NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
World’s Highest EV Charging Station inaugurated in Himachal Pradesh: The world’s highest
electric vehicle charging station has been inaugurated in Kaza village of Lahaul
and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh. The electric vehicle charging station
is set up at a height of 500 ft. The aim of this initiative is to check
vehicular pollution and promote electric vehicles for a clean and green
environment in the region. India is gaining good momentum in the electric
vehicle (EV) ecosystem. There is a good response for battery-operated small
electric vehicles like e-scooter, electric three-wheelers, e-rickshaws,
e-carts, and e-bikes in the country. Both battery electric vehicle and fuel
cell vehicle technologies are complementary to each other and are all set to
overtake fossil-run automotive by 2050 in the country.
Note: Himachal Pradesh Governor: Rajendra
Vishwanath Arlekar; Himachal Pradesh CM: Jai Ram Thakur.
2.
Former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan to head education ministry’s panel: The Union education
ministry has formed a 12-member committee to develop new curriculums for
school, early childhood, teacher and adult education. The panel tasked with
developing four national curriculum frameworks (NCFs) will be headed by
National Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020) drafting committee chairperson K
Kasturirangan.
The function of the committee: The committee will
discuss “position papers” finalised by national focus groups on different
aspects of the four areas drawing inputs from state curriculum frameworks. The
NCFs serve as a guideline for syllabus, textbook and teaching practices for
schools in India.
Note: Minister of Education: Dharmendra
Pradhan.
3.
SAUBHAGYA Scheme Completes 4 years of successful implementation: The Pradhan Mantri
Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana -“Saubhagya Scheme” has completed four years of
successful implementation, on 25 September 2021. The scheme was launched by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25th of September, 2017 with an outlay of Rs.
16,320 crore. Saubhagya scheme aims to achieve universal household
electrification by providing last mile connectivity and electricity connections
to all households in rural areas and all poor households in urban areas across
the country. As of March 31, 2021, 2.82 crore households have been electrified
since the launch of SAUBHAGYA.
4.
Chetan Bhagat releases trailer of his upcoming book ‘400 Days’: Chetan Bhagat will
release his new novel titled ‘400 Days’ on October 08, 2021. He has released
the cover for the same. It is the third novel in the Keshav-Saurabh series,
after ‘The Girl in Room 105’ and ‘One Arranged Murder’. The novel is a tale of
suspense, human relationships, love, friendship, the crazy world we live in and,
above all, a mother’s determination to never give up.
5. A
audiobook title ‘Jungle Nama’ released by Amitav Ghosh: Amitav Ghosh’s
“Jungle Nama” has now been released as an audiobook with music and voice of
US-based Ali Sethi. Jungle Nama evokes the wonder of the Sundarban through its
poetry, accompanied by stunning artwork by the renowned artist Salman Toor.
This is an illuminated edition of a fabulous folk tale that every book lover
will want to possess.
About the book: Jungle Nama is
Amitav Ghosh’s verse adaptation of an episode from the legend of Bon Bibi, a
tale popular in the villages of the Sundarban, which also lies at the heart of
the novel The Hungry Tide. It is the story of the avaricious rich merchant
Dhona, the poor lad Dukhey, and his mother; it is also the story of Dokkhin
Rai, a mighty spirit who appears to humans as a tiger, of Bon Bibi, the benign
goddess of the forest, and her warrior brother Shah Jongoli.
INTERNATIONALUPDATES:
1.
First in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit held in Washington: The first in-person
meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) was held on September 24,
2021, at the White House in Washington D.C. Quad nation comprise of India, the
United States, Australia and Japan. The heads of government of Australia,
India, Japan, and the United States participated in the Quad leaders meeting,
including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The four Pacific nation security
cooperation bloc recommended various initiatives to deepen the ties and advance
practical cooperation on 21st-century challenges which included:
(1) ending the COVID-19 pandemic, including
by increasing production and access to safe and effective vaccines;
(2) promoting high-standards
infrastructure;
(3) combatting the climate crisis;
(4) partnering on emerging technologies,
space, and cybersecurity;
(5) cultivating next-generation talent in
all of our countries
2.
Statue of Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto unveiled in Hungary: Hungary has
unveiled the statue of Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto. The imposing bronze
statue was unveiled in Hungary’s capital, Budapest. This is the first such
statue across the world to pay homage to the creator of Bitcoin digital
currency. It has been constructed in a business park near the Danube River in
Budapest. The bust sits atop a stone plinth and is also engraved with the name
of Satoshi Nakamoto, who is the pseudonym of the mysterious developer of
Bitcoin whose true identity is still unknown.
Creators of the statue: Statue has been
created by Reka Gergely and Tamas Gilly. They have portrayed a human form and
have stayed true to the anonymity of Nakamoto, the person nobody knows how do
they look like.
About the Bitcoin: Bitcoin was created in 2008 in the backdrop
of global financial crisis. Its aim was to circumvent traditional financial
institutions by means of developing secure technology for peer-to-peer online
transactions. It does not involve intermediaries like banks. The founding white
paper published in 2008 and was authored by Nakamoto.
3.
Lunar Crater named after Arctic explorer Matthew Henson: The International Astronomical
Union has named a crater at the Moon’s south pole after the Arctic explorer
Matthew Henson, a Black man who in 1909 was one of the first people to stand at
the very top of the world. The proposal to name the crater after Henson was put
forward by Jordan Bretzfelder who is an Exploration Science summer intern with
Lunar & Planetary Institute, in Houston.
About the Artemis Programme: Artemis Programme
was launched by NASA which aims to land the next slate of lunar explorers on
the Henson Crater. They will be selected from NASA’s increasingly diverse
astronaut pool. Henson Crater is located between Sverdrup and de Gerlache
craters at the south pole of the Moon. This program provides a cornerstone to
study planetary processes as well as to create the infrastructure to advance
human exploration at the Moon and on Mars.
Note: International Astronomical Union
Headquarters: Paris, France; International Astronomical Union Founded: 28 July
1919; International Astronomical Union President: Ewine van Dishoeck.
4.
World Environmental Health Day: 26th September: The International
Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) declared to observe World
Environmental Health Day on 26 September every year. This day is celebrated to
shed the light on important work of environmental health around the world. The
day is important in the current situation as most parts of the world continue
to recover from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic situation. In such times, the
importance of the Environmental Health workforce has been highlighted more than
ever before. The theme for the 2021 World Environmental Health Day:
Prioritizing Environmental Health for healthier communities in the global
recovery.
History of the day: In 2011, the
International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) declared to observe
World Environmental Health Day on 26 September. The day was started by the
Federation during a meeting in Indonesia on this day in 2011.
Note: The International Federation of
Environmental Health was established in 1986 and is based in London, England.
5.
World Rivers Day 2021: 26th September: World Rivers Day is celebrated every year
on the “Fourth Sunday of September” since 2005, to raise global awareness of
the need to support, protect and preserve the rivers around the world. In 2021,
World Rivers Day is being celebrated on 26 September. The theme for World
Rivers Day 2021 is “Waterways in our communities” with a specific emphasis on
the need to conserve and repair urban waterways, which are frequently under
stress.
History of the day: Mark Angelo, a
well-known river environmentalist, addressed the United Nations in 2005 during
its Water for Life campaign, a decade-long effort to raise awareness about
vulnerable water supplies throughout the world. Angelo called for an annual
World Rivers Day to help the cause gain traction.
6.
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons: 26th September The United Nations
observes 26 September every year as the International Day for the Total
Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. The aim of the day is to enhance public
awareness about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons and the
necessity for their total elimination. It provides an opportunity to educate
the public and their leaders about the real benefits of eliminating such
weapons, and the social and economic costs of perpetuating them.
History of the day: The General
Assembly declared the International Day in December 2013, in its resolution
68/32 as a follow-up to the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear
disarmament held on 26 September 2013, in New York. This was the latest in a
series of efforts by the General Assembly to raise public awareness and to seek
deeper engagement on nuclear disarmament matters.
Note: Headquarters of United Nations: New York,
USA; Founded: 24 October 1945; Secretary-General of the United Nations: Antonio
Guterres.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Lewis Hamilton wins the Russian Grand Prix 2021: Lewis Hamilton
(Mercedes-Great Britain), has won the F1 Russian Grand Prix 2021. This is his
100th Grand Prix win. It was Hamilton’s fifth win of the season and his first
since the British Grand Prix in July. Max Verstappen (Red Bull–Netherlands)
came second while Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari-Spain) came third in the Russian
Grand Prix 2021.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
RBI fixes minimum ticket size to issue securitisation notes: The Reserve Bank of
India has issued guidelines regarding the Securitisation of Standard Assets. As
per the guidelines, the minimum ticket size for the issuance of securitization
notes will be Rs. 1 crore. Securitisation involves transactions where credit
risk in assets are redistributed by repackaging them into tradeable securities
with different risk profiles which may give investors of various classes access
to exposures which they otherwise might be unable to access directly. It means
securities issued by the special purpose entity as a part of a securitization.
About Minimum Retention Requirement
(MRR):
(1) For underlying loans with an original
maturity of 24 months or less, the MRR shall be 5% of the book value of the
loans being securitised.
(2) For underlying loans with an original
maturity of more than 24 months as well as loans with bullet repayments, the
MRR shall be 10% of the book value of the loans being securitised.
(3) In the case of residential
mortgage-backed securities, the MRR for the originator shall be 5% of the book
value of the loans being securitised, irrespective of the original maturity.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
Asiamoney 2021 Poll: HDFC Bank most outstanding company in India: According to
Asiamoney 2021 Poll, HDFC Bank has received the most votes among listed
companies in India, leading to the bank being awarded the ‘Overall Most Outstanding
Company in India. This is in addition to the bank being voted ‘Most Outstanding
Company in India – Banking Sector,’ for the 4th consecutive year, since the
inception of the poll in 2018. The poll aims to identify and recognise publicly
listed companies by country and sector.
About Asia’s Outstanding Companies
Poll:
(1) The poll, known as Asia’s Outstanding
Companies Poll, is designed to acknowledge listed companies that have excelled
in areas such as financial performance, management team excellence, investor
relations, and CSR initiatives.
(2) Further, the poll aims to identify and
recognise publicly listed companies in 2 categories: by country and by sector,
in which it operates.
(3) Over 1,070 fund managers, analysts,
bankers, and rating agencies took part in the voting which concluded on July
16, 2021.
Note: Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai,
Maharashtra; MD and CEO of HDFC Bank: Sashidhar Jagdishan; The tagline of HDFC
Bank: We understand your world.
DEFENCE
1.
Defence ministry places order for 118 Arjun Mk-1A tanks: Ministry of Defence
will procure 118 Main Battle Tanks, MBTs Arjun Mk-1A for the Indian Army. The
order was worth Rs 7,523 crore with Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi to sharpen
the army’s combat edge. It will support the Make in India initiative in the
defence sector and it will help in achieving the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. About
the Arjun Mk-1A Tank:
(1) The Main Battle Tank Mk-1A is a new
variant of the Arjun Tank. It has been designed to enhance firepower, mobility,
and survivability.
(2) Arjun Tank has been part of the Indian
Army for the last 15 years. It has been designed and developed by Combat
Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE).
(3) It will be manufactured at the government’s Heavy Vehicles Factory in Chennai. It can work during day and night conditions and can hit the target in both static and dynamic modes.
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