News In Short 14-09-2026

Acharya Vinoba Bhave 

Syllabus: GS1/History 

In News

• The Prime Minister paid tributes to Acharya Vinoba Bhave on his Jayanti.

Vinayak Narahar Bhave

• He was born on September 11, 1895, and was a staunch proponent of non-violence and a champion of human rights.
• He is often regarded as the National Teacher of India and the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi, and was also an eminent philosopher. 
• He translated the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi, titling it ‘Geetai’.
• He is remembered for his work on land reform and rural upliftment, particularly through the Bhoodan (land-gift) Movement. 
• His philosophy emphasised non-violence, social equality and voluntary service.

Association with Mahatma Gandhi 

• Acharya Vinoba Bhave’s affiliation with Mahatma Gandhi began in 1916 when Bhave was so inspired by Gandhi’s lecture at the Banaras Hindu University that he chose to give up his academic education.
• He then wrote to Gandhi, and after a series of letters, Gandhi invited him to meet personally at the Kochrab Ashram in Ahmedabad.
• The meeting proved to be a turning point in Bhave’s life, and he took up Gandhi’s beliefs and constructive programs like Khadi, village industries, Nai Talim, sanitation, and cleanliness. 
• In 1925, Gandhi entrusted him with the task of overseeing the entry of Harijans into the temple at Vaikom, Kerala.
• He became one of Gandhi’s closest associates and a prominent figure in India’s social reform campaigns. Gandhi saw Vinoba Bhave as his spiritual heir.

Legacy 

• He is remembered as one of India’s most revered spiritual leaders, freedom fighters, and social reformers. 
• His life of simplicity, compassion, and non-violence stands as a timeless inspiration for social justice, land reforms, and collective harmony in India.
• His thoughts inspire us greatly in the pursuit of building a Viksit Bharat.

Source: PIB

Perim Island (Mayun)

Syllabus: GS1/Places In News 

In News

• Iran-aligned Houthi forces took control of Perim Island, also known as Mayun, in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in a major territorial advance that could put further pressure on one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

Perim Island (Mayun)

• It is a small and barren volcanic island which lies about 3.5 kilometres off Yemen’s western coast.
• It is small, but its strategic location offers its possessor significant sway over shipping across the Red Sea and Suez Canal. 
• Its location gives the Houthis a potentially significant position overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
  • The waterway has become particularly important as the conflict around the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted another major route for global energy shipments.

Source: IE

New Development Bank (NDB)

Syllabus: GS2/IR 

In News

• Recently, BRICS nations affirmed the New Development Bank’s vital role in promoting sustainable development, reducing inequality, and supporting emerging economies globally.

New Development Bank (NDB) (Hq: Shanghai, China)

• The New Development Bank (NDB) is a multilateral development bank.
• It was established in 2015 by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS).
• The New Development Bank (NDB) has 11 official member countries, consisting of five founding members and six subsequently admitted members.
  • New admitted members are Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, Colombia & Uzbekistan.
  • The membership is open to members of the United Nations, including both borrowing and non-borrowing members (Article 2 of the NDB). 
• It aims to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs).
• Out of the initial authorized capital of $100 Billion, all 5 founding members have an equal share totaling $50 Billion.

Focus Areas 

Mandate 

• NDB supports infrastructure and sustainable development projects in alignment with the development objectives of members and their commitments under the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. 
• It prioritises high-impact operations that are climate-smart, disaster-resilient, technology-integrated and socially inclusive.

Source: TH

India Becomes the World’s 4th Largest Forex Holder

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

Context

• India’s foreign exchange reserves surged to a record $785.7 billion, moving the country to the world’s fourth‑largest holder.
  • India has dislodged Russia from the fourth spot and is now ranked only behind China, Japan, and Switzerland.

What are Foreign Exchange Reserves?

• Foreign Exchange Reserves are assets held by a country’s central bank in foreign currencies. These reserves include;
  • Foreign Currencies: A reserve of foreign currencies, including US dollars, euros, yen, etc.
  • Special Drawing Rights (SDRs): These are international reserve assets allocated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
  • Reserve Position in the IMF: This is the amount a country can access in the IMF without conditions.
  • Gold Reserves
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the custodian of the Foreign exchange reserves in India.
• Significance: Foreign exchange reserves are help India finance imports, stabilise the rupee, maintain investor confidence, and meet external payment obligations during periods of economic stress.

Source: ET

S-400 Triumf 

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

Context

• The Defence Ministry’s Annual Report 2025–26 has highlighted the operational role of India’s S-400 air-defence system during Operation Sindoor.

About S-400 Triumf 

• The S-400 Triumf is a long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by Russia. 
• Target Engagement: It is designed to provide layered air defence against a range of aerial threats, including aircraft, cruise missiles, UAVs and certain ballistic-missile threats.
• Multi-Layered Defense: It can use different interceptor missiles, with commonly cited maximum ranges of approximately 40 km, 120 km, 250 km and up to 400 km.
• Mobility: The system is fully mobile and includes a command and control center, automatic tracking and targeting systems, launchers, and support vehicles.
• Variant: The S-400F is the ship based version of the S-400 Triumf air defense system.

Source: TH

Hyenas

Syllabus: GS3/Species in News

Context

• A new study has found that in spotted hyenas, females dominate males not because they are bigger or stronger but because they have larger networks of social alliances.

Hyenas

• Hyena (family Hyaenidae) are doglike carnivores found in Asia and Africa and noted for their scavenging habits.
  • There are four distinct species of hyena. These include the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) which is also found in the Middle East and Asia as well as the brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), the aardwolf (Proteles cristatus) and the spotted hyena (Crocutta crocutta).
• They have excellent night-time vision and hearing.
• India is home mainly to the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena).
  • It is distributed across parts of arid and semi-arid landscapes, including grasslands, scrublands, deserts and open forests.
  • It plays an important ecological role by consuming carcasses and helping in nutrient recycling and disease regulation.

• Conservation Status: The Spotted Hyena is listed as Least Concern, the Striped Hyena and Brown Hyena are Near Threatened, and the Aardwolf is Least Concern.

Source: TH