Daily GK Update: 17th September 2021

 Important Dates

1. World Patient Safety Day: 17th September

• World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) is observed every year on 17th September to create a global awareness for patient safety and urge people to show their commitment to make healthcare safer.
• It was first observed in 2019 by World Health Organization (WHO).
• The day was adopted at 72nd World Health Assembly on 25 May 2019.
• Theme for 2021 World Patient Safety Day: ‘Safe maternal and newborn care’.

 National Affairs

2. PFC issues India’s first-ever Euro Green Bond

• Power Finance Corporation (PFC) has successfully issued its maiden Euro 300 million 7-year Euro Bond issuance.
• It is the first ever Euro denominated green-bond issuance from India.
• It is also the first ever Euro issuance by an Indian NBFC and the first Euro bond issuance from India since 2017
• PFC is an Indian financial institution under Ministry of Power.
• Chairman & MD of PFC: Ravinder Singh Dhillon

 Honours & Awards

3. QCI launches S.K. Joshi Laboratory Excellence Award

• Quality Council of India (QCI) has launched Prof. S.K. Joshi Laboratory Excellence Award
• It is country’s first-of-its- kind Laboratory Excellence Award.
• Award has been instituted to promote Laboratory Quality and performance improvement in India.
• This award will be open to all currently operational Lab pertaining to Testing, Calibration & Medical.
• S. K. Joshi made a significant contribution by serving as President-INSA, DG-CSIR, Director-NPL and Chairman-NABL.

 Honours & Awards

4. PM Modi features in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People 2021 List

• PM Narendra Modi has been named in 2021 Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people list, for the fifth time since coming in power in 2014
• List has 6 categories: Icons, Pioneers, Artists, Leaders, Titans, and Innovators
• It also includes Mamata Banerjee and Adar Poonawalla.
• Globally, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan, and co-founder of Taliban Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar were also in the list

 Defense

5. Ministry of Defence constitutes High Level Expert Committee for NCC

• Ministry of Defence has constituted 15 member High Level Expert Committee for a comprehensive review of National Cadet Corps (NCC).
• Chairperson of the committee: Former MP Baijayant Panda
• It will also include Cricketer MS Dhoni and Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra as members
• It will suggest measures to empower NCC cadets to contribute more effectively towards nation building
• It propose ways for gainful engagement of NCC Alumni for betterment of the organization

 National & International Appointments

6. Incumbent PM Stefan Yanev to lead Bulgaria to elections

• President Rumen Radev has reappointed incumbent caretaker premier Stefan Yanev to lead interim administration until new government is formed.
• Bulgaria will hold its third parliamentary elections on November 14, 2021, after inconclusive polls in April and July failed to produce a government
• This new interim government will have to submit a national plan to Brussels on how it plans to use more than 6 billion euros from EU's covid recovery fund
• Capital of Bulgaria: Sofia

 International Affairs

7. Australia partners with UK and US to get nuclear-powered submarine

• Australia, UK and US have announced new trilateral security partnership to develop nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.
• New alliance is named as AUKUS (Australia, UK, US)
• Aim: to further strengthen the existing and strong security cooperation between the three members of the grouping and deepen ties in Indo-Pacific region
• Australia will join elite group of 6 countries (India, US, UK, France, Russia and China) that currently operate nuclear-powered submarines

 State Affairs

8. J&K Lt Governor launches Mission ‘One Gram Panchayat-One DIGI-Pay Sakhi’

• Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has launched new mission titled as ‘One Gram Panchayat-One DIGI-Pay Sakhi’
• Aim: to promote door-to-door digital banking and financial services in remote areas of the Union Territory.
• Initially, it will be provided in 2,000 remote villages of the UT.
• First phase will cover 80 women from SHG of Jammu and Kashmir division to promote financial inclusion within UT’s SHG ecosystem.

 National Affairs

9. Cabinet approves 100% FDI under automatic route in Telecom Sector

• Union Cabinet has increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Telecom sector under the automatic route from 49% to 100%
• Govt has approved 9 structural and 5 process reform in Telecom sector. They are:
  • Definition of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) has been changed and now all non-telecom revenue will be removed from AGR
  • Monthly compounding of interest on spectrum usage charges is replaced by annual compounding, with less interest rate based on the formula MCLR + 2%

 National Affairs

10. NSO releases All India Debt & Investment Survey

• National Statistical Office (NSO) has released All India Debt & Investment Survey
• Number of indebted households: It has risen sharply in rural India with average debt shooting up by 84% between 2012 and 2018, and COVID-19 has likely further doubled all households’ borrowings by 2021.
• Rural households’ average debt grew from ₹32,522 in 2012 to ₹59,748 by June 2018, while urban households’ average debt increased by 42% in the same period to little more than ₹1.20 lakh.

 Summits & Conferences

11. 15th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers meeting

• Fifteenth East Asia Summit Energy Ministers Meeting has been conducted virtually with Krishan Pal Gurjar (Minister of State for Power) with other senior officials from the Indian side.
• Theme of the meeting: We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper
• Aim: coordinating efforts of ASEAN countries in pursuing the goal of energy security and energy transition that will benefit the people of our region.
• Minister provided brief status of Indian energy transition plans, policies, etc

 Science & Technology

12. CBIC declares Kushinagar Airport as Customs notified airport.

• Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has declared Kushinagar Airport of Uttar Pradesh as a Customs notified airport.
• It will facilitate international passenger movements including that of Buddhist pilgrims.
• Kushinagar is located in Uttar Pradesh and is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana after his death.

 Agreement

13. AIM, along with Dassault Systèmes’ all set to give boost to innovation

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) NITI Aayog has signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with Dassault Systèmes’ all set to give another boost to innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem across the country.
• Under this SoI, Dassault Systèmes will support and promote AIM beneficiaries including Atal Tinkering Labs, AIM incubators, Atal Community Innovation Centres, grantees under Atal New India Challenge, Atal Research & Innovation for Small Enterprise (ARISE)