NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Rajasthan launched 100 days urban employment guarantee scheme: Rajasthan government launched an ambitious scheme to provide 100 days
of employment to needy families in urban areas on the lines of the rural
employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA. More than 2.25 lakh families have already
registered for the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Scheme which was proposed by
chief minister Ashok Gehlot in the state budget this year.
The scheme would
cover works like environment protection, water and heritage conservation,
garden maintenance, and removing encroachments, illegal sign boards, hoardings,
banners etc. Sanitation, cleanliness and other such works will also be
undertaken under the scheme.
About the
scheme:
a) The state government has allocated Rs 800 crore for the scheme.
Ministers in charge of districts will launch the scheme in their respective
areas.
b) The ratio of material cost and remuneration cost for getting the work
approved and executed of “general nature” will be 25:75, while the ratio will
be reversed for the works of “special nature”.
c) Payments will be made in the bank accounts of the beneficiary within 15
days.
d) Eligibility: People from the age group of 18 to 60 are eligible for the
scheme. Interested families will get 100 days of employment. The scheme will be
implemented in all the urban local bodies from September 9.
2. 300
New Cargo Terminals to Boost Railway Revenue: The
Union Cabinet had approved a policy on long-term leasing of Railways’ land as
well as a proposal to develop 300 Gati Shakti cargo terminals over the next
five years. A senior official said that the Railways expect an incremental
revenue of at least ₹30,000 crore per annum from freight services when 300 Gati
Shakti cargo terminals will be operational.
The 300
terminals planned by the Union Cabinet are expected to generate employment for
30,000 people directly and 90,000 indirect jobs. The official said, “We will
start getting incremental freight revenues as the terminals are developed. Once
all 300 are completed, Railways will get additional revenues of at least
₹30,000 crore. This estimate is very conservative.” The approved policy will
help provide land leases for a longer period of up to 35 years as against five
years at present. It is expected to generate about 1.25 lakh jobs.
3. Chhattisgarh CM Inaugurates 2 New Districts in
the State, Takes Total To 33: Chief Minister
of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated the 32nd and 33rd districts of the
State. Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur and Sakti were announced as the 32nd and
33rd districts of Chhattisgarh. Sakti is carved out from Janjgir-Champa, and
Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur is carved out from the Koriya district.
The Chattisgarh
Chief Minister said that people have been demanding the creation of the
Manendragarh district for a very long time and it has been a long-term struggle
to create Manendragarh as a district. Three new districts have been inaugurated
in Chattisgarh by the Chief Minister. There are now, 33 districts in
Chattisgarh including Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Sarangarh-Bilaigarh, and
Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai.
4. Bihar CM inaugurated India’s longest rubber dam
on Falgu River: Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar has
inaugurated India’s longest rubber dam ‘Gayaji Dam’ on the Falgu River in Gaya.
The dam has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 324 crore. Experts from IIT
(Roorkee) were involved with the project. There will be enough water in the dam
round the year for the convenience of pilgrims. With its construction, now at
least two feet of water will be available in the Falgu River near Vishnupad
Ghat throughout the year for the devotees who come here to do Pind Daan. About
the dam:
a) The rubber dam on the Falgu River, which is a vast stretch of sand
dunes, it will draw more pilgrims and change the landscape. The dam, aimed at
providing uninterrupted water supply to Vishnupad Temple in Gaya throughout the
year.
b) Designed by experts from IIT Roorkee, the dam is 411 meters long, 95.5
meters wide and 3 meters high. Apart from the rubber dam, the banks along the
Falgu River have also been developed and a steel bridge has been built for
pilgrims to visit Sita Kund.
c) The Falgu river has water only in the monsoon season and remains dry for
the remaining period. The dam will ensure water storage in the river throughout
the year, helping the pilgrims who visit the place for Pind Daan (ritual to
offer homage to departed souls).
Note: Bihar
Capital: Patna; Bihar Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar; Bihar Governor: Phagu
Chauhan.
5. Dinesh
Kumar Batra takes charge as CMD, Bharat Electronics Limited: Dinesh Kumar Batra, Director (Finance) & CFO, has taken additional
charge as Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Navratna Defence PSU Bharat
Electronics Limited (BEL) with effect from September 1, 2022. He was
instrumental in the company’s move to foray into the Electro-Explosive segment.
He is also credited with BEL entering into Li-on battery packs for automobiles
to support the e-Mobility programme of the Government of India. He is a member
of the Board of BEL subsidiaries, BEL-Thales Systems Limited (BTSL) and BEL
Optronic Devices Limited (BELOP).
Note: Bharat
Electronics Limited Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka; Bharat Electronics
Limited Founded: 1954.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. U.S.
Announced 450 Million $ Package to Pakistan: The
Biden Administration has approved a whopping USD 450 million F-16 fighter jet
fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan. As a notification to the US Congress,
the State Department has made a determination approving a possible foreign
military sale of F-16 case for sustainment and related equipment for an
estimated cost of USD 450 million, arguing that this will sustain Islamabad’s
capability to meet current and future counterterrorism threats by maintaining
its F-16 fleet.
This is the
first major security assistance to Pakistan after Trump in 2018 had announced
to stop all defense and security assistance to Pakistan alleging that Islamabad
was not a partner in its fight against terrorism. What The U.S. Said:
a) According to the Congressional notification, the proposed sale does not
include any new capabilities, weapons, or munitions. It said that Pakistan has
requested to consolidate prior F-16 sustainment and support cases to support
the Pakistan Air Force F-16 fleet by reducing duplicate case activities and
adding additional continued support elements.
b) The USD 450 million foreign military sale to Pakistan participation in
F-16 Aircraft Structural Integrity Programme, electronic combat international
security assistance programme, international engine management programme,
engine component improvement programme, and other technical coordination
groups; aircraft and engine hardware and software modifications and support and
aircraft and engine spare repair/return parts.
c) The Pentagon said this proposed sale will support the foreign policy and
national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain
interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts
and in preparation for future contingency operations.
2. NASA’s Experiment MOXIE
successfully creates oxygen on Mars: An gadget the size of a lunchbox (MOXIE
by NASA) is demonstrating its ability to consistently carry out the work of a
tiny tree on the red and dusty surface of Mars, some 100 million miles from
Earth. Since April 2021, roughly two months after it landed on the Martian
surface as part of NASA’s Perseverance rover and Mars 2020 mission, the MIT-led
Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE, has been
producing oxygen from the Red Planet’s carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere. Key
Points:
a)
Researchers
say that by the end of 2021, MOXIE was able to manufacture oxygen on seven
experimental runs, in a variety of atmospheric circumstances, including day and
night and throughout the Martian seasons, according to a paper published in the
journal Science Advances.
b)
The
instrument produced six grammes of oxygen per hour on each run, or roughly the
same amount as a small tree on Earth.
c)
According
to researchers, a scaled-up MOXIE may be transported to Mars before a human
trip to create oxygen continually at the rate of several hundred trees.
d)
At
that capacity, the system should be able to produce enough oxygen to support
people once they arrive as well as power a rocket for astronauts returning to
Earth.
e)
As
of now, MOXIE’s consistent output represents a positive first step in that
direction.
f)
This
is the first instance of utilising materials from the surface of another
planetary body and chemically converting them into something useful for a human
mission.
3. International PCOS Awareness Month: 1st to 30th
September: The month of September is recognized as
International PCOS Awareness Month. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a
common hormonal disorder in women that is also the leading cause of female
infertility. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a serious genetic, hormone,
metabolic and reproductive disorder that affects women and girls. It is the
leading cause of female infertility and a precursor for other serious
conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and
endometrial cancer.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Australia Captain Aaron Finch to Retire from ODI
Cricket: Aaron Finch, Australia’s captain announced his
retirement from one-day international cricket after Australia’s third and final
ODI against New Zealand. Finch will continue to be the captain of the
Australian cricket team for T20 and will lead it in defense of its world title
in the T20 World Cup which is going to be held in October and November in
Australia. Finch is known as one of the most damaging opening batters in the world,
Finch has scored 5,401 runs in the ODI format with an average of close to 40,
and 17 centuries.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. HDFC Bank unveils ‘Bank on Wheels’ in Gujarat: HDFC Bank has unveiled its state-of-the-art ‘Bank on Wheel’ van in
Gujarat. The Bank in Wheel van service will take banking services to unbanked
villages. The Bank in Wheel van will visit remote villages located 10-25 km
from the nearest branch to further financial inclusion, under the HDFC Bank’s
newly initiated Rural Banking Business.
‘Bank on
Wheel’: The Bank in Wheel initiative is a part of a pilot
project to offer banking services in unbanked locations. Customers can access
21 banking products as well as services. The Bank in Wheel van will be
operational at each location for a specific period and will cover 3 villages in
a day. The Bank in Wheel van will reach and visit each village twice a week.
HDFC Bank is one of India’s Premier Banks providing a wide range of financial
products and services using multiple distribution channels including a pan-India
network.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. Agribazaar Launches Kisan Safalta Card for Agri
Financing: Agribazaar is a private sector electronic Agri
mandi, launched ‘Agribazaar Kisan Safalta Card’. The Agribazaar Kisan Safalta
Card is a quick and easy way to help farmers to meet their pre- and
post-harvest farm requirements and allied expenses. Farmers can use Agribazaar
Kisan Safalta Card to get financing. The funds provided can only be used to buy
farm inputs and requirements.
Key
Points:
a) The card has a 12-month repayment period, which provides enough time to
pay off the balance. The crop yield of each farmer determines the card’s limit,
the financing scale, and maintenance costs.
b) The amount of the card is adjustable for marginal farmers, which ranges
from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000. The maximum limit of the Agribazaar Kisan Safalta Card
can be increased annually based on crop yield and repayments.
c) The repayment plan can be rescheduled if crop damage occurs as a result
of natural disasters.
d) Once the harvest is completed, farmers can repay the loan.
2. Indian
FMCG company Pintola named Sunil Chhetri as Brand Ambassador: Indian superfood brand Pintola, Fastmoving consumer goods (FMCG)
company announced a renowned Indian Football Captain, Sunil Chhetri as Brand Ambassador.
He was appointed as Pintola Brand Ambassador for his similar values of
consistency and perfection with the company to promote the idea of a healthier
India to this generation.
In 20 years of
Sunil’s professional career, this was his 1st ever FMCG collaboration. Pintola
and Sunil Chhetri’s collaboration shall open newer realms of healthy eating
options in the country, adding sports enthusiasts to its existing wide consumer
base. Pintola boasts of a premium basket size of 21 products and aims to cater
to a consumer size of 100 Million in the near future.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Singapore awarded ‘Meritorious Service Medal’ to
Lamba, Former Navy Chief of India: Former India
Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba has been conferred Singapore’s
prestigious military award, the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) or Meritorious
Service Medal (Military) (MSM(M)), by President Halimah Yacob. Admiral Lanba
has been conferred the award for his outstanding contributions in enhancing the
strong and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between the Indian Navy
and the Republic of Singapore Navy.
Under
Lanba’s leadership:
a) Both navies concluded the Bilateral Agreement for Navy Cooperation in
November 2017 and the Implementing Arrangement for Mutual Coordination,
Logistics and Services Support in June 2018, which established the framework
for greater Navy-to-Navy interactions and expanded collaboration in areas of
mutual interest such as submarine rescues, maritime-security information-sharing
and logistics support.
b) With Lanba’s support, both navies also commemorated the Silver Jubilee of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise in 2018 and successfully conducted the inaugural Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime Exercise (SITMEX) in September 2019. These professional exchanges have strengthened interoperability and deepened mutual understanding and trust between personnel from both militaries.
No comments:
Post a Comment