Exam-focused current affairs for BPSC and UPSC Prelims, with Bihar linkage, static concepts, key facts, exam traps and interactive MCQs.
11 SEPTEMBER 2026 • BPSC / UPSC PRELIMS
01
Science & Technology • Deep Ocean Mission
ORV Sagar Manthan — India’s Indigenous Ocean Research Vessel
India launched the advanced Ocean Research Vessel Sagar Manthan on 9 September 2026 at Rishi Bankim Shipyard, Kolkata. It is being built by GRSE for NCPOR under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Exam clarification: despite a newspaper headline describing it as a Navy research vessel, Sagar Manthan is not an Indian Navy vessel. It is an oceanographic research platform for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research.
₹840 crApprox. project cost
89.5 mLength
5,900 tGross tonnage
2028Expected delivery
Key mission facts
Built by: Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE).
User agency: National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR).
Administrative ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Deep Ocean Mission: Vertical 4 — Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration.
Designed for the Indian Ocean and extreme environments including the Southern Ocean.
What will it do?
Deep-ocean surveys and seabed exploration.
Geophysical and oceanographic investigations.
Multibeam bathymetry, seismic survey and sub-bottom profiling.
Deployment of ROVs and AUVs.
CTD profiling: Conductivity, Temperature and Depth of seawater.
Marine minerals
The vessel can explore Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges for polymetallic or multi-metal hydrothermal sulphide mineralisation.
Sagar Kanya link
Sagar Manthan is expected gradually to replace the ageing ORV Sagar Kanya, acquired from Germany in 1983.
Institutions
NCPOR is an autonomous MoES institution headquartered in Goa. GRSE is a Defence PSU headquartered in Kolkata.
Deep Ocean Mission→Vertical 4→Sagar Manthan→Survey + Exploration + Climate Science
Source basis supplied: PIB, GRSE/NCPOR and Deep Ocean Mission references cited in the teaching note.
Question 1: With reference to Sagar Manthan, consider the following statements:
02
Environment • Wildlife Trafficking
Five Baby Orangutans Rescued in Odisha
Five baby orangutans were rescued near Badapai village in the Bhograi area of Balasore district, Odisha. Because orangutans are not native to India, the case has raised suspicion of organised international wildlife trafficking.
Current case: the animals were shifted to Nandankanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar for quarantine and veterinary observation. Odisha Police STF and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) are probing the possible trafficking network.
Orangutan — key facts
Genus:Pongo; family Hominidae; great apes.
Natural distribution: Borneo and Sumatra.
Not naturally distributed in India.
Mainly arboreal and associated with tropical rainforests.
CITES: Appendix I.
Three living species
Bornean orangutan:Pongo pygmaeus.
Sumatran orangutan:Pongo abelii.
Tapanuli orangutan:Pongo tapanuliensis.
All three are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Nandankanan
Located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha; established in 1960. The wider complex includes a zoo, wildlife sanctuary and botanical garden. Kanjia Lake adjoins the zoo.
WCCB
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a specialised multidisciplinary body under MoEFCC, constituted in 2007 under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species seeks to ensure that international wildlife trade does not threaten species survival; Appendix I receives the strictest trade protection.
Source basis supplied: Indian Express, CITES, Central Zoo Authority, Nandankanan and MoEFCC references cited in the teaching note.
Question 2: With reference to orangutans, consider the following statements:
03
Environment • Tiger Conservation • NGT
Sariska Tiger Reserve — Mining Near Critical Tiger Habitat
An NGT-appointed joint committee reported that seven mining leases are located within 4 km of the existing Critical Tiger Habitat of Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, raising questions about mining, habitat disturbance, ESZ rules and wildlife clearances.
7Mining leases flagged
1.6–3.9 kmDistance cited from CTH
881.11 sq kmExisting core / CTH
332.23 sq kmBuffer area
Sariska — static facts
State: Rajasthan.
Landscape: Aravalli Range.
Part of Project Tiger since 1978–79.
Important species include tiger, leopard, hyena, caracal, sambar, chital and nilgai.
Tigers were reintroduced from Ranthambore after local extinction linked to poaching in the 2000s.
Why mining is a concern
Habitat fragmentation from roads, pits and related infrastructure.
Noise and vibration from mining and blasting.
Tiger dispersal outside core areas can be disrupted.
More human activity near wildlife habitat.
Possible damage to landscape connectivity and gene flow.
CTH vs ESZ — do not confuse
Concept
Where?
Main role
Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH)
Inside a Tiger Reserve
Core / inviolate area necessary for viable tiger conservation; primarily under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)
Around a Protected Area
Regulatory transition or shock-absorber zone that restricts environmentally harmful activities around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Supreme Court nuance
The supplied note highlights the 2023 clarification that mining within 1 km of a National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary boundary is not permissible, while notified or proposed ESZ limits can also matter.
Boundary rationalisation
An ongoing proposal would increase Sariska’s CTH from about 881.11 sq km to 924.48 sq km, making precise boundaries important for nearby lease clearances.
NGT facts
Established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010; principal bench New Delhi. It applies principles such as sustainable development, precautionary principle and polluter pays.
NTCANBWLMoEFCCNGTState Forest Department
Source basis supplied: NTCA, NGT, Supreme Court and related environmental-law references cited in the teaching note.
Question 3: With reference to Sariska Tiger Reserve, consider the following statements:
04
International Relations • Nuclear Governance
IAEA Refers Iran Nuclear Safeguards Issue to UN Security Council
On 9 September 2026, the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution reporting Iran to the UN Security Council for non-compliance with nuclear safeguards obligations, marking a major escalation from technical verification to international security diplomacy.
35IAEA Board members
23Votes in favour
1957IAEA established
ViennaIAEA headquarters
IAEA & safeguards
IAEA promotes peaceful nuclear cooperation and verifies that safeguarded nuclear material is not diverted for military purposes.
Iran is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Under a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, nuclear material and facilities must be declared and made available for verification.
Non-compliance does not automatically mean possession of a nuclear weapon.
Immediate dispute
Long-running questions over uranium traces at undeclared locations.
IAEA said it had not received satisfactory explanations or sufficient verification.
In June 2025 the Board formally found Iran in non-compliance with safeguards obligations.
Verification problems continued through 2025–26.
IAEA vs UN Security Council
IAEA
UN Security Council
Technical nuclear watchdog; inspection and safeguards verification.
Political and security organ of the UN; can adopt legally binding resolutions.
Can determine safeguards compliance and report non-compliance.
Can debate, demand cooperation and consider sanctions or other measures.
Cannot itself impose UNSC sanctions.
Has enforcement powers under the UN Charter.
12 Jun 2025→IAEA non-compliance finding→2025–26 access problems→9 Sep 2026 referral to UNSC / UNGA
Legal basis
Article XII.C of the IAEA Statute allows safeguards non-compliance to be reported to the UN Security Council and General Assembly.
Why sanctions are not automatic
Referral only places the matter before the UNSC. The Council must separately decide what action to take. Russia and China, both veto-holding members, opposed the IAEA resolution.
India angle
Escalation can affect West Asian stability, energy security, oil prices, the Strait of Hormuz and India’s connectivity and diplomatic interests.
Source basis supplied: IAEA, AP, Security Council material and safeguards-law references cited in the teaching note.
Question 4: With reference to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran's nuclear issue, consider the following statements:
05
International Relations • BRICS
18th BRICS Summit 2026 — India’s Chairship & West Asia Challenge
India will host the 18th BRICS Summit on 12–13 September 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. India assumed the BRICS chairship on 1 January 2026, its fourth chairship after 2012, 2016 and 2021.
2026 theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” — a people-centric, “Humanity First” approach organised around four pillars.
India’s four BRICS 2026 pillars
Pillar
Major focus
Resilience
Health, agriculture, food and energy security, disaster-risk reduction and resilient supply chains.
Innovation
Start-ups, MSMEs, science and technology, R&D, Digital Public Infrastructure and AI.
Cooperation
Multilateralism, global-governance reform and development cooperation.
Sustainability
Renewable energy, climate action, adaptation, nature-based solutions and sustainable consumption.
BRICS expansion
Original BRIC: Brazil, Russia, India and China.
South Africa joined in 2011.
Expansion in 2024 added Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
Indonesia joined in January 2025.
The supplied note lists 11 full members in 2026.
Why West Asia matters
Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE are all now inside the expanded grouping.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy chokepoint.
Regional escalation can raise oil and LNG prices, freight and insurance costs.
India’s challenge is to build consensus for a common Delhi Declaration despite divergent member positions.
Global South leadership
India can push development finance, food security, climate finance and technology concerns of developing countries.
Multipolarity
BRICS advocates stronger emerging-economy representation in institutions such as the UN, IMF and World Bank.
Strategic autonomy
India seeks productive ties with the US and Europe while engaging Russia, China, Iran and other non-Western partners.
18thBRICS Summit
12–13 SepSummit dates
11Members in supplied note
4thIndia BRICS chairship
Bharat MandapamNew DelhiIndonesia: 2025Strait of HormuzDelhi Declaration
Source basis supplied: PIB, MEA/Indian mission material and BRICS 2026 references cited in the teaching note.
Question 5: With reference to BRICS and India's 2026 Chairship, consider the following statements:
