China has confirmed that Xi Jinping will travel to India for the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, set for September 12 to 13.

This will be Xi’s first visit to India in seven years, following the 2019 informal summit with Prime Minister Modi in Mamallapuram, near Chennai.

A bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi is expected on September 12, marking their first talks in six years.

Also attending the summit are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

Delhi is preparing for closures on September 11, with schools, colleges, courts and offices shutting in parts of the city ahead of the summit.

Delhi is set to see major closures on September 11 ahead of the summit, with schools, colleges, courts and offices remaining shut in parts of the city.

The BRICS grouping, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded in recent years to include additional member nations.

This year’s summit is the 18th edition of the BRICS gathering, with India hosting the group’s leaders in New Delhi.

Security preparations for the summit have included anti-terror drills conducted by the National Security Guard in the lead-up to the event.

China’s confirmation of Xi’s attendance ends weeks of diplomatic speculation over whether the Chinese president would travel to India for the summit.

Xi Jinping last visited India in 2019 for an informal summit with Prime Minister Modi in Mamallapuram near Chennai, before India-China relations were strained by the 2020 border crisis.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto are among the other leaders expected to attend the summit.

Diplomatic sources indicate Modi and Xi are expected to hold bilateral talks on September 12, the opening day of the leaders’ summit.

2026 BRICS meeting of ministers, New Delhi, PIB/Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi packed a freight corridor dedication, a solar plant foundation stone and a fintech summit inauguration into a single day spanning Gujarat and Maharashtra.

In Vadodara, he dedicated three sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor covering 326 route kilometres, built at a cost of over Rs 20,700 crore.

He laid the foundation stone for a 110 MW floating solar project at Kadana Dam and the Vadodara Urban Development Authority Ring Road Phase II.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana housing and a water-supply project for 11 villages in eastern Vadodara were also inaugurated as part of the Rs 35,000 crore package.

In the evening, the Prime Minister inaugurated the seventh edition of the Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai, running September 8 to 11.

The Global Fintech Fest, now in its seventh edition, is being held in Mumbai from September 8 to 11, 2026, bringing together financial technology companies, regulators and policymakers.

The Prime Minister also visited Navsari, Gujarat, where he inaugurated the BJP’s AI-powered ‘Namo Kamalam’ office as part of the same day’s engagements.

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s new office building was among the infrastructure projects for which the foundation stone was laid during the Prime Minister’s visit.

India’s dedicated freight corridor network, once complete, is intended to shift a larger share of freight traffic off congested passenger rail lines and onto purpose-built goods corridors.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the combined projects inaugurated and foundation-laid during the Gujarat leg of the visit were valued at more than Rs 35,000 crore.

The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor is a dedicated rail line built to move freight trains separately from passenger traffic, cutting transit times and easing congestion on India’s busiest goods routes.

The three newly dedicated WDFC sections run from New Sanand to New Makarpura, New Umbergaon to New Saphale, and New Saphale to New JNPT, together covering 326 route kilometres.

PM Narendra Modi dedicating development projects in Vadodara, Gujarat, PIB/Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India

Forty-eight teachers received the National Teachers Award 2026 from President Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhawan on September 5.

The Teachers’ Day ceremony celebrated the awardees’ work in improving school education and enriching students’ learning experiences.

This year’s honourees include 26 men and 22 women, representing 27 states, seven Union Territories and six Central Government organisations.

A three-stage selection process, involving district, state and national-level scrutiny, was used to choose the awardees.

The event also featured short documentaries on each teacher, showcasing their contributions both inside and outside the classroom.

The National Teachers Awards are conferred annually on September 5, marking the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India’s second President and a noted educator.

The awards are administered by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, which oversees the nomination and selection process each year.

Recognising teachers from across the country, including from Union Territories and Central Government-run institutions, reflects the award’s aim of celebrating educators working in a wide range of settings.

The event at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi typically draws senior officials from the Ministry of Education alongside the honoured teachers and their families.

Teachers’ Day is widely observed across Indian schools each year, with many institutions holding their own local celebrations alongside the national ceremony in Delhi.

The 48 awardees include 26 men and 22 women, representing 27 states, seven Union Territories and six Central Government organisations.

Teachers were selected through a rigorous, transparent three-stage process involving district or regional scrutiny, followed by state or organisation-level review, and finally national-level evaluation.

Online self-nominations from eligible teachers were invited through the Ministry of Education’s portal between June 15 and July 20 as part of the selection process.

The ceremony also featured short documentaries showcasing each awardee’s work, highlighting their contributions both inside and beyond the classroom.

Official portrait of President Droupadi Murmu, Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India