01 Sep 2026 - "Daily Current Affairs" Updates

Canada

Why in News: India and Canada recently formally launched their inaugural Economic and Financial Dialogue in Toronto.

Location and Size

• Canada is located in North America.

• It is the second-largest country in the world by area after Russia.

• It shares a border with Alaska in the northwest and with the continental United States to the south.

• The Canada-United States border is the longest bi-national land border in the world.

• Canada is bounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

• Capital -> Ottawa.

Climate and Mountains

• Canada has seven major climatic regions: Arctic, Subarctic, Prairie, Great Lakes, Cordilleran, East Coast and West Coast.

• Rocky Mountains -> major mountain system of western Canada.

• St. Elias Mountains -> located in Yukon and contain some of Canada's highest peaks.

• Laurentian Mountains -> among the oldest mountain ranges and located in eastern Canada.

Major Rivers and Lakes

• Mackenzie River -> the longest river system in Canada; drains into the Arctic Ocean.

• Yukon River -> flows through northwestern Canada and Alaska.

• Saint Lawrence River -> connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean and is an important transport route.

• Great Lakes forming part of the Canada-US boundary include Superior, Huron, Ontario and Erie.

• Lake Michigan is the only one of the five Great Lakes located entirely within the United States.

Natural Resources

• Canada has significant reserves of bauxite, iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, uranium and rare earth elements.

• It is also a major producer of potash and diamonds.

Quick Recall

• Second-largest country by area -> Canada.

• Capital -> Ottawa.

• Oceans -> Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific.

• Mackenzie -> longest river system in Canada.

• Lake Michigan -> only Great Lake entirely in the USA.

1. National Test House (NTH)

Why in News: The National Test House is set to celebrate its 115th Foundation Day at its Jakkuru Campus in Bengaluru.

What is NTH?

• NTH is a premier scientific organisation of the Government of India.

• It was established in 1912 under the then Railway Board.

• It is India's largest multi-location, multidisciplinary industrial testing laboratory.

• It provides testing, calibration and quality-evaluation services for industry, commerce and trade according to national and international standards.

Key Functions

• Provides testing, calibration, quality evaluation and technical consultancy across multiple sectors.

• Supports compliance with national and international quality standards.

• Provides technical expertise to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

• Assists the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in standard formulation and related technical work.

• It is the first government organisation in India to undertake drone certification.

• It also tests electric-vehicle batteries, organic food and technologies in emerging domains.

Organisation

• NTH has centres at Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Ghaziabad, Jaipur, Guwahati and Varanasi.

• It functions under the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Quick Recall

• Established -> 1912.

• Role -> testing, calibration and quality evaluation.

• First government organisation for drone certification.

• Nodal department -> Department of Consumer Affairs.

2. Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma and MedTech (PRIP) Scheme

Why in News: The Department of Pharmaceuticals recently announced the second call for applications under the PRIP Scheme.

About PRIP

• PRIP was launched in 2023 by the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

• Its objective is to make India a global hub for research and development in pharmaceuticals and medical technology.

• It aims to strengthen industry-academia collaboration, promote quality research and nurture scientific talent in priority areas.

• Total financial outlay -> Rs 5,000 crore.

• Supporting initiatives include MedTech Mitra, Patent Mitra and an online collaboration platform.

Component A: Strengthening Research Infrastructure

• Supports Centres of Excellence in the seven National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs).

• The CoEs focus on pre-identified strategic research areas.

• Financial outlay for Component A -> Rs 700 crore.

Component B: Promoting Pharmaceutical Research

• Provides financial assistance to industries, MSMEs, SMEs and startups for research in collaboration with government institutions or through in-house R&D.

• Covers both academic research and industry-led innovation.

• Early-stage MSME/startup projects can cover ideation, proof-of-concept and early development. Projects costing up to Rs 9 crore can receive assistance of up to Rs 5 crore.

• Later-stage projects by industries, MSMEs and startups can cost up to Rs 285 crore and receive assistance of up to Rs 100 crore.

Priority Areas

• New Chemical Entities (NCEs).

• New Biological Entities (NBEs).

• Phyto-pharmaceuticals.

• Complex generics and biosimilars.

• Precision medicine.

• Medical devices.

• Orphan drugs for rare diseases.

• Research and drug development against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Quick Recall

• PRIP launched -> 2023.

• Department -> Department of Pharmaceuticals.

• Total outlay -> Rs 5,000 crore.

• Component A -> NIPER Centres of Excellence.

• Priority areas include NCEs, NBEs, biosimilars, precision medicine, devices, orphan drugs and AMR.

1. Rajbhasha Utkrishtta Sammaan 2025-26

Why in News: The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has been selected for the Rajbhasha Utkrishtta Sammaan 2025-26.

About the Award

• Rajbhasha Utkrishtta Sammaan is a special honour for continuous excellence in implementation of the Official Language.

• It is presented by the Department of Official Language under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

• The award is scheduled to be conferred during the Hindi Diwas Sammelan in Navi Mumbai on 14 September 2026.

Why DARPG was Selected

• DARPG received the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar (First Prize) for two consecutive years: 2023-24 and 2024-25.

• Under the two-year rule, a ministry or department winning first prize for two consecutive years is ineligible for the same award in the following year.

• DARPG was therefore selected for the Rajbhasha Utkrishtta Sammaan 2025-26 in recognition of sustained excellence in promoting the Official Language.

Official Language Context

• On 14 September 1949, the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi in the Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Union of India.

• The Department of Official Language functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

• Since 1975, it has worked to promote Hindi in official communication and implement the Official Language Policy across government institutions.

Quick Recall

• Presented by -> Department of Official Language.

• Ministry -> Home Affairs.

• Award ceremony -> Hindi Diwas Sammelan, 14 September 2026.

• Hindi in Devanagari adopted as Official Language -> 14 September 1949.