Padhairam

Key Highlights:

• AI models: Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) and Agricultural Monitoring and Event Detection (AMED).
• ALU: Helps map agricultural fields and analyse land patterns using spatial and farm-related data.
• AMED: Tracks changes in crops, land use, and other agricultural events at scale.
• Google Earth: Data from the models has been integrated as a visual agricultural data layer.
• Global expansion: The models have expanded beyond India to countries including Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Nigeria and Zambia.
• Farmland mapping: TerraStack has used the APIs to map more than 140 million hectares of farmland.
• Water management: Karnataka’s Water Resources Department has used the data across 2.6 million hectares of irrigated land.
• Sustainable farming: CarbonFarm is using ALU with Gemini for low-carbon rice cultivation, targeting 2 million hectares by 2030.
• The models could support precision agriculture, crop monitoring, irrigation planning, and digital agriculture services.

Key Highlights:

• Buffer onions sold: Around 4,000 tonnes.
• Cities covered: 17 cities.
• Subsidised retail price: ₹35 per kg.
• Onion buffer stock 2026: 1.21 lakh tonnes.
• Agencies involved: NCCF and NAFED.
• Onions are being transported from producing regions by truck and through the dedicated “Kanda Express” railway service.
• The government intervention is aimed at increasing availability and controlling rising onion prices.
• The new kharif onion crop is expected to arrive from mid-October, which could further improve supplies and ease price pressure.

Key Highlights:

• Meeting date: 6 September 2026.
• Location: Wacha-Damai Border Personnel Meeting point, Arunachal Pradesh.
• It was the first Corps Commander-level military meeting between India and China held in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Discussions focused on border tensions, communication, and measures to prevent further escalation along the LAC.
• The meeting followed recent diplomatic discussions between India and China on border management.
• The Wacha-Damai Border Personnel Meeting point has been operational since 2014 and is used for military communication between the two countries.
• The talks mark an important step toward maintaining peace, stability and better communication along the sensitive eastern border.

Key Highlights:

• Manufacturer: Apollo Dynamics.
• Drone: Ahuti Mk-II.
• It has been described as India’s fastest multi-rotor UAV.
• Maximum recorded speed: 498 km/h.
• The development highlights India’s growing capabilities in advanced UAV and drone technology.

Key Highlights:

• Launch vehicle: GSLV F17.
• Satellite: EOS-05.
• Orbit: Geosynchronous Orbit.
• The mission is aimed at improving border and coastal surveillance capabilities.
• It will add to India’s growing Earth-observation and space-based monitoring capabilities.

Key Highlights:

• Tamil Nadu plans to develop a world-class Olympic City.
• A separate Motor Sports City is also proposed.
• The projects are expected to strengthen the state’s sports infrastructure.
• The broader goal is to promote sports tourism and provide better training facilities for athletes.

Key Highlights:

• The awards recognise excellence in adventure activities.
• Major categories include Land, Water and Lifetime Achievement.
• Shiv Prasad Chamoli has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
• The awards celebrate individuals who have demonstrated exceptional courage, skill and dedication in adventure sports.

Key Highlights:

• The third stage of the Hyundai World Archery Para Series is being held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• This is India’s first time hosting the competition.
• The event highlights India’s growing role in international para-sports.
• It also allows Indian para-athletes to compete on home soil.

Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana has added another major achievement to her name by becoming the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket. Her impressive 124-run knock against Hong Kong in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026 helped her reach the milestone.

Key Highlights:

• Smriti Mandhana became the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket.
• She scored a remarkable 124 runs against Hong Kong.
• The record came during the Women’s Asia Cup 2026.
• Her achievement further strengthens her position as one of India’s leading women cricketers.

A) 104 runs
B) 114 runs
C) 124 runs
D) 134 runs

Answer: C) 124 runs

Explanation: Smriti Mandhana scored an impressive 124 runs against Hong Kong in the Women’s Asia Cup 2026. With this achievement, she became the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket, according to the given current-affairs information.

Key Highlights:

• A 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) has been constituted to examine the Bill.
• Sanjay Jaiswal, MP from West Champaran, Bihar, has been appointed as the Chairperson of the committee.
• The Bill seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA).
• The committee will review the proposed changes before the Bill moves ahead in Parliament.

A) Piyush Goyal
B) Sanjay Jaiswal
C) Rajnath Singh
D) Dharmendra Pradhan

Answer: B) Sanjay Jaiswal

Explanation: A 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) has been constituted to examine the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill 2026. Sanjay Jaiswal, MP from West Champaran, Bihar, has been appointed its Chairperson.