World Cerebral Palsy Day 2026: Observed on October 6, 2026, to unite the global movement supporting over 50 million people living with cerebral palsy + Theme – “Unique and United” (#UniqueANDUnited) + Focus – Promoting inclusive education, better assistive technology, lifelong healthcare and accessible public spaces + Awareness Color – Green + Cerebral Palsy (CP) – A group of permanent neurological disorders affecting movement, muscle tone and posture due to early brain injury.

Japanese Sparrowhawk: Rare Japanese Sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza gularis) spotted at Chennai’s Adyar Estuary, among the very few records of the species on mainland India + Significance – Adds to the tiny number of mainland Indian records; normally breeds in East Asia and winters in Southeast Asia + Identification – Adult female with brown upperparts, white body and wing linings with brown-grey barring, yellow eyes and legs + Family – Accipitridae + Normal Range – Breeds in Japan, Korea, eastern China and parts of Russia; winters in Southeast Asia

High-Altitude Platform System (HAPS): DRDO successfully tested an indigenously developed HAPS, reaching a peak altitude of 21 km and sustaining 20 km for over 30 minutes + Altitude Performance – Reached 21 km AMSL and maintained 20 km AMSL before safe recovery + System Design – Developed by ADRDE, Agra, as a lighter-than-air stratospheric platform + Instrumentation – Equipped with IMU, GPS, cameras and altitude-control systems, with support from IAF, CEMILAC, DGCA and AAI + Significance – A key Aatmanirbhar Bharat milestone for development of long-endurance airships