Friday, 18 September 2026 · IST · Uttarakhand + National · 10 items · 2 MCQs
Uttarakhand's biggest stories today are the statewide Seva Sankalp campaign (17 Sept-17 Oct) and the ground-zero study of five high-risk glacial lakes after the Nepal GLOF, even as the Nainital High Court slammed an 'epidemic-like' water crisis. Nationally, India chaired the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi with 15 bilaterals, ISRO's EOS-05 became the heaviest GSLV payload, and the RBI held the repo rate at 5.5%.
Today at a glance — things to remember
Seva Sankalp campaign runs 17 Sept-17 Oct 2026 across Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand HC calls the Nainital water crisis 'epidemic-like'.
Ground-zero study of 5 high-risk glacial lakes begins (GLOF).
State has 450 glacial lakes; 13 are in max-risk Category A.
State governance & welfare delivery; Prelims: state schemes, Viksit Bharat 2047; Mains GS-II governance.
Context
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the statewide Seva Sankalp campaign, running 17 Sept-17 Oct 2026, timed to the PM's birthday, to deepen the citizen-government connect toward Viksit Bharat 2047.
Key facts
11 flagship programmes, including Seva Setu doorstep scheme camps and Aashirwad Ka Diya.
The Seva First Innovation Challenge uses IIT/IIM experts as jury and mentors.
Guiding theme: 'Jan-Jan Ki Sarkar, Jan-Jan Ke Dwar' (government at the citizen's doorstep).
Targets students, women, youth, beneficiaries and elected representatives.
Way forward
Impact hinges on last-mile saturation of central & state schemes and transparent beneficiary feedback.
Concept
Saturation governance aligns with SDG-16; Viksit Bharat 2047 is the 2047 centenary development vision.
Pillar diagram of the Seva Sankalp campaign showing five flagship programmes under the Viksit Bharat 2047 goal. — StudyForGS
2. Uttarakhand HC pulls up Nainital admin over 'epidemic-like' water crisis
POLITYUKPSC: Prelims + Mains (Polity, Governance & Rights - Uttarakhand)
Syllabus linkage
Judiciary - PIL & Article 226; right to clean water under Art. 21; public-health governance.
Context
The Nainital Division Bench (Justices Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Siddhartha Shah) termed a contaminated-water outbreak 'epidemic-like' and held officials accountable for negligence.
Key facts
2 deaths and 250+ people fell ill across villages such as Jeolikote, Chhina and Sariyatal.
Peyjal Nigam told to fast-track a Kumaon water-testing lab; the pollution board to sample 20-25 sources in 6 days.
The DM must ensure tanker supply of potable water; ₹4 lakh released for ELISA tests.
Way forward
Strengthen rural piped-water quality monitoring under the Jal Jeevan Mission and speed up sewer-leak redressal.
Concept
A PIL under Art. 226 lets High Courts enforce rights; the right to clean water flows from Art. 21.
3. Expert teams study 5 high-risk glacial lakes amid GLOF fears
Fairs & festivals of Uttarakhand; crowd/event management; cooperative event governance.
Context
Preparations for the 2027 Haridwar Kumbh have intensified, with the Chief Secretary reviewing ghats, roads and bridges and the Cabinet fast-tracking approvals.
Key facts
The Mela Officer can sanction works up to ₹1 crore; the Garhwal Commissioner up to ₹5 crore.
250 new State Transport buses were approved to boost Kumbh-period mobility.
Focus areas: crowd management, sanitation and riverfront (ghat) safety.
Way forward
Adopt tech-enabled crowd monitoring and carrying-capacity caps drawn from past pilgrim surges.
Concept
The Kumbh Mela (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2017) rotates among Haridwar, Prayagraj, Nashik and Ujjain.
Donut chart: Uttarakhand's 450 glacial lakes split into Category A (13), B and C risk tiers. — StudyForGS
5. Gross Environment Product: Uttarakhand's green-accounting model in focus
Green GDP/GEP, environmental economics, ecosystem services; Prelims: GEP as a first-in-India step.
Context
Uttarakhand's Gross Environment Product (GEP) - India's first - gains fresh policy salience as the state balances hydropower, tourism and Himalayan ecology.
Key facts
GEP values four resources - air, water, soil and forests - as an ecological balance-sheet.
It complements GDP by pricing ecosystem services, a form of 'green GDP'.
It supports payment-for-ecosystem-services and eco-sensitive-zone planning.
Way forward
Institutionalise annual GEP accounting to guide green budgeting and inter-state 'green bonus' claims.
Concept
Ecosystem services - provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting - underpin GEP valuation.
Bar chart of Uttarakhand GSDP: ₹3,81,889 crore (2025-26) rising ~12% to ₹4,27,716 crore (2026-27). — StudyForGS
6. India chairs the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi
IRUKPSC: Prelims + Mains (International Relations)
Syllabus linkage
India & groupings (BRICS), bilateral diplomacy; Mains GS-II international relations.
Context
India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit (11-13 Sept 2026) in New Delhi, where PM Modi held 15 bilateral meetings.
Key facts
Modi-Xi: reaffirmed that 'differences must not become disputes' and stressed border peace.
Modi-Putin: cooperation on defence, energy and space; India invited to the annual summit in Russia.
The New Delhi Declaration urged restraint on West Asia and humanitarian access to Gaza.
Way forward
Leverage BRICS for local-currency trade, connectivity and Global-South priorities.
Concept
BRICS (2009; expanded from 2024) is a plurilateral bloc in which India is a founding member.
Mind-map of the 18th BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi and PM Modi's key bilateral meetings. — StudyForGS
📜 Asked before in the exam — previous-year question on this topic
BPSC Prelims 2012 (56th-59th CCE)The Seventh BRICS Summit is proposed to be held in 2015 at
Space tech, Earth observation, GSLV; Prelims: launch vehicles and orbits.
Context
On 4 Sept 2026, GSLV-F17 placed EOS-05 toward geosynchronous orbit - a first for an Indian imaging satellite.
Key facts
At 2,367 kg, it is the heaviest payload ever flown by a GSLV.
It operates near 36,000 km for continuous observation of the same region.
It aids cyclone, flood and forest-fire tracking and disaster response, with a 7+ year life.
Way forward
Continuous GEO imaging boosts real-time disaster early-warning, valuable for Himalayan states.
Concept
A geosynchronous orbit (~35,786 km) has an orbital period equal to Earth's rotation.
Stat-tile row of ISRO EOS-05 key facts: GSLV-F17, 2,367 kg, ~36,000 km orbit, 7+ year life. — StudyForGS
📜 Asked before in the exam — previous-year question on this topic
UPSC Prelims 2011Satellites used for telecommunication relay are kept in a geostationary orbit. Such an orbit is one where: (1) the orbit is geosynchronous; (2) the orbit is circular; (3) the orbit lies in the plane of the earth's equator; (4) the orbit is at an altitude of about 22,236 miles?
1, 2 and 3 only
1, 3 and 4 only
2 and 4 only
1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only A geostationary orbit is geosynchronous, circular, and equatorial - matching statements 1-3. Statement 4 is correct in miles (about 35,786 km) but the way it is worded without the correct unit makes it inconsistent, so only the first three hold. Practise all UPSC Prelims PYQs (free) →
Linked because this news is about the same topic. The answer is as per the official key of that year.
8. ESA and ISRO deepen ties on Gaganyaan, Moon and Venus
SCI-TECHUKPSC: Prelims + Mains (Science & Tech - Space Diplomacy)
Syllabus linkage
International S&T cooperation, human spaceflight, planetary missions.
Context
At the Paris space summit (Sept 2026), the ESA and ISRO expanded cooperation across human spaceflight and planetary science.
Key facts
ESA will provide ground-station support for Gaganyaan (3 crew, 400 km orbit, 3-day mission).
The Venus Orbiter Mission is set for March 2028, costs ₹1,236 crore and carries 19 payloads.
Cooperation extends to the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station and lunar exploration.
Way forward
Global partnerships cut cost and risk for India's crewed and deep-space ambitions.
Concept
Gaganyaan is India's first human-spaceflight programme; V. Narayanan chairs ISRO.
9. India ranks 131st on the Global Gender Gap Index 2026
Gender indices, social justice; Prelims: reports and their publishing bodies.
Context
The Global Gender Gap Index 2026 placed India at 131st, with Iceland again topping the global ranking.
Key facts
India retained its 131st rank; gaps persist in economic participation and health.
Iceland remains No. 1, as it has for well over a decade.
The index scores four sub-indices: economy, education, health and political empowerment.
Way forward
Raising female labour-force participation and political representation is key to closing the gap.
Concept
The World Economic Forum publishes the Gender Gap, Global Risks and Travel & Tourism reports.
📜 Asked before in the exam — previous-year question on this topic
UPSC Prelims 2023Which international agencies respectively publish the 'Global Gender Gap Report' and the 'Gender Inequality Index'?
World Economic Forum and UNDP
United Nations and World Bank
UNDP and World Economic Forum
IMF and UN Women
Show answer
Answer: (a) World Economic Forum and UNDP The World Economic Forum publishes the annual Global Gender Gap Report, while the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) computes the Gender Inequality Index as part of its Human Development Report. Practise all UPSC Prelims PYQs (free) →
BPSC Prelims 2023 (69th CCE)The Global Gender Gap Report is released by
Monetary policy, MPC, inflation targeting; Prelims: repo/CRR and RBI tools.
Context
The Monetary Policy Committee kept the repo rate at 5.5%, retaining a neutral stance amid easing inflation.
Key facts
Repo rate: 5.5%; policy stance: neutral.
GDP growth is projected at around 6.8% for the year.
The inflation-targeting band remains 4% (+/- 2%).
Way forward
A data-dependent RBI keeps balancing growth support against price stability.
Concept
The MPC (6 members) sets policy under the RBI Act's flexible inflation-targeting framework.
Bar chart of Uttarakhand's 2026-27 budget allocations by sector: education, agriculture, railways, roads and power. — StudyForGS
📜 Asked before in the exam — previous-year question on this topic
BPSC Prelims 2012 (56th-59th CCE)Consider the following statements. 1. Bank rate is the rate of interest which RBI charges its clients on their short-term borrowing. 2. Repo rate is the rate of interest which RBI charges its clients on their long-term borrowing. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q1. With reference to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) in Uttarakhand, consider the following statements: 1. The state has classified its glacial lakes into risk categories A, B and C. 2. Category-A lakes carry the maximum risk. 3. The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology is among the agencies studying them. Which of the statements given above are correct?
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: D Uttarakhand's ~450 glacial lakes are tiered A/B/C; the 13 Category-A lakes are highest-risk; the Wadia Institute, CWC and C-DAC are among the study agencies. Hence all three are correct.
Q2. EOS-05, recently launched by ISRO, is best described as:
A navigation satellite in low Earth orbit
India's first dedicated imaging satellite in geosynchronous orbit
A communication satellite launched by the PSLV
A lunar orbiter
Show answer
Answer: B EOS-05, launched on GSLV-F17 at 2,367 kg (the heaviest GSLV payload), is India's first dedicated Earth-imaging satellite headed to geosynchronous orbit (~36,000 km) for continuous observation.
Mains practice question
Q. Recurrent GLOF and cloudburst events expose the fragility of Himalayan states. Discuss the disaster-management measures Uttarakhand needs, integrating early-warning technology and community preparedness. (250 words)
Hint / approach
Anchor on the Aug 2026 Nepal GLOF, 450 lakes / 13 Category-A, the DM Act 2005 and SDMA, sensors and lake-lowering siphons, and community drills; conclude with green-accounting (GEP) linkages.
📌 One-line revision: Revise today: Seva Sankalp (17 Sep-17 Oct), 450 glacial lakes / 13 Category-A, EOS-05 on GSLV-F17 (2,367 kg), 18th BRICS in New Delhi, India 131st on the Gender Gap Index, RBI repo 5.5%.
