NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. West
Bengal's Shantiniketan makes it to UNESCO World Heritage list: Shantiniketan has been included in the UNESCO World
Heritage list. Santiniketan becomes the 41st UNESCO World Heritage
Site in India and the third in West Bengal, after
the Sundarbans National Park and the Darjeeling Mountain Railways. The
decision to include Santiniketan in the list was taken during the 45th
session of the World Heritage Committee in Saudi Arabia. Established in
1901 by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, located in Birbhum
district of West Bengal.
2. Haryana
CM Khattar launches new e-Bhoomi portal:
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar launched a new e-Bhoomi
portal that promises to further ease the process of purchasing land for
the development of government projects with the consent of landowners. Objective: To
extend benefits to landowners whose names are recorded in the revenue estate of
villages Kasan, Kukrola and Sahrawan in Manesar tehsil of Gurugram district Farmers
can offer their land independently or through listed aggregators.
3. Dharmendra
Pradhan, Om Birla launch 'Skills on Wheels' initiative: Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan with Lok
sabha speaker Om Birla launched the ‘Skills on Wheels’
initiative with NSDC and IndusInd Bank. Aim: To generate awareness
around the government's skill development mission, opportunities and support
system available for youths. Objective: To promote digital literacy and
digital skills in which India is developing global competency this scheme with
the help of NSDC has been launched.
4. Rajnath Singh approved 23 new Sainik Schools in
partnership mode: Defence minister Rajnath Singh has
approved the setting up of 23 New Sainik Schools in partnership
mode, thereby increasing the tally of such schools functioning under the aegis
of Sainik School Society to 42. Apart from the existing 33 Sainik Schools
already functioning under the erstwhile pattern. The objective of eventually
setting up 100 new Sainik Schools in partnership mode is to provide quality
education to the students in tune with the National Education Policy (NEP) and
give them better career opportunities, including joining the armed forces. The
objectives of this initiative envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
include providing quality education in line with the National Education Policy
and enhancing career opportunities for students, including the option to join
the armed forces. It also promotes collaboration between the private sector and
the government for nation-building and the development of responsible citizens.
5. IIT Guwahati researchers develop pharmaceutical and
food products: Researchers from the Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed pharmaceutical
and food products from tea factory waste. As per a recent study, tea is one of
the most widely consumed beverages worldwide with world tea consumption
reaching 6.3 million tonnes and is expected to rise to 7.4 million tonnes by
2025. This huge increase in tea consumption leads to an increase in industrial
tea waste generation which leads to the non-utilisation of valuable
agricultural resources and deterioration of environment. The findings of these
studies have also been published in various international journals including
the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Chemosphere, Critical
Reviews in Biotechnology, etc.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. World
Bamboo Day is observed on 18th September: World
Bamboo Day is observed annually on 18th September 2023. Aim: To
raise awareness about the importance of bamboo but also promote its role in
sustainable development, poverty alleviation, environmental conservation and
cultural preservation. Bamboo is a type of grass that grows rapidly and is
known for its strength, flexibility and eco-friendliness and to celebrate the
many uses and benefits of this versatile and sustainable resource.
2. Tata Steel signs 500 million pound-deal with UK govt: The United Kingdom has signed a joint investment package
with Tata Steel worth £1.25 billion (about $1.55 billion), including a
government grant of £500 million ($621 million,) to secure the future of Port
Talbot operations in Wales — the country’s largest steelworks. The joint investment
package is the largest in the UK steel industry in decades would pave the way
for greener steelmaking at the Welsh unit, by replacing coal-powered blast
furnaces nearing the end of their effective life with a state-of-art 3 million
tonne electric arc furnace (EAF). The move is aimed at reducing the UK’s entire
carbon emissions by around 1.5 percent. The £500 million grant — one of the
largest support packages from the UK government — is subject to relevant
regulatory approvals and consultation processes. Tata Steel’s share, about £700
million, would be funded largely through internal equity.
3. India ranks first among 154 nations in grassroots
crypto adoption: India has been
ranked first in grassroots crypto adoption, even amid a tough regulatory
environment, according to Chainalysis’ 2023 Global Crypto Adoption Index. The
country ranked first in four parameters including centralized service value
received, retail centralized service value received, DeFi value received and
Retail DeFi value received. Last year India stood fourth. Nigeria ranked second
in the index, followed by Vietnam, United States and Ukraine. The report also
said that low-income countries saw a dramatic uptick in crypto adoption
following a slump in late 2022, spurred by the collapse of the FTX. The report
combines on-chain data and real-world data to measure which countries are
leading the world in grassroots crypto adoption. Grassroots crypto adoption
isn’t about which countries have the highest raw transaction volumes, Instead,
it’s the countries where average, everyday people are embracing crypto the
most, the report explains.
The
government has introduced stringent taxation rules, including a 30% tax on
gains and a 1% TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) on crypto trades.
4. 18 September – World Bamboo Day: World Bamboo Day is observed annually
on September 18. Objective – To raise awareness about the myriad benefits
of bamboo and its role in addressing pressing global challenges. World Bamboo
Day was established courtesy the efforts of the World Bamboo Organization, a
non-profit organization that was founded in 2005 by Susanne Lucas and David
Knights to promote bamboo as a valuable and versatile resource. In 2009, the
WBO organized the first World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok, Thailand which
brought together bamboo enthusiasts, experts, researchers, and industry
professionals from around the world and proposed the idea of creating a
dedicated day to celebrate bamboo. Bamboo is a type of grass that grows rapidly
and is known for its strength.
5. 18 September – International Equal Pay Day 2023: International Equal Pay Day is observed
every year on 18 September. This day underscores the commitment of the
United Nations to uphold human rights and combat all forms of discrimination, particularly
discrimination against women and girls. International Equal Pay Day traces its
origins back to 1996 when it was first observed by the National Committee on
Pay Equity. This committee comprised women’s and civil rights organizations
dedicated to eradicating wage discrimination based on gender and race. Their
ultimate goal was to achieve pay equity for all.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Neeraj
Chopra scored second in men’s event at Diamond League Final 2023: Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished second in
the men’s event at the Diamond League Final 2023 in USA. The Indian's best
throw of 83.80 meter came in his second attempt. However, Czech Republic’s
Jakub Vadlejch, won his third title with a best throw of 84.24
meter. Oliver Helander of Finland scored third
position while Andrian Mardare of Moldovan scored fourth
position and Curtis Thompson of USA scored fifth
position in this event.
2. Ferrari's
Carlos Sainz wins F1 Singapore Grand Prix to end Red Bull's run: Ferrari's Carlos Sainz won the Singapore Grand Prix 2023 to end Formula
1 leader Max Verstappen's record run of 10 wins in a row and shatter Red Bull's
dream of going through the season unbeaten. McLaren's Lando Norris finished a
close second and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton took third place as Red Bull ended up
off the podium for the first time since last November's Brazilian Grand Prix. Double
world champion Verstappen started 11th and finished fifth, with teammate
3. India won Asia Cup for record-extending 8th time: India won the Asia Cup 2023 after beating Sri Lanka in the
final by 10 wickets. This victory marked India’s first Asia Cup win since 2018.
India reached their target in just 6.1 overs, winning the final with 263 balls
to spare and all 10 wickets intact. This was India’s biggest winning margin in
terms of balls remaining. The previous best was against Kenya in 2001, where
they chased down a target of 91 with 231 balls to spare. Kuldeep Yadav clinches
9 wickets in the tournament and wins the Player of the Tournament award. The
ground staff who ensured successful completion of the matches were presented
with an award of $50000. Mohammed Siraj earned the Player of the Match award.
Ravindra
Jadeja was awarded the Catch of the Match award
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Yes
Bank partners Juspay to offer merchant in-app UPI payments: Juspay, India's leading payments company, has partnered
with Yes Bank to launch HyperUPI, NPCI's plug-in SDK that enables
in-app UPI payments in merchant apps. Merchants can now offer
simple “1-click UPI experiences" in their Android and iOS apps
without having to become an official UPI app. Customers will no longer need to
depend on another app to make UPI transactions as these payments can
now be made on the merchant's app.
2. IndusInd
Bank launches ‘Virtual Commercial Credit Card’:
IndusInd Bank launched of the ‘Virtual Commercial Card' to
redefine cross-border transactions for corporates and travel agents. In
a tie-up with Visa, this has additional layers of security that grant the users
control over their international expenses, making it a safe and hassle-free
experience for the customers
Users
can generate virtual cards in foreign-denominated currencies as well,
safeguarding the parent card number, ensuring utmost security for transactions.
3. Indian
Bank unveils 'IB SAATHI' to enhance banking services: Public sector Indian Bank announced the rollout of the 'IB
SAATHI' initiative aimed at providing an integrated ecosystem for all
stakeholders in the financial sector through the business correspondent route.
SAATHI
Stands for Sustainable Access and Aligning Technology for Holistic
Inclusion. Objective: To offer an enhanced user experience through
the simplified delivery of services, encompassing both basic and value-added
offerings to customers.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Rahul
Mishra awarded Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres: Rahul Mishra received the French government's Chevalier de
l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres honor 2023. This award was previously won by
his compatriots Ritu Kumar, Ritu Beri, and Wendell Rodricks His
works that highlight the highest standards and craft of local artisans in India
have been shown at prestigious fashion weeks in Paris, Milan, and Mumbai.
2. Team including Indian researcher wins 2023 Ig Nobel prize: A team of scientists from India, China, Malaysia, and the US has won this year’s Ig Nobels, the prize for humorous scientific feats, in the mechanical engineering category for its study of repurposing dead spiders to be used in gripping tools. Researchers Te Faye Yap, Zhen Liu, Anoop Rajappan, Trevor Shimokusu, and Daniel Preston, from Rice University in the US, won the prize for their research on re-animating dead spiders to use as mechanical gripping tools. Counting nose hairs in cadavers, repurposing dead spiders, smart toilets idea, and explaining why scientists lick rocks, were among the 10 winning achievements in the 33rd Ig Nobel Prize ceremony. The Nobel Prize is the premier award in science, reserved for those that “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”
No comments:
Post a Comment