Prelims Current Affairs includes Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan Hold First Defence Pact Meeting, China And Bangladesh Begin 2+2 Dialogue Preparations, India Records Nearly 80% Drop In Malaria Cases, Nasa Launches Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, Germany Retain Hockey World Cup Title With 1-0 Win, Pm Modi Receives Uzbekistan’s Oliy Darajali Dostlik Order, Ladakh To Get High Court Bench & Mandi Instructor Gets National Teachers’ Award

INTERNATIONAL

1. TURKEY, SAUDI ARABIA, PAKISTAN HOLD FIRST DEFENCE PACT MEETING

Current Context: Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan held the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under their Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Istanbul. The meeting brings the trilateral defence pact into its implementation phase.

ABOUT THE MAKKAH JOINT DEFENCE AGREEMENT

• Signed: 7 August 2026 in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
• Nature: Trilateral defence and collective-security arrangement
• The agreement provides that an armed attack against one member will be considered an attack against all three, broadly resembling the collective-defence principle of NATO’s Article 5.

FIRST COMMITTEE MEETING

• The committee includes the foreign ministers, defence ministers and military chiefs of the three countries.

INTERNATIONAL

2. CHINA AND BANGLADESH BEGIN 2+2 DIALOGUE PREPARATIONS

Current Context: Bangladesh and China have begun preparations for their first “2+2” Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue, with groundwork underway for a State Minister-level dialogue and an early Foreign Minister-level Strategic Dialogue.

ABOUT 2+2 DIALOGUE

• 2+2 Dialogue is a high-level diplomatic mechanism where two senior ministers/officials from each country participate together.
• Typically, the Foreign Minister and Defence Minister represent each country.

HOW DID IT BEGIN?

• During Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman’s official visit to China from 22-26 June 2026, both countries agreed to explore a “2+2” dialogue mechanism on diplomacy and defence.
• The two sides also agreed to establish a Foreign Minister-level strategic dialogue mechanism.

HEALTH

3. INDIA RECORDS NEARLY 80% DROP IN MALARIA CASES

Current Context: India recorded a nearly 80% decline in malaria cases and deaths between 2015 and 2025, according to the Union Health Ministry. The number of high-burden malaria districts fell from 155 to 33, while 160 districts reported zero indigenous malaria cases during 2022–2025.

INDIA’S PROGRESS

• Between 2015 and 2024, official data recorded a 1% decline in malaria morbidity and 77.6% decline in mortality.
• The latest 2026 assessment indicates that the decline reached nearly 80% for both cases and deaths between 2015 and 2025.
• High-burden districts: reduced from 155 to 33.
• 160 districts reported zero indigenous malaria cases during 2022–2025, indicating sustained interruption of local transmission in these areas.

EARLIER BASELINE

• In 2015, India reported around 69 lakh malaria cases and 384 deaths.
• By 2023, cases had fallen to 28 lakh and deaths to 83.
• This represents the impact of sustained surveillance, early diagnosis, treatment and vector-control measures.
• High-burden States/UTs (9):
• Mizoram, Odisha, Tripura, Assam, Andhra Pradesh
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra

INDIA’S MALARIA ELIMINATION TARGET

• Zero indigenous malaria cases: targeted by 2027.
• Malaria elimination in India: targeted by 2030.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

4. NASA LAUNCHES NANCY GRACE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE

Current Context: NASA successfully launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on 30 August 2026 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

ABOUT THE TELESCOPE

• Destination: Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2)
• Distance of L2: Approximately 1 million miles (1.5 million km) from Earth
• Primary mission: Study dark energy, dark matter and exoplanets
• Mission duration: At least 5 years, with the possibility of an extension depending on spacecraft reso

Key Facts:

• Named after: Nancy Grace Roman (first Chief of Astronomy at NASA)
• Core hardware originally built for National Reconnaissance Office (donated to NASA in 2012)
• Launched 9 months ahead of baseline schedule (May 2027)

SPORTS

5. GERMANY RETAIN HOCKEY WORLD CUP TITLE WITH 1-0 WIN

Current Context: Germany defeated Spain 1-0 to win the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026.

ABOUT THE FINAL

ABOUT THE 2026 MEN’S HOCKEY WORLD CUP

• Organiser: International Hockey Federation (FIH)
• Edition: 16th Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup
• Hosts: Belgium and Netherlands
• Final venue: Belfius Hockey Arena, Wavre, Belgium
• Germany’s Record:
• 4th World Cup title (2002, 2006, 2023, 2026)
• Tied with Pakistanas most successful team (4 titles each)

AWARDS & HONOURS

6. PM MODI RECEIVES UZBEKISTAN’S OLIY DARAJALI DOSTLIK ORDER

Current Context: PM Modi received Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, the Order of Oliy Darajali Do’stlik.

ABOUT THE AWARD

• Venue:Kuksaroy Presidential Palace, Tashkent
• Conferred by:President Shavkat Mirziyoyev

Key Developments:

• India-Uzbekistan ties elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

POLITY

7. LADAKH TO GET HIGH COURT BENCH

Current Context: President Droupadi Murmu promulgated the Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, enabling sittings of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh within Ladakh

ABOUT THE REGULATION

• Ladakh became a separate Union Territory on 31 October 2019 following the reorganisation of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Ladakh does not have a separate High Court. It shares the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with Jammu and Kashmir.

CONSTITUTIONAL & LEGAL BASIS

• The Regulation has been promulgated under Article 240 of the Constitution of India.
• It also derives authority from Section 58(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
• Article 240 provides the President with power to make regulations for certain Union Territories, including Ladakh.

Key Provisions:

• Chief Justice may direct certain locations in Ladakh as venues for High Court sittings
• Chief Justice may direct specific cases from Ladakh to be heard at Srinagar or Jammu

KEY CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS

• The Constitution does not require every Union Territory to have a separate High Court. Parliament can provide for a High Court’s jurisdiction over one or more UTs.
• ARTICLE 230 -HIGH COURT JURISDICTION OVER UNION TERRITORIES
• Parliament can also exclude the jurisdiction of a High Court from a UT.
• Therefore, a UT can come under the jurisdiction of a High Court of a neighbouring State or another common High Court.
• The provisions relating to High Courts are mainly contained in Part VI, Chapter V of the Constitution of India, covering Articles 214 to 231.
• Article 214: There shall be a High Court for each State.
• Article 231: Parliament can establish a common High Court for two or more States or for two or more States and a Union Territory.

HIMACHAL NEWS

8. MANDI INSTRUCTOR GETS NATIONAL TEACHERS’ AWARD

Current Context: Jagmohan Sharma, Fitter Instructor at Government ITI Mandi, selected for National Teachers’ Award 2026.

ABOUT THE AWARD

• Award Category:Excellence in Vocational Training and Entrepreneurship Development
• Venue:Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi

Previous Recognition:

• State Teacher Award (2025) – Governor of Himachal Pradesh

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