Daily Current Affairs - 8 September 2026

Introduction

The CareerUdaya Daily Current Affairs - 8 September 2026 edition covers ten examination-focused developments in Assam culture and elections, skill development, energy, trade facilitation, defence acquisition, artificial intelligence cooperation, air-quality governance, clean freight and Northeast infrastructure. These notes are useful for APSC, ADRE, Assam Police, Assam TET, SSC, Banking and Railway examinations. Attempt the Daily Current Affairs Quiz - 8 September 2026 after revising the notes.

Assam Culture - Dr. Bhupen Hazarika's Birth Centenary

8 September 2026 marked the 100th birth anniversary of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, the singer, composer, lyricist, filmmaker and cultural figure closely associated with Assam and the Northeast. The Prime Minister paid tribute to him on the occasion, recalling the beginning of the birth-centenary celebrations in Guwahati in the previous year.

Bhupen Hazarika was born on 8 September 1926 at Sadiya in present-day Tinsukia district, Assam. He received the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2019. His work brought Assamese cultural expression to a national audience and also engaged with themes of social justice, humanism and the Brahmaputra valley. For examination purposes, distinguish an anniversary observance from an award announcement: the current hook is his birth centenary, while the Bharat Ratna is a separate, earlier honour.

Source: PIB release on Dr. Bhupen Hazarika's 100th birth anniversary

Elections and Assam - Bye-election Announced for Nagaon Parliamentary Constituency

The Election Commission announced a bye-election schedule for the 09-Nagaon Parliamentary Constituency of Assam, along with five Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and West Bengal. The vacancy in Nagaon was recorded following the resignation of Shri Pradyut Bordoloi.

The Election Commission stated that Electronic Voting Machines and VVPATs would be used at all polling stations. The Model Code of Conduct came into force immediately in the districts where the relevant constituency falls, subject to the Commission's instructions. The release also notes that electoral rolls continue to be updated until the last date for nominations in accordance with the applicable qualifying date. A bye-election fills a casual vacancy before the normal expiry of a House; it is different from a general election or an electoral-roll revision.

Source: PIB release on the Nagaon Parliamentary Constituency bye-election schedule

Skill Development - PM-SETU Approves Three Strategic Investment Plans

The fifth National Steering Committee of the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) approved Strategic Investment Plans worth Rs 735.70 crore for ITI clusters in Rajasthan, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. The approvals take the cumulative sanctioned investment under PM-SETU to Rs 2,171 crore across nine ITI clusters.

PM-SETU uses an industry-led hub-and-spoke model to upgrade Government Industrial Training Institutes. The approved clusters were Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, Medchal in Telangana and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. The committee also recorded the signing of a Shareholders' Agreement for the Bhiwadi cluster, making Rajasthan the first State to execute such an agreement under the scheme. The current-affairs point is not merely the amount: it is the use of industry partnerships and linked ITI clusters to improve infrastructure, courses and employability.

Source: PIB release on PM-SETU Strategic Investment Plans

Energy and Economy - First Round of Surface Coal and Lignite Gasification Scheme Closes

The first round of the Rs 37,500-crore Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects closed with seven applications from industry and public-sector entities. The scheme seeks to encourage the conversion of domestic coal and lignite into higher-value products such as syngas, methanol, ammonia, urea and hydrogen.

Coal gasification is a thermochemical process that converts coal into synthesis gas, or syngas, rather than directly burning it. The Government's stated objective is to build 100 million tonnes of coal-gasification capacity by 2030, including 75 million tonnes under this scheme. Applications in the first round covered outputs such as urea, direct reduced iron, synthetic natural gas and syngas. Candidates should link this development with energy security and import substitution, while remembering that a project application is not the same as a commissioned plant.

Source: PIB release on the surface coal and lignite gasification scheme

Trade Facilitation - DGFT Opens Certificate of Origin API Facility

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) introduced an Open Application Programming Interface facility for the issue and verification of Certificates of Origin (CoO) on the Trade Connect e-Platform. Eligible exporters can integrate their enterprise-resource-planning, accounting or other business software with the DGFT CoO system instead of entering the same information separately.

The facility covers both preferential and non-preferential Certificates of Origin. A preferential CoO is used under Free Trade Agreements, Regional Trade Agreements or Preferential Trade Agreements to claim eligible tariff concessions in the importing country. A non-preferential CoO is used for customs clearance, compliance or trade-remedy purposes but does not itself confer a tariff concession. The new facility provides three APIs: Authentication Token, CoO File, and Certificate Verification. This is a trade-facilitation measure, not an FTA in itself.

Source: PIB release on DGFT's Certificate of Origin Open API

Defence - DAC Accords Acceptance of Necessity for Major Acquisitions

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded Acceptance of Necessity, or AoN, to acquisition proposals estimated at about Rs 1.10 lakh crore for the Armed Forces. The DAC is chaired by the Raksha Mantri. AoN is in-principle administrative approval; it starts the acquisition process but does not mean that the equipment has already been delivered.

The approved proposals included CBRN reconnaissance vehicles, high-mobility vehicles, advanced light helicopters, trawl tanks and the Sarvatra Bridge System for the Army; Arudhra radars and marine gas turbines for the Navy; and capability-related proposals for the Air Force. The release said about 98% of the approved procurement value would be sourced from Indian industry. One notable digital-security item was the Defence Forces Secure Access Card system, intended to replace paper identity cards and passes with interoperable RFID-based smart cards.

Source: PIB release on DAC capital-acquisition proposals

Science and Technology - IndiaAI and Sweden Hold SITAC Dialogue

The IndiaAI Mission under MeitY held a bilateral dialogue with a Swedish delegation under the Sweden-India Technology and AI Corridor (SITAC) at Electronics Niketan, New Delhi. The discussion covered India's AI ecosystem, digitalisation priorities and avenues for bilateral industry and technology cooperation.

SITAC brings together the IndiaAI Mission, MeitY, the Embassy of Sweden, Business Sweden and participating companies. The dialogue considered themes such as data governance, localisation, responsible AI and market access, with possible future pilots, testbeds and ecosystem partnerships. This was a cooperation dialogue, not a treaty or a new statutory authority. In objective questions, connect IndiaAI with MeitY and distinguish SITAC from a domestic regulator or a funding scheme.

Source: PIB release on IndiaAI-Sweden cooperation under SITAC

Environment - Fifth Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change conferred the fifth Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards on Swachh Vayu Diwas 2026 and released a compendium of best management practices under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The exercise assesses participating cities and wards on measures addressing road dust, solid-waste management, vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, construction and demolition waste, and other sources.

The 2026 exercise covered 130 cities under NCAP. Cities are assessed in three population groups: below 3 lakh, 3 lakh to 10 lakh, and above 10 lakh. The process includes city self-assessment, approval by State-level monitoring committees, evaluation by the Central Pollution Control Board and field verification by independent committees. NCAP provides the framework for city-level clean-air strategies, while the PRANA portal tracks air-quality-management parameters. Do not confuse Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan with Swachh Survekshan, which is associated with urban cleanliness and sanitation.

Source: PIB release on the fifth Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards

Clean Mobility - PACT Launched for Zero-emission Freight

NITI Aayog's e-FAST India initiative launched the Platform for Aggregating Clean Transport (PACT) at the fifth e-FAST India Summit 2026. PACT is designed to aggregate freight demand from shippers, logistics-service providers and other stakeholders, then translate that demand into deployment opportunities along identified freight corridors.

The platform focuses on the commercial deployment of zero-emission trucks. It brings together shippers, logistics-service providers, vehicle manufacturers, financiers, charge-point operators and technology partners to improve demand visibility, charging planning and financing. The summit also introduced a ZET Marketplace for business, financing and charging partnerships. Zero-emission freight needs more than vehicle supply: it also needs viable demand aggregation, charging infrastructure and finance. This is why PACT is a platform for coordinated deployment rather than a vehicle-manufacturing programme.

Source: PIB release on PACT and zero-emission freight

Northeast Infrastructure - Projects Launched in Meghalaya

Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan laid the foundation stones for five projects worth over Rs 1,000 crore in Shillong, Meghalaya, during a public reception organised by the State Government. The announcement is relevant to Northeast infrastructure and regional development.

A foundation stone marks the beginning of a proposed construction or development project. It should not be reported as the completion or commissioning of that project. Meghalaya is noted for its matrilineal social traditions, an important cultural feature in many Northeast examinations. The event also highlighted the role of connectivity in linking remote villages with towns and cities. When revising, separate the factual current-affairs point - five projects worth over Rs 1,000 crore in Shillong - from broader policy assertions about development.

Source: PIB release on projects launched in Shillong

Revision Notes

Revise these ten anchors: Bhupen Hazarika - born 8 September 1926; Bharat Ratna 2019; Nagaon bye-election - 09-Nagaon Parliamentary Constituency; EVMs and VVPATs; PM-SETU - Rs 735.70 crore approved; industry-led ITI clusters; coal gasification - seven first-round applications; Certificate of Origin API - DGFT; preferential versus non-preferential CoO; DAC - AoN, not delivery; Rs 1.10 lakh crore; SITAC - IndiaAI and Sweden dialogue; Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan - NCAP; 130 cities in three population bands; PACT - aggregated demand for zero-emission freight; Meghalaya projects - five foundation stones worth over Rs 1,000 crore. Attempt the Daily Current Affairs Quiz - 8 September 2026 to test these points.

Exam Snapshot Table

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an AoN and a defence contract?

An Acceptance of Necessity is in-principle administrative approval for an acquisition. It is an early procurement-stage decision, not a completed contract or delivery.

What is a Certificate of Origin?

A Certificate of Origin certifies the origin of goods. Preferential certificates can support tariff concessions under an eligible trade agreement, while non-preferential certificates serve other trade and customs purposes.

What does PM-SETU seek to improve?

PM-SETU seeks to transform Government ITIs through industry partnerships, upgraded infrastructure, modern courses and a hub-and-spoke cluster model.

What does PACT stand for?

PACT stands for Platform for Aggregating Clean Transport. It aggregates demand and supports the commercial deployment of zero-emission freight vehicles.

Which programme is associated with Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan?

Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is linked with the National Clean Air Programme, which supports city-level air-quality-management strategies.

Why is Dr. Bhupen Hazarika important for Assam current affairs?

His 100th birth anniversary fell on 8 September 2026. He is a major Assamese cultural figure and was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2019.