NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India
May See 20Bn $ FDI In Climate-Tech: India may see
up to $20 billion worth of investments in climatetech sector by 2030, said
Enzia Ventures, a new-age, mid-market venture capital firm focused on
healthcare, education and environment. Co-founder and partner Namita Dalmia
said Indian entrepreneurs, over the next decade, would lead the way and build
new products for the global market. Patrick Brothers, co-founder & co-CEO,
HolonIQ in a statement said, “Climatetech is by far the fastest growing impact
space in India. Despite economic and investment headwinds, we are seeing strong
momentum and conviction from public and private investors.” “India has emerged
with several global leaders in impact sectors, disrupting other markets from
the Americas, Europe and throughout Southeast Asia,” he added.
India needs USD
20 billion (about RS 1.53 lakh crore) worth of investments each year to achieve
its climate targets and fund its green transition, according to a report. The
white paper by Ficci and Trilegal highlights that the country needs a large
budget allocation, international finance from bilateral and multilateral
sources and green private investments.
2.
Cabinet approved PM-DevINE scheme for development of Northeast states: Prime Minister’s development initiative for North East region
(PM-DevINE), was approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. The PM-DevINE is a Rs 6,600 crore scheme to support
infrastructure, industries, and other Livelihood projects in northeastern
states of India. Key Points:
a) The PM-DevINE is a 100 percent Central Government funded plan and will
be administered by the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region
(DoNER).
b) This scheme is going to be implemented during the remaining four years
of the 15th Financial Commission from 2022-2023 to 2025-2026.
c) The PM-DevINE is aimed to be completed by the year 2025-2026 so that
there are no committed liabilities beyond this year.
d) The PM-DevINE will lead to the creation of infrastructure, support
industries, social development projects, and create livelihood activities for
youth and women.
e) The scheme will be implemented by the DoNER Ministry through the North
Eastern Council (NEC).
3. PM
inaugurates Indian Institute of Information Technology in Una: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Indian Institute of
Information Technology (IIIT) in Una, Himachal Pradesh. During the occasion,
Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Jai Ram
Thakur, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, and Union Information and
Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur were present. Key Points:
a) Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the need for skill and
innovation institutions across the country.
b) Himachal Pradesh has been valued less on its strength and more based on
the number of its parliamentary seats, and long pending demands of educational
institutions.
c) The education-related initiative will immensely benefit the students of
Himachal Pradesh.
d) Students will get more relief from the permanent building of IIIT Una.
e) Prime Minister has dedicated the building to further underline the
changing work culture.
4.
Maharashtra: Mumbai airport completely switches to renewable energy: The Adani group-AAI-operated Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International
Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai airport has switched to green energy sources,
fulfilling 95 per cent of its requirement from hydro and wind, while the rest 5
per cent from solar power. The facility witnessed a rise in natural energy
procurement with 57 per cent in green consumption in April to a whopping 98 per
cent. In August, the Mumbai Airport finally attained 100 per cent utilisation
of renewable sources of energy.
With this green
transition to renewable energy, the Mumbai Airport has ensured a reduction of
around 1.20 lakh tonnes of CO2 equivalent every year, thereby moving closer to
the airport’s target of becoming net zero by 2029. Notably, the CSMIA was the
first in India to launch hybrid technology that solely runs on green energy
since April 2022. This sustainable initiative undertaken by the CSMIA is part
of the airport’s efforts that reduces its carbon footprint and further propels
its journey towards ‘Net Zero’ emissions.
Note:
Maharashtra Chief minister: Eknath Shinde; Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai;
Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
5.
Nation’s first slender loris habitat in Karur, Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu government has notified the country’s first Kadavur slender
loris sanctuary covering 11,806 hectares in Karur and Dindigul districts of the
State.
The species,
listed as endangered as per the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature (IUCN), acts as a biological predator to pests of agricultural crops and
benefits farmers. The survival of the species depends on its habitat
improvement, conservation efforts and mitigation of threats. The government of
Tamil Nadu is committed to conserving the endangered slender loris species,”
Supriya Sahu said in a release here.
About the
Slender lorises: Slender lorises are small nocturnal mammals and
are arboreal in nature, as they spend most of their life on trees. The slender lorises are a genus of loris
native to India and Sri Lanka. The genus comprises two species, the red slender
loris found in Sri Lanka and the gray slender loris from Sri Lanka and India.
Slender lorises spend most of their life in trees, travelling along the tops of
branches with slow and precise movements.
Note:
International Union for the Conservation of Nature Headquarters: Gland,
Switzerland; International Union for the Conservation of Nature Founded: 5
October 1948, Fontainebleau, France; International Union for the Conservation
of Nature Founder: Julian Huxley; International Union for the Conservation of
Nature CEO: Bruno Oberle; International Union for the Conservation of Nature
Motto: United for Life and Livelihoods.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Israel
and Lebanon Agreed to ‘Historic Agreement’ on the Maritime Dispute: Lebanon and Israel have reached a “historic” deal to end a long-running
maritime border dispute in the gas-rich Mediterranean Sea, according to
negotiators from the two countries. Lebanon’s deputy speaker Elias Bou Saab
said, after submitting the United States-brokered final draft of the deal to
President Michel Aoun, that an agreement had been reached that satisfies both
sides.
About
Deal:
“Lebanon has
obtained its full rights, and all of its remarks have been taken into account,”
said Bou Saab. Lebanon’s presidency voiced hope that “the agreement on the
demarcation will be announced as soon as possible”. Aoun had previously said
that a deal would not signify a “partnership” with Israel. The two countries
are technically at war.
Israeli National
Security Adviser Eyal Hulata, who headed the Israeli negotiating team, mirrored
Bou Saab’s remarks. “All our demands were met, the changes that we asked for
were corrected. We protected Israel’s security interests and are on our way to
an historic agreement,” he said in a statement. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime
Minister Yair Lapid’s office hailed “an historic achievement that will
strengthen Israel’s security”.
Significance
Of the Deal: While limited in scope, an agreement may ease
security and economic concerns between the two countries. The deal would
resolve a territorial dispute in the eastern tip of the Mediterranean Sea in an
area where Lebanon aims to explore for natural gas, and near waters where
Israel has already found commercially viable quantities of hydrocarbons.
2. Odisha
MP Aparajita Sarangi elected to IPU panel: Lok
Sabha member from Bhubaneswar, Aparajita Sarangi has been elected as a member
to the executive committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The
Parliamentarian from Odisha bagged 12 out of the total of 18 available votes in
the election to the post held at Kigali, Rwanda. Sarangi will represent India
at the 15-member executive committee of the union. Notably, this will be the
first time in 20 years, that India will have her representative in the
international committee.
The Indian
Parliamentary Delegation is being led by Harivansh, Deputy Chairperson in Rajya
Sabha. Aparajita Sarangi, Harivansh and Sasmit Patra attended a meeting called
by the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union following her
nomination. The 145th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly is being held
currently in Kigali, Rwanda.
About the
Inter-Parliamentary Union: Set up in 1887, the global
organization of national parliaments has a total of 178 members. IPU empowers
parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy, and sustainable
development through diplomacy.
Note:
Inter-Parliamentary Union Founded: 1889; Inter-Parliamentary Union
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; Inter-Parliamentary Union President: Saber
Hossain Chowdhury; Inter-Parliamentary Union Secretary General: Martin
Chungong.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. 36th
National Games 2022 Concludes: The 36th
National Games is coming to an end after a glorious display of sporting
performance and sportsmanship spirit. In its 36th edition, Gujarat hosted the
National Games for the first time in 2022. The National Games 2022 was held
across six cities, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and
Bhavnagar, in Gujarat. Almost 7,000 athletes from 28 Indian States, eight Union
Territories and Services, the sports team of the Indian Armed Forces, competed
for medals in 36 different sports. Key Points:
a) Raja Bhalindra Singh Trophy to the hybrid contingent of Services for the
fourth time in succession.
b) Maharashtra bagged the Indian Olympic Association’s Best State trophy
for finishing second in the medals tally with the most medals amongst States
and UTs.
c) Honourable Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel presented the
Best Male Athlete to Sajan Prakash (5 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
d) Karnataka’s Hashika Ramchandra, barely 14 years old, appropriated the
Best Female Athlete crown with 6 gold and 1 bronze.
e) Gujarat’s 10-year-old Shauryajit Khaire (Mallakhamb), who was a
reluctant starter after losing his father just a few days back, emerged as the
‘viral star’ of the Games, becoming its youngest medal winner.
Top Ten
States in National Games 2022 medals table:
|
Rank |
State/Union Territory/Team |
Gold |
Silver |
Bronze |
Total |
|
1 |
Services |
61 |
35 |
32 |
128 |
|
2 |
Maharashtra |
39 |
38 |
63 |
140 |
|
3 |
Haryana |
38 |
38 |
40 |
116 |
|
4 |
Karnataka |
27 |
23 |
38 |
88 |
|
5 |
Tamil Nadu |
25 |
22 |
27 |
74 |
|
6 |
Kerala |
23 |
18 |
13 |
54 |
|
7 |
Madhya Pradesh |
20 |
25 |
21 |
66 |
|
8 |
Uttar Pradesh |
20 |
18 |
18 |
56 |
|
9 |
Manipur |
20 |
10 |
20 |
50 |
|
10 |
Punjab |
19 |
32 |
25 |
76 |
Indian Olympic
Association Founded: 1927; Indian Olympic Association Headquarters: New Delhi;
Indian Olympic Association President: Adille Sumariwalla; Indian Olympic
Association Secretary General: Rajeev Mehta.
2. Indian
discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur banned for 3 years: Indian discus thrower, Kamalpreet Kaur has been banned from competition
for three years, starting March 29, 2022, due to a doping violation. AIU, which
is the independent body created by World Athletics that manages all integrity
issues – including doping and age fraud, had provisionally suspended Kamalpreet
in May this year for testing positive for the banned substance stanozolol, an
anabolic steroid that is on the list of banned substances as per the World
Athletics.
The ban will
rule the discus thrower out of next year’s Asian Games as well as the 2024
Paris Olympics. Kamalpreet – the national record holder in the discus throw –
had made her Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, where she finished sixth in the
final. She joins fellow discus thrower Navjeet Kaur Dhillon, sprinter
Dhanalakshmi Sekar and quarter-miler MR Poovamma in the list of Indians who
faced doping bans lately. Javelin thrower Shivpal Singh has also been suspended
for doping.
Note: WADA
Headquarters: Montreal, Canada; WADA President: Craig Reedie; WADA Founded: 10
November 1999.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Paytm
tie-up with Jana Small Finance Bank for deployment of card devices: Paytm brand has partnered with Jana Small Finance Bank to deploy card
machines to further drive digitisation among merchants across the country. This
partnership will enable Jana Small Finance Bank to extend Paytm’s All-in-one
EDC machines to its existing and potential customers, providing a one-stop
solution for all their digital payment needs. With over 4.5 million devices
deployed, Paytm remains the market leader in offline payments. Paytm’s EDC
devices and All-in-One POS devices have revolutionised digital payments in
India with their flexibility of accepting multiple payment methods. Features
of card machines:
a) Paytm’s card machines provide a feature-rich payments solution that has
enabled a robust growth of businesses for our merchant partners. This partnership
will help expand our reach and deploy card machines across India’s small cities
and towns.
b) This partnership is in line with our vision to become the leading
digitised bank of aspirational India to further financial inclusion in the
country.
c) MSME is a key priority for our Bank and we serve their needs in 150
cities. Our offerings are digital and this relationship with Paytm will further
enhance our services to our customers.
d) Paytm’s card machines provide multilingual support to its merchant
partners to accept payments through UPI, credit/debit cards, net banking,
international cards, Paytm Postpaid, PaytmWallet and EMI. The devices also
offer instant voice alerts and instant settlement, which makes merchant
partners convenient.
Note: MD and CEO
of Paytm: Vijay Shekhar Sharma; Paytm Founded: August 2010; Paytm Headquarters:
Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
Cabinet Extends Rs 22,000 Cr as one time grant to Oil PSUs to Cover Losses in
Domestic LPG: The government will extend a one-time grant of Rs
22,000 crore to three state-owned fuel retailers to cover for the losses they
incurred on selling domestic cooking gas LPG below cost in the last two years,
I&B Minister Anurag Thakur said. The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi at a meeting, approved the one-time grant to three oil marketing
companies – Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd
(BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL). The grant will be for
covering the losses they incurred on selling LPG below cost to consumers from
June 2020 to June 2022. The three firms sell domestic LPG at
government-regulated prices to consumers.
2. Tata
Power partnered with 75F Smart Innovations for energy-efficiency solutions: Tata Power Trading Company (TPTCL) has signed an agreement with 75F
Smart Innovation India to jointly promote automation and energy efficiency
solutions in the commercial building space. This will include industry
verticals like IT/ITeS, BFSI hospitality, healthcare, education, government,
and retail. The collaboration of TPTCL and 75F will offer solutions in the
space of HVAC optimization and smart building automation powered by the finest
technology like cloud, IoT, and AI. Key Points:
a) The solutions by a collaboration of TPTCL and 75F will help commercial
buildings with centrally air-conditioned spaces attain assured savings in their
HVAC energy consumption.
b) The HVAC energy consumption constitutes 50% or more of total building
energy consumption.
c) TPTCL holds a category-I trading license and is engaged in the business
of energy sourcing, trading, and energy efficiency services.
d) TPTCL is also a Grade-I ESCO certified by the Bureau of Energy
Efficiency (BEE).
e) 75F Smart Innovations provide a full-stack, IoT-based Building
Management System that includes sensors, zone controllers, master controllers,
and an Integrated Building Intelligence Solution (BIS).
DEFENCE
1.
Rajnath Singh is set to launch ‘Maa Bharati Ke Sapoot’ website: Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh will be launching the ‘Maa
Bharati Ke Sapoot’ (MBKS) website for the Armed Forces Battle Casualties
Welfare Fund (AFBCWF) during a function at the National War Memorial Complex in
New Delhi. The AFBCWF is a Tri-service fund utilised to grant immediate
financial assistance of ex-gratia to the next of kin and dependents of Battle
Casualties. Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan to be the ‘Goodwill Ambassador’.
The Chief of
Defence Staff, all three Service Chiefs, Param Vir Chakra (PVC) awardees and
other prominent officials of the MoD, corporate heads, chairman & managing
directors of banks, personnel from the sports field and celebrities are
expected to attend the function. On occasion, the ten of kins of fallen heroes
and soldiers disabled in active military operations will also be felicitated.
Parents and relatives of many war-decorated soldiers have also been invited.
OBITUARIES
1. Harry
Potter Actor Robbie Coltrane Dead at the age of 72: Robbie Coltrane, the veteran comic and actor known for his star turns
in the British crime series Cracker and the Harry Potter movie franchise,
passed away at the age of 72. Coltrane was born Anthony Robert McMillan on
March 30, 1950, in Glasgow, Scotland, as the son of a doctor and a teacher.
The
career of Robbie Coltrane:
a) Coltrane’s early TV credits include Flash Gordon, Blackadder and Keep It
in the Family. His other comedy credits included series like A Kick Up the
Eighties, The Comic Strip and Alfresco as he became a mainstay on British TV
screens.
b) Coltrane’s breakout role was playing Dr. Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald, an
anti-social criminal psychologist with a gift for solving crimes, in Jimmy
McGovern’s Cracker series, which ran over 25 episodes between 1993 and 2006.
Coltrane won three consecutive BAFTA best television actor awards for that
role, sharing a record for most wins in a row.
c) That performance led Coltrane to roles in two James Bond films, playing Valentin Zukovsky in GoldenEye and The World Is Not Enough. But most know Coltrane from his other big supporting role: Rubeus Hagrid, the giant groundskeeper at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in the Harry Potter films, starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001.
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