India Crosses 80 Lakh HPV Vaccine Doses in Six Months

India is already at 80 lakh doses of the HPV vaccine within only six months of starting the vaccination drive against cervical cancer in the country. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram have completed their vaccination drive with 100% coverage of their respective target groups. The programme provides a single dose of the HPV vaccine free of cost and voluntarily to 14-year-old girls at government health facilities after taking consent from their parents.

HPV Vaccination Drive Crosses Important Milestone

The programme was started in India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2026. The programme seeks to vaccinate adolescent girls against HPV, the virus causing most cases of cervical cancer.

According to government estimates, around 1.2 crore girls attain the age of 14 years in India every year. This would be the target group for the programme each year.

Health experts have hailed the 80-lakh mark but emphasised that along with vaccination, there must be continuous awareness about and cervical cancer screening.

HPV Vaccination Status – Which States Are Ahead?

There are four states which have achieved 100% vaccination status among identified population,

Gujarat
Uttar Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Mizoram

Other states have also reported very good progress. Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Assam have surpassed the 90% mark, whereas Karnataka has surpassed 85% mark.

Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, Kerala, Telangana and Odisha have surpassed 60% vaccination mark.

Number wise, it is Uttar Pradesh where more than 22 lakh adolescent girls have been vaccinated so far.

The success has been credited to the implementation of strategy, community mobilization and reaching out to districts by health workers.

Importance of HPV Vaccination

The issue of cervical cancer continues to be an important health problem in India. According to IARC, there were over 1.27 lakhs of new cases of cervical cancer in India in 2022.

Cervical cancer is preventable because almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by chronic infections with HPV. Therefore, vaccination against HPV before being exposed to the virus can help prevent cervical cancer.

But still, vaccination against HPV is not the only way to prevent cervical cancer. It is also necessary to conduct screenings for cervical cancer regularly after adulthood.

Opinion of Experts on the Milestone of 80 Lakh Doses

The oncologists have termed the number of vaccinations administered as significant, stressing continued awareness on the part of the general public.

HPV vaccination has also been mentioned as an intervention that not only helps in the prevention of cervical cancer but some vulvar, vaginal, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers caused due to HPV infection.

The ideal age group for administering HPV vaccines is between 9-14 years while catch-up vaccination might be recommended in other age groups based on individual need.

Southern Railway Achieves 100% Electrification Across 5,068 Km

Southern Railway has electrified its entire 5,068 route kilometre broad gauge rail network and made it 100 per cent electrified. This is a historic event for Indian Railways. It happened following the statutory inspection of the 71 km Pattukkottai-Karaikkudi section of the rail network of Tamil Nadu, which was completed on September 9, 2026. With the electrification of the Pattukkottai-Karaikkudi section, all broad gauge sections of the railway can run on electric traction without needing to change diesel engines to electric engines.

Final Section Electrification – Pattukkottai-Karaikkudi

The electrification of Pattukkottai-Karaikkudi included the installation and commissioning of overhead electrical equipment (OHE).

Subsequently, statutory inspection was done by Shri Ganesh, Principal Chief Electrical Engineer, Southern Railway.

The statutory inspection signified the electrification of the entire broad gauge network of the zone using 25 kV AC traction.

The electrification effort signifies 95 years of Indian Railways’ history of electrification beginning in 1931 and ending in 2026.

Why Does Full Electrification Have Advantages?

Full electrification is predicted to increase the efficiency of operations for passengers and freight.

Constant traction: The trains will no longer change from diesel to electric locomotives at junctions, which might decrease delays.
Speeding up: There are chances to achieve higher speeds with the usage of electric traction because acceleration and deceleration processes become much more efficient.
Higher utilization of the locomotives: It allows improving the efficiency of using locomotives during passenger and freight services.
Emission decrease: Higher proportion of electric traction results in lower amount of carbon emission.

The History of Electrification of Southern Railway

Southern Railway started using electric traction about 100 years ago.

On May 11, 1931, the electricity became available in Madras; thus, it was the second Indian city which had electric railway lines, after Bombay. The next important date was 1968 when the Madras Beach-Tambaram line was electrified to 25 kV AC.

Electrification of the Pattukkottai-Karaikkudi route in September 2026 completes the broad gauge system in the zone.

Gujarat Passes 24×7 Shops Bill to Boost Ease of Doing Business

Gujarat Passes 24x7 Shops Bill to Boost Ease of Doing Business

The Gujarat Assembly has passed the Ease of Doing Business Bill 2026 which brings in a range of regulatory amendments that make business operation in the state more efficient. The bill amends 12 provisions in 5 state acts with an emphasis on ease of compliance, simplification of approvals and use of technology to provide better government services. Some of the key changes include provisions that allow eligible commercial establishments to work 24/7, self-declaration for new businesses, risk-based fire safety regulation, expanded MSME protection measures and quicker registration for doctors from other states.

What Changes Have Been Introduced in the Gujarat Ease of Doing Business Bill 2026?

Proposed by the Minister of State for Industries Dr Jayram Gamit, the law aims to ease regulatory challenges and streamline the process for businesses.

Key provisions in the law includes,

24/7 operation of eligible shops and commercial establishments
Self-declaration for the new business registrations
Risk-based fire safety regulation
Enhancement of the MSME facilitation mechanism
Automated appeal process for delayed public services
Quicker registration of doctors from other states

Operation of Shops and Businesses Round the Clock

A notable provision that has been introduced is that eligible shops and businesses may operate 24×7 without any interruption on any day of the week, given certain conditions are fulfilled.

This particular provision is nothing new, in fact, Gujarat Shops and Establishments Act had already allowed certain establishments to operate round the clock from 2019. It was however, affected due to the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath such as night curfews and lockdowns.

Now, there is a revival of regulation in favor of operating businesses round the clock.

Risk Based Fire Safety & Self Declaration for Business Registration

The process of business registration will become easier as now a process of self-declaration will allow less verification initially.

It is noteworthy that the bill has amended the provision for fire safety in the Gujarat Fire Prevention Act.

Increased support for MSMEs

The Bill provides enhanced provisions to the Right to Business framework concerning MSMEs.

A total of eight more state acts have been covered in the MSME facilitation framework, such as electricity provision, GIDC Industrial Estates, co-operatives, and irrigation. The expanded framework is expected to facilitate the MSMEs in understanding the different regulatory requirements.

Automatic Appeals in Case of Delayed Public Services

The Bill provides automatic appeals under the Right of Citizens to Public Services Act.

In case any department is unable to provide resolution of the application or grievance in the prescribed period of time, the matter could be escalated automatically to a higher authority without the need to provide a fresh appeal.

Facilitation of Doctors Registration in Gujarat

Amendments to the Medical Council Act will also facilitate registration of doctors registered in other states of India.

The eligible medical practitioners can complete their registration in Gujarat by simply self-declaring.

India and US Strengthen Undersea Cable Security Cooperation

The technology collaboration between India and the US has been furthered to increase the resilience of global submarine cables, which act as an artery for the world’s digital communication systems. This move is part of the effort of both nations to secure key infrastructure that serves as the backbone for cloud computing, data centers, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence. Through the US-India TRUST (Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technologies) Initiative, experts from the government and industry sectors recently attended an Undersea Cables Workshop. The US has designated India as a future major center of subsea digital infrastructure due to its robust digital economy and geographical position.

Cooperation between the US and India on Undersea Cables

The most recent form of cooperation revolves around enhancing the security, resilience, and diversity of global undersea cable systems. This was reported by the US Embassy in India, which revealed that both nations held a conference called the Undersea Cables Workshop in September.

Undersea cables plays the vital role in the contemporary connectivity, facilitating the international data transmissions which contributes to the development of the economies, cloud computing, and innovative technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).

Why India can be a Cable Hub Globally

There is an increasing significance of India as far as its digital economy is growing along with the demand for cloud computing and AI infrastructure.

Its geographical location is an advantage that makes it connected to the key markets via subsea communications networks. The more India invests and collaborates internationally, the greater significance will play in the development of global subsea infrastructure.

The step is consistent with the strategy of India in relation to the digital infrastructure and advanced technologies.

TRUST Initiative Increases Tech Emphasis

The US-India TRUST Initiative is a program that was started during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in February 2025. The initiative aims at increasing the cooperation among government, academia, and private sector organizations on critical and emerging technologies.

These technologies includes the,

Artificial Intelligence
Semiconductors
Quantum computing
Biotechnology
Energy
Space
Defence and the critical technologies

The initiative also emphasizes trusted technology suppliers and protection of sensitive technologies.

AI Infrastructure and Data Centers

The two nations had already pledged their commitment towards the development of a US-India Roadmap for Accelerating AI Infrastructure. This roadmap is aimed at identifying obstacles to funding, creating, powering, and connecting AI infrastructure that originated from the US in India.

Moreover, this roadmap promotes investment in next-generation data centers, accessibility to computing resources and processors, AI models, and applications, keeping in view the regulatory and security issues.

This undersea cable collaboration brings an additional layer of physical infrastructure to these plans by bridging secure connectivity with India’s AI plans.

India Forex Reserves Hit Record $785.7 Billion

In the last week India’s Foreign Exchange Reserves witnessed the high jump and it has been valued at the $740.803 billion. Foreign exchange reserves had come under pressure due to the fall in the value of the rupee due to the tensions that arose in the West Asia region. The RBI had interfered in the foreign exchange market by selling dollars. However, the situation improved when the central bank introduced the concessional forex swap policy in June which helped to increase foreign currency inflows in the market and increased its liquidity.

Foreign Currency Assets Make the Biggest Jump

Foreign currency assets, the biggest part of India’s reserves, have made the highest jump in this case.

As per the RBI, FCAs had increased by $47.498 billion during this period and reached the level of $648.168 billion.

FCAs are expressed in US dollars but can include the value change in other currencies like the euro, pound, and yen which are also part of India’s foreign exchange reserves.

Rise in Reserves through FCNR(B) Deposit Window

The increase in reserves is due to large scale inflow through the special measures announced by RBI for foreign currency deposits.

The Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) deposit window received deposits worth $127.226 billion till August 31. Including overseas foreign currency borrowings and external commercial borrowings, total inflow stood at $136.377 billion.

This window was opened on June 8 and was supposed to be kept open until September 30. However, RBI prematurely closed it on August 31 after mentioning that its purpose had been fulfilled before time.

India Gold Reserves Drop

Not all the components of India’s reserves saw growth last week.

The reserves of gold of India fell by $2.594 billion and reached $113.816 billion.

On the other hand, the reserves of SDRs of India with the IMF fell by $4 million and reached $18.806 billion.

Bankers’ Books Evidence Act 2026 Takes Effect From October 1

The Bankers Books Evidence Act, 2026 will come into force from October 1st, 2026, will replace of the Act of 1891. This new legislation will provide a contemporary legal framework which will allow the use of the banking books in court processes. President Droupadi Murmu granted assent to the Act on August 13, 2026, while the Central Government announced on September 10 that the new Act will come into effect from October 1. The Act acknowledges changes in the nature of banking records and brings technology-enabled banking records under a contemporary evidence framework.

Why is the 2026 Act Significant?

The older Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891 had been made at a time when the banking records existed only in physical form.

The new Act takes a technology neutral approach and ensures that the legal framework accommodates banking records kept in various forms.

These include,

Physical records
Electronic records
Digital records
Virtual records
Cloud-based records
Contemporary banking records

How Will Banking Records Be Certified?

One of the important aspects is the standardization of the certification process of banking records that have been provided for use in legal processes.

The Act facilitates certification by means of manual, digital or electronic signatures.

The reason behind this provision is that the courts should be able to use the banking records for the purposes of their proceedings without resorting to paper-based certification processes alone.

What Changes When Bank Officials Are Summonsed?

Another change made by the new Act is the process of summoning of the bank officials where the bank is not a part of the legal proceedings.

Under the new Act, there should be a “special cause” mentioned in writing by the court prior to summoning these bank officials.

Can the Law Apply to Other Financial Institutions?

Under the law, the Central Government is authorised to apply the law’s provisions to certain financial institutions or classes of financial institutions.

This will ensure that the legal framework remains relevant to developments within the financial sector and the evolving technology and practices within banks and finance.

What is the Purpose of the New Law?

This law is part of the larger initiatives for updating the banking and financial laws in India.

The purpose of the law is to ensure that the legal framework becomes more relevant in view of modern banking through recognition of digital documents and certification.

International Day for South-South Cooperation 2026: Key Facts

International Day for South-South Cooperation will celebrated on September 11, 2026, as this day will help to demonstrate how countries can cooperate by exchanging knowledge, technologies, and other tangible ways. The reason why this day will be especially important this time is that, along with the celebration of the International Day for South-South Cooperation, this day will also serve as the launching point of the Global Alliance for South-South and Triangular Cooperation which will help countries in finding solutions for their problems.

International Day for South-South Cooperation 2026 Theme

On September 11, International Day for South-South Cooperation 2026 to be celebrated under the theme of “Solidarity Rising: Global Alliance for Inclusive and Innovative Development.”

This theme indicates the need for collaboration in terms of sharing knowledge and innovations to promote inclusive development. This theme also emphasizes how other countries’ successful experiences can be adopted and does not require developing something new.

The year 2026 marks the launch of the Global Alliance for South-South and Triangular Cooperation, which is a voluntary alliance, facilitated by the United Nations, initiated by the UNOSSC.

Why Is South-South Cooperation Significant?

The South-South cooperation is an opportunity for the developing nations to share experiences and knowledge and cope with the problems that have no boundaries.

The major issues includes,

Knowledge exchange: The countries exchange their successful approaches, experience and development models.
Innovation and technology: Low-cost innovations developed locally may be applicable to other countries.
Development issues: Cooperation helps to deal with climate change, health care, food and energy problems.
Capacity building: It builds the capacities and knowledge of countries.
Economic cooperation: Increasing trade and investment relations between countries create economic cooperation.

Role of Triangular Cooperation

The triangular approach gives an added dimension through the coming together of developing nations with developed nations or organizations. Experience and ownership from the South come together with some additional support of a technical, financial or institutional nature.

The proposed Global Alliance is intended to link countries seeking solutions with others who are capable of providing technology, knowledge, resources, etc. It would help disseminate good practices among a larger population.

UNESCO International Literacy Prizes 2026: Six Initiatives Honoured for Impact

The UNESCO has named six recipients of the International Literacy Prizes 2026, for their outstanding contributions to literacy through innovative projects from Colombia, Lebanon, Mexico, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Nigeria and Thailand. The prize was awarded during the International Literacy Day 2026, celebrated worldwide on September 8–9 in Chiapas, Mexico.

The theme for this year’s award ceremony is “Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity,” which emphasizes the requirement to ensure that literacy systems become more inclusive and multilingual.”

UNESCO International Literacy Prizes 2026: Notable Laureates

There were six programmes honoured through two literacy prizes offered by UNESCO: the King Sejong Literacy Prize and the Confucius Prize for Literacy.

UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize

The award, supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea, is concerned especially with the development of literacy programmes based on the mother tongue.

1. Escuelas LEO Programme – Colombia

Offered by BibloRed of Bogotá, the programme offers intercultural and multilingual literacy learning for Indigenous peoples, Deaf people, migrants, displaced persons and LGBTIQ+. The number of participants rose from 320 in 2024 to 443 in 2025.

2. Language Friendly School Programme – Netherlands

Conducted by the Rutu Foundation, the programme encourages the use of the language spoken at home in addition to the language of instruction. The programme operates in about 70 schools in 12 countries and involves over 32,000 students.

3. Project PAL – Nigeria

The Primary Accelerated Literacy project serves out-of-school children living in conflict zones in Niger Delta. The program makes use of solar powered literacy hubs, indigenous language teaching, and the Teaching at the Right Level strategy. For the period between 2023 and 2025, 8,500 learners were involved in this program, with 82% attaining functional literacy.

Each King Sejong laureate is awarded US$30,000, a medal, and a diploma.

UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy

This award is sponsored by the Chinese government and celebrates the innovation in literacy programs that include digital literacy and approaches for adults and out-of-school youth.

4. Accelerated Education for Out-of-school Displaced Youth – Lebanon

The Alsama Project delivers accelerated education for out-of-school displaced youth who have basic literacy skills. Through its intensive program, the learners develop basic literacy and numeracy skills within six months. The Alsama Project has been involved in educating more than 2,500 learners.

5. Chiapas Puede State Literacy Program – Mexico

The program covers all 121 municipalities in Chiapas and emphasizes on indigenous groups and women. The program involves bilingual education, digital and classroom-based teaching, community study circles, and pedagogy model of Matías de Córdova. More than 140,000 learners are targeted in this program and its objective is to reduce the illiteracy rate of the state from 13.7% to 4%.

6. Language for Life – Thailand

Started in 2016 by Hat Yai City Municipality, the program involves multilingual literacy through English, Malay, and Chinese. It includes language learning related to disaster communication, environment and economic activities.

Each Confucius Prize winner will be awarded US$30,000, medal and certificate.

What Are UNESCO Literacy Prizes?

The UNESCO International Literacy Prizes have been awarded since 1967 and have recognized over 600 individuals, organizations, and institutions for their efforts to promote literacy.

This year’s prizes are coming amid widespread global literacy disparities. UNESCO indicates that over 739 million youth and adults have not attained basic literacy skills, and 63% of them are women.

Over 77% of illiterate youth and adults reside in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. In addition, UNESCO estimates that four out of ten students around the globe do not meet minimum reading proficiency by the end of primary school, while 273 million children and youth are out of school.

World First Aid Day 2026: Theme, History and Importance

The World First Aid Day in 2026 widely celebrated on Saturday, September 12. This day marks the significance of having basic lifesaving skills when there are emergencies. This year’s theme is “First Aid in Migration Contexts” which emphasizes the need for the emergency care among the migrants and displaced people. World First Aid Day comes every year on the second Saturday of the month of September and it serves to remind people of the basic first aid procedures that can save lives and promote recovery.

Theme for World First Aid Day 2026

Theme for the World First Aid Day 2026 is “First Aid in the Migration Situation.”

This theme highlights the importance of first aid knowledge among the migrants and refugees. It highlights lifesaving techniques which can be helpful in safeguarding the wellbeing of people in all phases of migration.

Past Themes for World First Aid Day Were,

2025: First Aid and Climate Change
2024: First Aid and Sports
2023: First Aid in the Digital Era
2022: First Aid throughout Life
2021: First Aid and Road Safety
2020: First Aid Adapted to Pandemics
2019: First Aid and Excluded Populations

Why is World First Aid Day so Important?

First aid is defined as immediate help provided to an injured or suddenly sick individual without medical personnel being present. While basic first aid cannot be regarded as a replacement for medical assistance, proper actions might save lives and prevent further health deterioration.

By-standers may be able to provide significant help during accidents and sudden cases of illness, yet lack of basic first-aid information may become an obstacle to providing this assistance. This is why World First Aid Day aims at raising awareness and getting appropriate training.

History of First Aid

Modern-day idea of first aid was formed in the 19th century even though basic remedies for any injury or sickness existed throughout history.

Colonel Francis Duncan and Surgeon-Major Peter Shepherd from the Royal Herbert Military Hospital in Woolwich initiated first-aid classes for civilians in 1878. Shepherd created training modules on such first-aid techniques as bandaging and splinting.

First-aid certificates and classes became increasingly popular by the end of the 19th century.

Background History of World First Aid Day

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) initiated World First Aid Day in the year 2000.

This day is celebrated on the second Saturday of September every year with a new theme.

Four Basic Steps in First-Aid

Though emergencies can vary, there are four basic steps which form the foundation for all types of emergencies,

Safety: See if the environment is safe.
Person’s Condition: Assess the injured or sick person’s condition.
Help: Call emergency services if required.
First Aid: Provide necessary first aid.

What Is Thirukkural? Ancient Tamil Classic Gifted by PM Modi to Vladimir Putin

Honorable PM Narendra Modi presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural while hosting him in New Delhi prior to the BRICS Summit. This has led to increased interest in one of the most important books in Tamil literature, traditionally credited to poet philosopher Thiruvalluvar.

Written in Old Tamil, the Thirukkural consists of 1,330 kurals spread out in 133 chapters, which teach ideas related to ethics, behavior, administration, justice, money, friendships, family life, and love; hence it is not limited to any religion or philosophy.

What Is Thirukkural?

The Thirukkural, also known as the Kural, is an ancient Tamil text traditionally written by Thiruvalluvar. The book consists of 1,330 couplets that contain one idea or lesson.

This text is made up of 133 chapters, each consisting of 10 couplets. Instead of focusing on one area, it addresses a wide variety of aspects of human life.

These include,

Honesty and self-control
Humility, kindness, and hospitality
Learning and generosity
Social and family relationships
Leadership and good governance
Justice and taxation
Agriculture and wealth
Friendship and human behavior
Love and relationships

This work is especially important due to the relationship between private virtue and public life in it.

What is the Age of Thirukkural?

The precise age of Thirukkural continues to be a debatable topic for the scholars. It is estimated that it could be a text anywhere between 2,000 to 2,500 years old, however, there is no established period of its creation.

Different scholarly works have dated Thirukkural to a period anywhere from 300 BCE to the 5th century CE. There have been some linguistic studies which place a much younger date, even the 5th century CE.

Thus, calling Thirukkural a text of 2,500 years is just a traditional estimate and not an undisputed historical fact.

The Central Institute of Classical Tamil claims that it is a text written over 2,000 years ago and is still relevant.

What Are the Three Parts of Thirukkural?

The 133 chapters of the Thirukkural are divided into three major sections:

Section	Meaning	Main Focus
Aram	Virtue	Ethics and righteous conduct
Porul	Worldly affairs	Governance, justice, wealth and society
Inbam	Love	Love and human relationships

Porul is the largest section and deals extensively with political and social life, including rulers, ministers, justice, armies, agriculture, friendship and administration.

Why Did PM Modi Gift a Russian Edition to Putin?

The Russian version of the ancient Tamil book that was gifted to Vladimir Putin brings the ancient Tamil book into reach of the Russian speakers.

The Russian edition contains the original Tamil language text, Roman script transliteration, and Russian translation of the verses. The translation will make the book readable to those who cannot understand Tamil but want to learn about the ideas of Thiruvalluvar.

It is a way of showcasing the rich classical literary heritage of India in the international context.

Why Is Thirukkural Relevance?

The eternal relevance of Thirukkural lies in the variety of topics covered in it. It talks about qualities like honesty, compassion and self-restraint along with leadership, justice, civic responsibilities and relationship.

Its concepts are not limited to any specific time period or particular aspect of life. This broad human perspective has been instrumental in keeping the book relevant for centuries.

Therefore, gifting the Russian edition of Thirukkural to Putin has put the focus on Tamil literary heritage and a classical book with universal appeal.