NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. PM Narendra Modi launched world’s first Cheetah
Rehabilitation Project: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has released wild Cheetahs in Kuno National Park and launched the world’s first
Cheetah Rehabilitation Project. Cheetahs which have been brought from Namibia
are being introduced in India under Project Cheetah, which is the world’s first
inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project. The release of
wild Cheetahs by the Prime Minister is part of his efforts to revitalise and
diversify India’s wildlife and its habitat. Out of the eight Cheetahs, there
are five females and three males. On the occasion, he also interacted with Cheetah
Mitras, Cheetah Rehabilitation Management Group and students at the venue.
Cheetah
Rehabilitation Project: The cheetah was declared
extinct from India in 1952. The Cheetahs will help restore open forest and
grassland ecosystems in India. This effort, in line with the Prime Minister’s
commitment to environmental protection and wildlife conservation, will also
lead to enhanced livelihood opportunities for the local community through
eco-development and ecotourism activities. The historic reintroduction of
Cheetahs in India is part of a long series of measures for ensuring
sustainability and environment protection in the last eight years which has
resulted in significant achievements in the area of environment protection and
sustainability.
2. CM of Manipur N. Biren Singh introduce web
portal ‘CM Da Haisi’: The Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh at
Imphal launched a web facility to gather complaints and concerns from the
general public. The web portal is called “CM Da Haisi,” which translates to “to
inform the CM,” and the public can express their complaints there by visiting
www.cmdahaisi.mn.gov.in. The status of the complaints may also be checked by
the complainants. Key Points:
a) The Public Grievances Redressal and Anti-Corruption Cell, located at the
CM Secretariat, will use the portal to communicate with the relevant
departments.
b) This will be done in order to address public grievances in a timely
manner and to forward complaints that can be taken further to the State
Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department for investigation.
c) Since March 2022, the Public Grievance Redressal and Anti-Corruption
Cell has received 134 complaints in total, of which 85% have been addressed and
conveyed to the complainants.
Note: Capital of
Manipur: Imphal; Chief Minister of Manipur: Nongthombam Biren Singh; Governor
of Manipur: La. Ganesan
3. India’s 1st lithium-ion cell factory inaugurated
in Andhra Pradesh: The Minister of State for Electronics and
Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar has launched the pre-production
run of India’s first lithium-ion cell manufacturing facility at Tirupati,
Andhra Pradesh. This state-of-the-art facility has been set up by Chennai-based
Munoth Industries Limited with an outlay of Rs 165 crores. Key Points:
a) The facility is located in one of the two Electronics Manufacturing
Clusters set up in the temple town, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.
b) The installed capacity of the plant at present is 270 MWH and can
produce 20,000 cells of 10Ah capacity daily. These cells are used in power
banks and this capacity is around 60 per cent of India’s present requirement.
c) Cells for other consumer electronics like mobile phones, hearable and
wearable devices will also be produced.
d) Currently, India imports complete requirements of lithium-ion cells
primarily from China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.
4. Maharashtra’s Daulatabad Fort to be renamed as
‘Devgiri’ Fort: Maharashtra Tourism Ministry has decided to rename
the Daulatabad fort to Devgiri which is located near Aurangabad. It is a national
heritage monument, which is maintained by the Archeological Survey of India
(ASI). The decision of renaming Daulatabad fort to Devgiri came after Shiv Sena
chief Uddhav Thackeray renamed Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar after a long demand
from Sena Foot Soldiers.
About
Daulatabad Fort: Daulatpur Fort is a historic fortified citadel
located in Devagiri Village near Aurangabad, Maharashtra. It was earlier the
capital of the Yadava Dynasty for a brief time the capital of the Delhi
Sultanate. The fort was renamed Daulatabad by Mohammed Tughlaq in the 14th
century who understood its Importance as a base for military operations in
southern India and conceived the Idea of making his capital. The fort was later
known as Qubbatul Islam and coins were minted with this name.
6. A&N becomes
India’s first state/UT to achieve 100 percent coverage of precautionary dose:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands became the first Indian state/UT to achieve 100
percent coverage of precautionary dose. More than 2,87,216 beneficiaries aged
18 have been vaccinated with a precautionary dose. After 15th July, the rate of
vaccination has seen a spike when the government decided to provide
free-of-cost precautionary doses on the occasion of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. Key
Points:
a)
The healthcare workers reached
households and organized several camps to intensify the campaign. The camps
were organized in the Urban as well as Rural areas which received a good
response.
b)
The set target has been achieved before
the set time limit of the 30th of September.
c)
The Nicobar district has been fully
vaccinated with a precautionary dose. Later the North and Middle Andaman and
South Andaman districts were fully vaccinated.
d)
The precautionary doses included
Corbevax and Covishield.
7. National Cinema
Day: 23rd September: The National Cinema Day was previously announced to be
held on September 16, however, on request from various stakeholders and in
order to maximize participation, it was rescheduled to September 23. The day
has been scheduled by the Multiplex Association of India (MAI). Over 4,000
screens at multiplexes from across the country, including PVR, INOX, Cinepolis,
Carnival, and Delite, have teamed up to offer a “celebratory admission price”
of Rs 75 to mark National Cinema Day.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. China and UAE to join hands on moon rover
missions: China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have
agreed to join hands to help further the latter’s space ambitions. The Mohammed
Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) of the UAE and the China National Space Agency
(CNSA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together on the
UAE’s moon missions. The agreement marks the first joint space project between
the two countries.
The UAE has been
pushing to become an important space player. Its collaboration with China
involves the “landing of an MBRSC rover aboard a CNSA lander.” Under the
project, the UAE will develop a rover dubbed Rashid-2; China will help it with
the landing, data transmission, observation, and control. MBRSC
director-general Salem Humaid Al Marri and CNSA deputy director Wu Yanhua signed
the MoU.
Note: China
Capital: Beijing; China Currency: Yuan; China President: Xi Jinping;
United Arab
Emirates (UAE) Capital: Abu Dhabi; United Arab Emirates (UAE) Currency: Dirham;
United Arab Emirates (UAE) President: Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; United Arab
Emirates (UAE) Prime Minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
2. Union Minister to lead delegation to US for
Global Clean Energy Action Forum: Union Minister
of State for the Ministry of Science and Technology and Minister of state
ministry of earth science, Jitendra Singh will lead the Joint Indian
Ministerial official delegation of the Ministry of Power, New and Renewable
Energy and Ministry of Science and Technology on a five-day visit to USA to
participate in the Global Clean Energy Action Forum. Key Points:
a) In order to attend the Global Clean Energy Action Forum, Indian
officials from the Ministries of Power, New and Renewable Energy, and Science
and Technology will travel to the United States for a five-day visit.
b) The Union minister will meet with distinguished academics and members of
the Indian diaspora while in the country.
c) Speaking of this visit, Minister Singh said that he believes it is
appropriate for all of us that at least 30 nations would be represented by
their individual ministries as well as official delegations, CEOs, at what may
be the first meeting of its kind in the global clean energy Action Forum.
d) He also emphasised Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to India’s pledge at
the COP26 meeting to reach the Net Zero goal by 2070.
3. International Day
of Sign Languages: 23rd September: The International Day of Sign Languages
(IDSL) is celebrated annually across the world on 23 September. The day is a
unique opportunity to support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural
diversity of all deaf people and other sign language users.. As the name
suggests, this day aims to spread awareness regarding the importance of sign
language in the realisation of the human rights of people who are deaf. The
theme for the 2022 International Day of Sign languages is “Sign Languages Unite
Us!”.
International Day of
Sign Languages History: The proposal for the Day came from
the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), a federation of 135 national
associations of deaf people, representing approximately 70 million deaf
people’s human rights worldwide. The resolution A/RES/72/161 was sponsored by
the Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations,
co-sponsored by 97 United Nations Member States and adopted by consensus on 19
December 2017. The choice of 23 September commemorates the date that the WFD
was established in 1951.
Note: World
Federation of the Deaf President: Joseph J. Murray; World Federation of the
Deaf Founded: 23 September 1951, Rome, Italy; World Federation of the Deaf
Headquarters location: Helsinki, Finland.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. World Wrestling Championships 2022: Bajrang
Punia won bronze medal: Indian wrestler Bajrang
Punia won the bronze medal after defeating Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan in
the men’s freestyle 65kg category at the World Wrestling Championships 2022. It
was Bajrang’s fourth medal at the world championships. With his silver in 2018
and bronze medals in 2013 and 2019, he was already India’s most successful wrestler
at the world championships coming into this edition.
2. World Para Athletics Grand Prix: Devendra
Jhajharia won silver: Indian javelin thrower, Devendra Jhajharia has
clinched a silver medal in the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, in Morocco.
Paralympics gold medalist Devendra threw the javelin to a distance of 60.97
meters to capture the silver. Devendra is a three-time Paralympics medalist.
While 2020 Tokyo Paralympics silver medallist Nishad Kumar won the gold medal
in the men’s T47 high jump, javelin throwers Ajeet Singh and Devendra Jhajharia
bagged gold and silver respectively in F46 category.
India has so far
won 3 gold medals, two silver, and a bronze in the World Para Athletics Grand
Prix in Morocco. Other medalists for India include Neeraj Yadav (F55/56 discus-
Gold), Anil Kumar (T54 100m- Silver), and Ranjeet Bhati (F57 javelin- Bronze).
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. RBI Removes Central Bank of India from PCA
Framework: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) removed Central
Bank of India from its Prompt Corrective Action Framework (PCAF) after the
lender showed improvement in various financial ratios, including minimum
regulatory capital and net non-performing assets (NNPAs). The RBI had imposed
the PCA norms on the bank in June 2017 due to its high net NPA and negative
return of assets (RoA). After reviewing the performance of the Central Bank of
India, RBI decided to remove the restrictions on the bank.
PCA
Framework: The PCA norm is a supervisory tool and is imposed
when a bank breaches certain regulatory thresholds on capital to risk weighted
assets ratio (CRAR), net NPAs and return on assets (RoA). Key Points:
a) RBI initiated the Scheme of Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) in 2002.
b) In early 2018, there were 12 banks under PCA framework. Of these, 11
were PSBs.
c) Due to recapitalization & corrective measures there were only six
banks (all PSBs) under the PCA framework as of March 2019.
d) Objective – Prompt Corrective Action or PCA is a framework under which
financial institutions with weak financial metrics are put under watch by the
RBI.
e) Until now, the RBI had imposed PCA only on banks. Now, PCA framework is
extended to NBFCs also. The move comes in the wake of large NBFCs such as
IL&FS, DHFL, SREI Group and Reliance Capital getting into financial trouble
over the last few years.
f)
Applicability – The PCA framework for NBFCs comes
into effect from October 1, 2022, based on their financial position on or after
March 31, 2022. The framework will apply to all deposit-taking NBFCs, excluding
government companies, and all non-deposit taking NBFCs in the middle, upper and
top layers.
g) Implications – This is a welcome move as it will stop bad lenders from
going worse rather than brushing the issue aside. Safer NBFCs will translate to
a safer overall financial system.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. Google Cloud & Nasscom tie-up to skill
students for entry-level Cloud jobs: Google Cloud
has announced it has launched the first cohort of its computing foundations
with Kubernetes course in collaboration with FutureSkills Prime, an IT Ministry
and Nasscom digital skilling initiative. The beginner-level course aims to
provide participants an opportunity to experience cloud computing, cloud
basics, big data and machine learning (ML). Google Cloud certifications will
help individuals validate their cloud expertise, elevate their careers, and
transform businesses with Cloud technology. About the course:
a) The course will offer hands-on training (via Google Cloud Skills Boost
platform), for diverse career paths including IT infrastructure, data
analytics, and Cloud-native application development, among others.
b) The course will be offered free to students at higher education
Institutions and freshers seeking to skill themselves on emerging technologies.
c) According to Gartner, cloud technology is becoming mainstream, with
enterprises investing more on cloud-based offerings leading to higher demand
for cloud talent and the need for upskilling. Kubernetes is an open-source
container orchestration system for automating software deployment, scaling and
management.
Note: Google
CEO: Sundar Pichai; Google Founded: 4 September 1998, California, United
States; Google Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin.
Nasscom
Chairperson: Krishnan Ramanujam; Nasscom Headquarters location: New Delhi;
Nasscom Founded: 1 March 1988.
2. WhatsApp and IDFC
FIRST Bank enabled FASTag recharge: IDFC FIRST Bank for the customers, launch
its integration with “payments on WhatsApp” would enable quick and secure
FASTags recharging. Due to this collaboration, users of IDFC FIRST will be able
to recharge their FASTags directly from IDFC FIRST’s WhatsApp chatbot and
finish the transaction from within the chat thread. Key Points:
a)
The recharge process will be a smooth
one that allows payments in two easy stages. Customers must enter the amount
and authenticate the transaction using an OTP after choosing the recharge
option in the WhatsApp chat. They will then receive a message confirming the
transaction.
b)
Millions of FASTag customers that
utilise the Bank, this new feature will enable users to pay for their recharge
using “payments on having to sign into any other mobile app or net banking
platform.
c)
Users may now send and receive money
via Unified Payment Interface (UPI) from their friends as simple as sending a
WhatsApp message thanks to the “Payments on WhatsApp” feature.
d)
‘Payments on WhatsApp’ is built with a
rigorous set of security and privacy principles with user safety at its core,
including entering a unique UPI-PIN for each payment.
DEFENCE
1. Indian Air Force set to retire Abhinandan’s
MiG-21 squadron: The Indian Air Force is set to retire its
Srinagar-based MiG-21 squadron ‘Sword Arms’ that Wing Commander Abhinandan
Varthaman. MiG-21 squadron ‘Sword Arms’ was a part of when he had downed an
F-16 combat aircraft of Pakistan a day after the Balakot strike in February
2019. ‘Sword Arms’ is one of its four remaining squadrons of ageing MiG-21
fighter jets.
The No. 51
Squadron is to be retired by the end of September, “as per the plan”. The
remaining three squadrons of MiG-21 will be phased out by 2025. IAF is
inducting different variants of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft to
replace the MiG-21s. The air force got its first single-engine MiG-21 in 1963,
and it went on to induct 874 variants of the Soviet-origin supersonic fighters
to bolster its combat potential.
Why was
this decision taken?
a) Several MiG-21s have crashed in recent years, with the accidents turning
the spotlight on India’s longest-serving fighter plane, its safety record and
IAF’s plans to replace the ageing jets with newer models in the coming years.
b) Over 400 MiG-21s have been involved in accidents over the past six
decades, killing around 200 pilots. More MiG-21s have crashed than any other
fighter jets because they formed the bulk of the combat aircraft in the IAF’s
inventory for a long time.
c) The air force had to keep its MiG-21 fleet flying longer than it would
have liked because of delays in the induction of new aircraft, as previously
reported.
Note: Indian Air
Force Chief: Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari; Indian Air Force
Headquarters: New Delhi; Indian Air Force Founded: 8 October 1932, India.
2. Indian Navy conducts ENC Yachting Championship
at Visakhapatnam: ENC Yachting Championship was conducted by INWTC,
INS Circas under the aegis of HQENC at Vishakhapatnam. Prize distribution and
closing ceremony were facilitated by the Chief Guest, Cmde Sumantra Hazarika,
Director MWC (V). Key Points:
a) In total 38 races were conducted in Enterprise Dinghly, ILCA 6, ILCA 7
classes, and BicNova Wind Surfer.
b) A total of 46 yachtsmen and 8 yatchwomen took part in the ENC Yachting
Championship. The races were conducted among seven different teams of ENC.
c) Local Ashore B was declared the overall winner and Fleet B was runner-up
for the ENC Yachting Championship.
d) The main of the championship was to inculcate sportsmanship,
camaraderie, and a spirit of adventure among the participants.
3. Army chief General Manoj Pandey inaugurates
Kargil International Marathon: Chief of Army
Staff General Manoj Pandey has inaugurated Kargil International Marathon in
Ladakh. The events are organized by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development
Council (LAHDC), Kargil, and Ladakh police in collaboration with Sarhad Pune.
The events include runs of full length, Half, 10 km, and 5 km. In the
International Marathon, over 2000 runners participated.
OBITUARIES
1. Comedian Raju Srivastava passes away at the age
of 58: Comedian Raju Srivastava has passed away in Delhi
at the age of 58. He had suffered a heart attack while exercising on August 10.
As per a report Raju was still conscious and with normal body movements.
Early
Career: Srivastava appeared in Hindi films such as “Maine
Pyar Kiya”, “Baazigar”, “Bombay to Goa” (remake) and “Aamdani Atthani Kharcha
Rupaiya”. He was one of the contestants on “Bigg Boss” season three. He was the
chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council. Srivastava, who has
been in the entertainment industry since the 1980s, shot to fame after
participating in the first season of the reality stand-up comedy show The Great
Indian Laughter Challenge in 2005.
2. Senior RSS pracharak Keshav Rao Dattatreya Dikshit passes away: Senior most pracharak of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, Keshav Rao Dattatreya Dikshit has passed away. He was 98. Born in 1925 at Pulgaon village of Wardha district in Maharashtra, Keshav Rao came to Bengal in 1950 to act as a pracharak. He was respected one and all of the Sangh Pariwar. The mortal remains of Keshav Rao was kept at the state headquarters, Keshav Bhavan. Sukanta Majumder the state president and other senior leaders of the party express their condolences at his death.
