Meghalaya (-59%), Andhra Pradesh (-43%), Arunachal Pradesh (-41%), Bihar (-36%), Goa (-35%), Karnataka (-31%) and Kerala (-28%). The retreat of the southwest monsoon does not mean rainfall ends across India.

A woman travel vlogger from Keralam, who had earlier claimed that she was arrested, has now said that local authorities threatened to arrest her in Bamyan, Afghanistan. "According to the law of this country, a woman cannot travel alone," the vlogger, who runs the Facebook page Backpacker Arunima, said in a fresh social media post. She added that she had earlier been denied a permit in Jalalabad because she was travelling alone.

“Achieving peace is not passive or automatic. It’s an active and deliberate choice to invest in a better future.” On Monday’s #PeaceDay, #UnitedNations Secretary-General @antonioguterres calls on world leaders to invest in a peaceful future for all people. He also recognizes peacebuilders around the world — from volunteers and advocates to civil society leaders — who are bridging divides, uniting communities and pushing for dialogue. From speaking out against violence to challenging all forms of discrimination, there are many ways each of us can take action for a more just and equitable future.

🥈𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐥 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐧! She shoots 252.4 to finish 2nd in the Women's 10m Air Rifle individual final, India's second silver of the day at #AsianGames2026. 🇮🇳 #Cheer4Bharat #AichiNagoya2026 #TeamIndia

Australia has unveiled “My Feed, My Way”, a proposal that would require social-media platforms to give Australians over 16 a choice over their default feed. Under the draft rules, users could choose between: Algorithm ON — a personalised feed containing content recommended by the platform’s algorithm. Algorithm OFF — a feed based on the friends and creators they have chosen to follow. Users would be able to change this preference again later. The initiative forms part of Australia’s proposed Digital Duty of Care framework. Digital platforms would also have to identify risks of harm, document what they are doing to address them, and ensure those safeguards remain effective. Failure to comply with the Duty of Care could attract penalties of up to A$109.2 million. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the approach as giving Australians more control over their online experience rather than giving that control to government.

US President #DonaldTrump says that he is forming an AI Force and will announce an AI Czar in the near future. Mr Trump says he would not stand by and let the decimation or destruction of AI happen. He also describes #AI as the next Industrial Revolution and said that it could possibly account for as much as 25 per cent of US gross domestic product.

Anthropic Is Taking AI Drug Research Into the Real World AI company Anthropic has set up a wet lab in the San Francisco Bay Area, expanding its life-sciences work beyond computer-based, or “in silico,” experiments. Why does an AI company need a physical biology lab? AI models can help researchers analyse biological information, generate hypotheses and identify potential directions for further study. But computational predictions still need to be tested through real biological experiments. Anthropic’s head of life sciences, Eric Kauderer-Abrams, told Reuters: “We believe that to do biology, the final test is still and will be for a while in real lab work.”

India’s academic freedom has been "severely restricted” under the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, according to the annual “Free to Think 2026” report released by Scholars at Risk’s (SAR), an international network of higher education institutions that works to protect threatened scholars and promote academic freedom, headquartered at New York University. Founded in 1999 at the University of Chicago, SAR comprises over 650 universities, academic associations, and educational organisations across 40 countries. #éducation #academicfreedom #bjpgovernment

𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟖 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐮 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 India will host the Asian Senior Wushu Championships for the first time in 2028, with around 500 athletes from 42 countries across Asia expected to participate in the prestigious continental competition. The decision was officially approved at the Wushu Federation of Asia (WFA) Congress held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. In another significant development, Bhupender Singh Bajwa of the Wushu Association of India was nominated as a member of the Executive Committee of the Wushu Federation of Asia during the Congress. #AsianGames2026 #AichiNagoya2026

India Gets Its First Mainstream Plug-in Hybrid SUV: What Exactly Is a PHEV? India’s EV market is getting a new category of vehicle. The MG Hector Tomahawk PHEV is being positioned as India’s first mainstream plug-in hybrid SUV, combining an electric drivetrain with a conventional combustion engine. MG claims the vehicle can deliver: ⚡️ 115+ km of electric-only range ⛽️ 40+ km/l combined fuel efficiency 🛣 1,100+ km total range with a full fuel tank and fully charged battery So, what makes a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) different? #PHEV #ElectricVehicles #EV #HybridCars #PlugInHybrid #MGHector #ElectricCars #BEV #HEV #FCEV #EVIndia #CurrentAffairs #UPSC

Russia Sanctions Bill: Why India Is Watching Closely 🇮🇳🇺🇸🇷🇺 The US Congress has passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, potentially adding a new dimension to the India–US trade relationship. The legislation would give President Donald Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian oil and natural gas. India and China are among the major buyers of Russian energy. But an important distinction: this does NOT mean India automatically faces a 100% tariff. The actual impact would depend on whether the Bill becomes law and how its provisions are implemented. Why does this matter for India? 🛢 India imports over 88% of its crude oil requirements 🇷🇺 Russia remains one of India's most important crude suppliers 📦 Higher US tariffs could affect Indian exports and ongoing trade negotiations 🌍 Cutting Russian supplies sharply could also interact with already-tight global energy markets #India #Russia #USA #RussianOil #IndiaUSRelations

Today's 06 Important issues | 18 September 2026

For Prelims & Mains — explained in one place.

📖 Read the complete Current Affairs: [ Click Here ]

Daily Quiz | International Relations | 18 September [ Attempt Here ] #upscprelimsmcqs #currentaffairs #upscquiz #currentaffairsmcqs #upscmcqs #internationalrelationsmcqs

The 20th edition of the Global Gender Gap Report is out now. A global picture of progress towards gender parity, tracked over 20 years. #gendergap26

Can quantum computers become more stable and reliable? Scientists at the Quantum Information and Computing (QuIC) Laboratory, Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, have demonstrated a new approach to tackling one of quantum computing’s major challenges — the loss of fragile quantum states. Quantum computers rely on phenomena such as superposition and entanglement, but interactions with the surrounding environment can disrupt these states through decoherence. This makes calculations error-prone and creates a major obstacle to building scalable quantum computers.