28 September 2026
Union Minister for Education Pralhad Joshi held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi with France's Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space, Philippe Baptiste. French higher educational institutions were invited to explore setting up branch campuses in India, including at GIFT City in Gujarat and at locations where French companies need skilled technical manpower. Joshi said the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 offered an opportunity to deepen collaboration in education, research and innovation. The two sides discussed student, faculty and researcher mobility, collaborative academic programmes and cooperation in life sciences, social sciences and humanities. They also reviewed the ongoing revision of the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) Agreement between India and France. Language learning, teacher education and technology-enabled digital learning were the other areas taken up.
Indian Minister:
Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister for Education
French Minister:
Philippe Baptiste, Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space
Agreement under revision:
Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) Agreement
Campus location offered:
GIFT City, Gujarat
Why it matters for exams: India-France education cooperation, the MRQ Agreement and the Year of Innovation 2026 are likely bilateral-relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
28 September 2026
India and Fiji discussed maritime security, military training, cyber training and defence industry collaboration at the second India-Fiji Bilateral Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) in the Ministry of Defence, and Mason Smith, Permanent Secretary for Defence and Veterans Affairs of Fiji. India reiterated the importance it accords to Fiji and the Pacific Island Countries in its vision of a free, open, inclusive and secure Indo-Pacific. On the sidelines, Mason Smith met Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh for talks on bilateral defence and maritime cooperation. The Fijian delegation is scheduled to visit Kochi on 29-30 September to inspect facilities at the Southern Naval Command for advanced naval training and professional aviation training modules. The delegation also visited the National War Memorial and DPSU Bhavan at the World Trade Centre in New Delhi.
Edition of the JWG:
Second
Venue:
New Delhi
Indian co-chair:
Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation), Ministry of Defence
Fijian co-chair:
Mason Smith, Permanent Secretary for Defence and Veterans Affairs
Follow-up visit:
Kochi, 29-30 September
Why it matters for exams: India's defence engagement with Pacific Island Countries and the Kochi Southern Naval Command link make this useful for Kerala PSC and UPSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
28 September 2026
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal addressed the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He highlighted India's efforts towards digital justice, stronger measures against cybercrime and terrorism, wider international cooperation and timely delivery of justice. He also briefed delegates on the reforms brought in through India's new criminal laws. The Congress is being held from 26 September to 1 October 2026 under the theme "Accelerating crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: protecting people and planet and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the digital age". It is organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN agency mandated to help member states counter illicit drugs, transnational organised crime, corruption and terrorism. On the sidelines Meghwal met the UAE Minister of Justice, Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, to discuss India-UAE legal cooperation.
Edition:
15th UN Crime Congress
Venue and dates:
Abu Dhabi, 26 September to 1 October 2026
Organising agency:
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Indian representative:
Arjun Ram Meghwal, MoS (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice
Why it matters for exams: UNODC and the UN Crime Congress are frequently asked UN-body questions, and India's new criminal laws are a live syllabus topic.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
27 September 2026
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, addressing the General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, said India would exercise its right to defend itself against terrorism and that countries sponsoring cross-border terrorism must be held accountable. "There must be no dilution in our zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism," he said, adding that the financial aspects of terrorism must be exposed and countered. He said "Friendship and goodwill cannot co-exist with terrorism." On the conflict in the Gulf he called for restraint, de-escalation and the protection of civilians, and opposed attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers using international waterways. On the Ukraine conflict, now in its fifth year, he cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's position that "endless war must give way now, to an end to war". On West Asia he said a durable peace required a Two-State solution and pointed to India's humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people.
UNGA session:
81st session
Speaker:
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar
Stand on West Asia:
Two-State solution
Year of the Ukraine conflict:
Fifth year
Why it matters for exams: India's national statement at the UNGA is a standard source for questions on India's stand on terrorism, Ukraine and West Asia.
Kerala PSCUPSC
27 September 2026
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India and Canada were preparing to take their relationship "to a higher level" after a discussion with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly. In a post on X he described the meeting as a productive discussion held as the two sides prepare to raise the relationship. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had said at the UN that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Canada around December, and that Ottawa was making good progress in its trade negotiations with India towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. On the same UNGA sidelines Jaishankar met Venezuela's Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia Gonzalez and said energy ties were gaining momentum. He also met Belarus Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov and Mexico's Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Alvarez.
Canadian Foreign Minister:
Anita Anand
Canadian Prime Minister:
Mark Carney
Trade agreement under negotiation:
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
Other ministers met:
Venezuela, Belarus and Mexico
Why it matters for exams: The India-Canada trade negotiation and the CEPA framework are current bilateral-relations topics for UPSC and PSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
27 September 2026
The United States and China agreed to reduce tariffs on $30 billion of goods and to launch a dialogue on artificial intelligence, following President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington. A White House statement said the two countries reached consensus on recommendations for more favourable tariff treatment for $30 billion of non-sensitive goods in each direction. The reductions cover US exports such as agricultural goods, wood and cosmetics, and US imports including small appliances, toys and decorations. The three-day summit between Xi and President Donald Trump ended on Friday. The two sides also agreed to set up a trade council and to extend the outcomes of earlier talks held in Kuala Lumpur. On artificial intelligence they agreed to hold a dialogue on the technology's risks and benefits, with the next round set for November, and to set up a communication channel for AI-related incidents. Both sides agreed to support each other in hosting the APEC leaders' meeting and the G20 summit.
Value of goods covered:
$30 billion in each direction
Next AI dialogue round:
November
New mechanism agreed:
A trade council
Summits both sides will support:
APEC leaders' meeting and the G20 summit
Why it matters for exams: US-China trade and technology understandings shape world trade questions and the G20 and APEC calendar.
UPSCSSCBank
28 September 2026
Israel said it was revoking the diplomatic status of Dutch diplomats who represent the Netherlands at the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority. The step was announced on Sunday in response to Dutch sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank; the Netherlands' ban on imports of goods produced in settlements came into effect the previous week. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the Dutch diplomats operating in Ramallah must return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documentation within seven days, when their privileges and immunities are due to expire. Israel had earlier this month ordered the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem after London announced similar sanctions. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said he regretted the decision and that the Netherlands was weighing its response, adding that the temporary sanctions stemmed from an obligation not to contribute to the situation of the settlements. Many countries keep diplomats accredited to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah while living in East Jerusalem, with privileges granted under the Vienna Convention.
Israeli Foreign Minister:
Gideon Saar
Dutch Foreign Minister:
Tom Berendsen
Deadline set:
Seven days to return diplomatic documentation
Earlier similar step:
Closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem
Why it matters for exams: The Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and West Asian diplomacy are recurring international-relations topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
28 September 2026
The death toll from the Indonesian ferry that capsized earlier in September rose to 66, as divers continued searching on the 16th day of the operation. The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people, including 30 crew members, and an unknown number of vehicles when it capsized in bad weather early on 13 September during a voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. Search and rescue agency figures put the toll at 66 dead, 108 survivors and 69 still missing. Divers working through the 4,277-ton vessel were limited to a maximum depth of 27 metres and faced leaking fuel, dense gas concentrations and unstable structures, which slowed the search. Officials said the ship's operator needs to right the vessel and bring it to the surface. Indonesia relies on ferries to connect its 17,000 islands, as sea travel is cheaper and more accessible than flying.
Vessel:
Virgo Transport 8
People on board:
243, including 30 crew
Toll:
66 dead, 108 survivors, 69 missing
Route:
Surabaya, East Java to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan
Date of capsize:
13 September
Why it matters for exams: Major world disasters, with place names and figures, are standard current-affairs recall questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of France Francois Hollande on November 30, 2015. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy describes ISA as a treaty-based international intergovernmental organization. Its stated objective is to scale up solar energy and reduce the cost of solar power generation through aggregation of demand for solar finance, technologies, innovation, research and development, and capacity building. The alliance aims at mobilising more than USD 1000 billion of investment needed by 2030 for the massive deployment of solar energy.
Established:
30 November 2015
Founders:
PM Narendra Modi and President Francois Hollande of France
Investment target:
Over USD 1000 billion by 2030
Why it matters for exams: ISA is a frequently asked India-led multilateral initiative; its founding, objective and founder-countries are a staple in exams on international organisations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
NITI Aayog describes itself as the nodal institution for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in India, leading the 2030 Agenda in the spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism. It monitors the performance of States and Union Territories through the SDG India Index, the North-Eastern Region District SDG Index, and the Multidimensional Poverty Index, and promotes the localisation of SDGs while encouraging a competitive spirit among States and UTs. The SDG India Index Report, released by NITI Aayog, benchmarks the performance of all States and Union Territories and has reached its fourth edition.
Nodal institution for SDGs:
NITI Aayog
SDG India Index:
Fourth edition
Also monitors:
North-Eastern Region District SDG Index, Multidimensional Poverty Index
Why it matters for exams: NITI Aayog's SDG role and the SDG India Index are a recurring topic linking India's domestic governance to its global commitments under the UN 2030 Agenda.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The International Cooperation Division of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is mandated to negotiate, conclude and implement Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) agreements between India and other countries, and to provide inputs on STI aspects in international forums. This is carried out in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions abroad, and S&T Counsellors in Germany, Japan, Russia and the USA. Under Bilateral Cooperation, DST states that India has STI cooperation agreements with 83 countries. Cooperation has strengthened in recent years with Australia, Canada, the EU, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Russia, the UK and the USA. Cooperation with African countries has been strengthened through the India Africa S&T Initiative, and S&T is also leveraged to engage countries under India's Act East policy.
STI cooperation agreements:
83 countries
Coordinating division:
International Cooperation Division, DST
S&T Counsellors posted in:
Germany, Japan, Russia, USA
Why it matters for exams: The scale of India's bilateral STI cooperation and its coordination with MEA is a useful fact linking science governance to foreign policy.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) states that India became an Associate Member State of CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), Geneva, on 16.01.2017. At present, 10 Indian Industries are involved in CERN-related activities, and an Industrial Liaison Officer has been appointed to coordinate Indian companies' participation in CERN's market surveys and tenders. DST and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) jointly promote India's participation in CERN's mega-science experiments. Indian scientists, engineers and research students from 15 research groups participate in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and another 15 research groups participate in A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE). Thirty research groups are involved in the operation and utilisation of the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) infrastructure for the CMS and ALICE experiments.
Associate Member since:
16.01.2017
Indian industries involved:
10
Research groups in CMS experiment:
15
Why it matters for exams: India's Associate Membership of CERN and its participation in CMS/ALICE experiments are recurring science-diplomacy facts in general studies papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC