Top Current Affairs of the Week (12 - 18 September 2021)

By Dhruv Kumar|Updated : September 19th, 2021

British Emma Raducanu wins 2021 Women’s Singles US Open title

  • Emma Raducanu won Women’s Singles title at 2021 US Open Tennis.
  • British sensation Emma defeated her Canadian opponent Leylah Fernandez in the summit clash held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
  • She has become the first British woman to win the title in 53 years.
  • Raducanu has also become the first British woman in 44 years to win a Grand Slam singles title.
  • Emma Raducanu is the youngest Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova, then 17, at Wimbledon in 2004.

 

British Emma Raducanu wins 2021 Women’s Singles US Open title

  • Emma Raducanu won Women’s Singles title at 2021 US Open Tennis.
  • British sensation Emma defeated her Canadian opponent Leylah Fernandez in the summit clash held at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
  • She has become the first British woman to win the title in 53 years.
  • Raducanu has also become the first British woman in 44 years to win a Grand Slam singles title.
  • Emma Raducanu is the youngest Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova, then 17, at Wimbledon in 2004.

DP World signs pact with TN Govt for 2,000 cr projects

  • Global port operator DP World has signed a facilitation MoU with the Tamil Nadu Govt for a slew of projects it is establishing in the State at an investment of 2,000 crore
  • DP World signed an MoU in UAE with the Tamil Nadu in Sep 2019 to invest ₹1,000 crore in establishing a Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ). 
  • DP World’s FTWZ was inaugurated on July 20, 2021.
  • These projects are expected to create 4,500 employment opportunities.  
  • TN Governor: Ravindra Narayan Ravi

Typhoon Chanthu drenches Taiwan with up to 5 inches of rain

  • Typhoon Chanthu drenched Taiwan as the storm's center passed the island's east coast, but no injuries were reported.
  • More than 2,000 people were evacuated from flood-prone areas of the east coast county of Hualien.
  • Chanthu's center was off Taiwan's northeast coast, with winds of 162 kph and gusts up to 198 kph (124 mph), according to the Central Weather Bureau.
  • Earlier, the storm grazed the island of Luzon in the Philippines, but no flooding or damaged was reported.

Bhanumati Gheewala selected for Florence Nightingale Award

  • A Gujarat-based nurse Bhanumati Gheewala has been selected for Florence Nightingale Award.
  • The nurse works at Sir Sayajirao General Hospital in Vadodara.
  • She has been handling the delivery of COVID-19 positive pregnant women as well as taking care of newborns.
  • Florence Nightingale Award recognizes exceptional courage and devotion to victims of armed conflict or natural disaster.
  • It also recognizes exemplary service or a pioneering spirit in the areas of public health.

Yahoo appoints Tinder CEO Jim Lanzone as new CEO

  • Jim Lanzone has been appointed as new CEO of Yahoo.
  • Currently he is the CEO of Tinder/
  • He will succeed Guru Gowrappan, who has been named Senior Advisor to Apollo’s private equity business.
  • The move comes around four months after Verizon had announced that it would sell Yahoo to Apollo Management Group for $5 billion.
  • Prior to his stint as CEO of Tinder, Lanzone had led the digital operations of CBS Corporation as Chief Digital Officer and CEO of CBS Interactive.

'Medicines from the Sky' project launched to send medicines to PHCC

  • Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched the Medicines from the Sky project to send medicines to Primary Health Care Centres using drones.
  • The project was launched at Vikarabad in Telangana.
  • The first sortie was carried out by a drone built by SkyAir Mobility for its Consortium partner Blue Dart Express.
  • ‘Medicine from the Sky’ project is an initiative of the Telangana in association with World Economic ForumNITI Aayog, and HealthNet Global.

Shivani becomes 1st woman excavation engineer

  • Shivani Meena, an IIT Jodhpur alumna, has become the first woman excavation engineer to work in an open cast mine at Coal India arm CCL.
  • She will be posted at CCL's Rajrappa project, one of the important enterprises of the coal mining behemoth. Until now the position belonged to men.
  • Shivani Meena has joined the Rajrappa project, a mechanized opencast mine in the Rajrappa area of CCL as an excavation engineer.

Billionaire Aziz Akhannouch Appointed as Morocco's New Prime Minister

  • Billionaire Aziz Akhannouch was appointed as the new Prime Minister of Morocco.
  • King Mohammed VI has appointed the businessman “head of the government and tasked him with forming a new government.
  • Akhannouch is the leader of the liberal National Rally of Moroccan Independents (RNI) party which won 102 of parliament’s 395 seats.
  • He previously served as Morocco's minister of Agriculture from 2007 to 2021 and is the CEO of Akwa Group.

UNESCO awards NIOS for innovation in education

  • National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has bagged King Sejong Literacy Prize, a global recognition from UNESCO for its innovative approach towards education.
  • The recognition is for educating differently-abled people through technology-enabled inclusive learning material.
  • The NIOS move has a specific focus on Indian sign language-based content.
  • NIOS is comes under the ambit on Ministry of Education. 

Bhupendra Patel sworn-in as the new CM of Gujarat

  • Bhupendra Patel has been sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat.
  • He is the first-time sitting MLA who has been named for the post of Chief Minister.
  • He is a BJP MLA from Ghatlodiya assembly constituency.
  • The move was taken after the resignation of Vijay Rupani from the post of CM.
  • He has served as the President of Memnagar Municipality in Ahmedabad and standing committee chairman of AMC
  • Governor of Gujarat: Acharya Devvrat
  • Capital of Gujarat: Gandhinagar

Daniel Ricciardo wins F1 Italian Grand Prix 2021

  • McLaren-Mercedes’s racer Daniel Ricciardo (Australian-Italian) has won Formula One Italian Grand Prix 2021 title held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza
  • This is the first victory for McLaren in 9 years.
  • Lando Norris (McLaren-Mercedes) came second, followed by Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
  • Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen crash out of Italian Grand Prix 2021 due to collision.
  • It was the 14th round of 2021 F1 World Championship and second Grand Prix in Italy of the season.

Uttarakhand gets India’s largest open-air fernery

  • India’s largest open-air fernery has been inaugurated in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand
  • It will serve the dual objective of conservation of fern species as well as creating awareness about their ecological role, promoting further research.
  • It has around 120 different types of ferns, covering an area of over 4 acres of land at an altitude of 1,800m.
  • Fernery has been developed under Govt’s Compensatory Afforestation Management Funds Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme

India’s first long-range nuclear missile ship INS Dhruv commissioned

  • India’s first nuclear-missile tracking ship, named as INS Dhruv has been commissioned from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh
  • It is a 10,000 tonnes satellite and ballistic missile tracking ship, which has been built by  Hindustan Shipyard Limited in collaboration with DRDO and National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO)
  • INS Dhruv is capable of tracking nuclear missiles at a long-range that will provide early warning of attacks by ballistic missiles from Pakistan, China

Vijay Goel took charge as Vice Chairman of Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti

  • Former Union Minister Vijay Goel has taken charge as the Vice Chairman of Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti in New Delhi.
  • Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti (GSDS) was formed in September 1984 by the merger of Gandhi Darshan at Rajghat and Gandhi Smriti at 5 Tees January Marg as an autonomous body.
  • It functions under the constructive advice and financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

LG Manoj Sinha distributed ‘Kashmir Young Leadership Award’

  • Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha has felicitated Young achievers with ‘Kashmir Young Leadership Award’ during Kashmir Leadership Summit in Srinagar
  • The award is given for the outstanding work in different fields and lauded their contribution for bringing positive changes in society.
  • A total of 46 Young achievers from various fields including health, education, sports, social work, journalism, Art, Music, conservation, etc have been awarded on the occasion.

 

Govt reduces standard rate of duty on edible oil

  • Govt has reduced the standard rate of duty on Crude Palm Oil, Crude Soyabean oil and Crude Sunflower Oil to 2.5 % to ensure availability of edible oil to consumers at fair prices
  • Standard rate of duty on Refined Palm Oil, Refined Soyabean oil and Refined Sunflower Oil to 32.5%
  • Along with this, Agri-cess for Crude Palm Oil has been increased from 17.5% to 20%
  • With this, worth Rs 1,100 crore and total direct value of benefits is expected to be passed on to the consumers

Centre set-up seven new Ekalavya Vidyalayas in Assam

  • Centre has decided to set up seven new Ekalavya Vidyalayas in Assam
  • Tribal Affairs Ministry will also set up 400 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras to promote tribal art and craft as well as to provide livelihood opportunities to the tribal population.
  • Apart from this, Tribal Food Parks will also be set-up in Assam
  • Tribal Affairs Ministry has awarded Van Dhan National Award 2021-22 to TRISSAM of Assam in the category of Collaborative Initiative for co branding in Van Dhan Yojana

Arvind Kejriwal re-elected as National Convenor of Aam Aadmi Party

  • Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been re-elected as the National Convenor of Aam Aadmi Party.
  • He has been elected as the Party National Executive unanimously.
  • Along with him, Pankaj Gupta was again elected as the National Secretary and N D Gupta as National Treasurer.
  • AAP has elected a new 34-member executive body including senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Imran Hussain, Rajendra Pal Gautam, Raghav Chadha, Atishi, Rakhi Birla among others.

Govt increased financial support to open Ayush colleges

  • Central govt has increased financial support from Rs 9 crore to Rs 70 crore to open more Ayush colleges across the country.
  • There are only few Ayush colleges in the North-East and Indian traditional medicine systems can only be popularised by making available more qualified practitioners.
  • Ministry of Ayush has also accorded in-principle approval for upgrading Government Ayurvedic College, Jalukbari, Assam as the Centre of Excellence with support of up to Rs 10 crore.

LCA-Mk2 to roll out next year, first flight in 2023

  • Roll-out of the aircraft (Mk2) is planned next year and the first flight in scheduled in early 2023.
  • Configuration for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk2 has been frozen and steel cutting is expected to begin soon.
  • It features enhanced range and endurance including an onboard oxygen generation system, which is being integrated for the first time.
  • Mk2 is 1,350 mm longer featuring canards and can carry a payload of 6,500 kg compared to 3,500 kg the LCA can carry.

International Day of Democracy: 15th September

  • International Day of Democracy is observed every year on 15th September across the world to provide an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world.
  • Theme for 2021: Strengthening democratic resilience in the face of future crises
  • The day was established in 2007 through a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly for promoting and upholding the principles of democracy and review the state of democracy in the world.
  • It was first observed in 2008.

Gurmit Singh sworn-in as the new Governor of Uttarakhand

  • Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmit Singh was sworn as the new Governor of Uttarakhand with effect from 15th September 2021.
  • His oath of office was administered by Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court Justice RS Chauhan at Raj Bhawan
  • He is a retired Deputy Chief of the Indian Army and is a highly decorated former Army officer
  • He succeeds Baby Rani Maurya, who resigned three years before completing her tenure.
  • Chief minister of Uttarakhand: Pushkar Singh Dhami
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National Engineer’s Day: 15th September

  • National Engineer’s Day is observed every year on September 15 to recognise the contribution of engineers in the development of our nation.
  • The day marks the birth anniversary of India’s engineering pioneer, Sir Mokshagundam Vishweshvaraya, who was regarded as the Father of Modern Mysore
  • Theme 2021: Engineering for A Healthy Planet- Celebrating the UNESCO Engineering Report.
  • The day was celebrated for the first time in 1968.

Susanna Clarke wins Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021

  • English author Susanna Clarke has won 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction for her second novel ‘Piranesi’.
  • Women’s Prize for Fiction: It is one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious literary prizes. It is awarded annually to a female author of any nationality for the best original full-length novel written in English, since 1996.
  • Piranesi is a mystery about a man living alone in a labyrinthine house.

PM Modi to attend Quad Summit at White House on 24th September

  • PM Narendra Modi will attend first-ever in-person QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) Leaders’ Summit at White House in Washington D.C. on September 24, 2021.
  • Quad nation: India, Japan, US and Australia.
  • Aim: To deepen ties and increase cooperation in areas such as combatting COVID-19, addressing the climate crisis, partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace.
  • PM Modi will also address UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on September 25, 2021.

RBI announces opening of Third Cohort under Regulatory Sandbox

  • RBI has announced the opening of Third Cohort under Regulatory Sandbox (RS) with the theme of ‘MSME Lending’.
  • It will be kept open from Oct 1 to November 14, 2021.
  • Prior to this, RBI has launched 2 cohort under regulatory sandbox. These are:
    • First Cohort: It was launched in November 2019, with the theme as ‘Retail Payments’. Six entities have completed the testing phase of the cohort.
    • Second Cohort: It was announced in December 2020 with the theme ‘Cross Border Payments’

India, Singapore announces linking of UPI and PayNow fast payment systems

  • RBI and Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) have announced project to link their respective fast payment systems viz. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow.
  • It will enable users of each of the two fast payment systems to make fund transfer from India to Singapore and vice versa using UPI and PayNow.
  • It will made operational by July 2022.
  • It will foster cross-border interoperability of payments using cards and QR codes, between India and Singapore.

PM Modi lays foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University

  • PM Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
  • It is being established in the memory and honor of noted figure, Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, who was a great freedom fighter, educationist and social reformer
  • It will be spread over an area of over 92 acres at Lodha village and Musepur Kareem Jarouli village of Kol tehsil in Aligarh.
  • It will provide affiliation to 395 colleges of the Aligarh division

Sansad TV to be launched today

  • VP M. Venkaiah Naidu, PM Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will jointly launch Sansad TV at Main Committee Room, Parliament House Annexe today
  • Sansad TV is being formed after merging Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV
  • Sansad TV programming will primarily be in 4 categories: functioning of Parliament and democratic institutions, governance- implementation of schemes/policies, history and culture of India and issues/interests/concerns of contemporary nature.

DBS Bank partners with SWIFT to launch cross-border payment tracking

  • DBS Bank in partnership with SWIFT Global Payments Innovation (GPI) has launched real-time online tracking for cross-border payments for its corporate clients
  • It can be availed using bank’s corporate online banking platform ‘DBS IDEAL’
  • DBS is the first bank in India and Asia-Pacific to offer this service to corporate clients without any additional cost.
  • It will allow corporates customers to see when a payment is on its way and when it is arriving at the beneficiary.

Subramanian Swamy comes out with book on Human Rights and Terrorism

  • BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has launched his new book titled as ‘Human Rights and Terrorism in India’.
  • The book has shed light on how the combating of terrorism can be harmonized with human and fundamental rights within reasonable restrictions that are permitted by the Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court
  • It is the thesis of this study that to deter terror, India as a nation must foster a concept of identity

India to organize first-ever Global Buddhist Conference in November 2021

  • India is set to host first-ever Global Buddhist Conference in Nava Nalanda Mahavihara campus, in Nalanda, Bihar on November 19 and 20, 2021
  • It is being organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
  • It focuses on making India the center of Buddhism, by promoting Buddhist activities.
  • Theme: Buddhism in Literature
  • Conference will be conducted at Dharamsala, Gangtok, Sarnath, and Telangana in India and overseas in Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.

Indian Military Contingent participates in SCO Exercise ‘Peaceful Mission’

  • Indian military contingent comprising of an all arms combined force of 200 personnel is participating in Exercise titled as ‘Peaceful Mission 2021’.
  • It is a Joint Counter Terrorism Exercise between Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states.
  • It is being hosted by Russia in Orenburg Region of South West Russia from September 13 to 25, 2021
  • 2021 is the 6th edition of biennial multilateral Exercise
  • Headquarters of SCO: Beijing, China.

Ramnath Kovind presents National Florence Nightingale Awards 2020

  • President of India, Ram Nath Kovind has conferred National Florence Nightingale Awards 2020 at a virtual ceremony to 51 health care workers and nurses for their selfless dedication and compassion, especially during COVID-19.
  • The Award was instituted by Indian Government in 1973 and are named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
  • WHO declared 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Mid-wife
  • 2020 also marked 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale

South Korea successfully test submarine-launched ballistic missile

  • South Korea has successfully tested indigenously developed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
  • South Korea is the first country without nuclear weapons to develop SLCM missile system.
  • With this, South Korea joins only a handful of countries to have successfully developed SLBM.
  • Other countries that have tested or developed SLBMs: United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, North Korea, and India, which have typically designed them to carry nuclear weapons.

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: 16 September

  • International Day for the Preservation for Ozone layer (World Ozone Day) is observed every year on September 16 to spread awareness about the depletion of the Ozone Layer and search for solutions to preserve it.
  • Theme for 2021 World Ozone Day: Montreal Protocol – keeping us, our food and vaccines cool
  • UN General Assembly proclaimed this day in 1994 commemorating the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

Tata Steel commissions India’s first plant to capture CO2

  • Tata Steel has commissioned India’s first carbon capture plant that extracts CO2 directly from the blast furnace gas, at its Jamshedpur Centre.
  • With this, Tata Steel has become country’s first steel company to adopt such a carbon capture technology.
  • It can capture 5 tonnes of CO2 per day (5-tonne per day (TPD)).
  • The company will reuse the captured CO2 on site to promote circular carbon economy.
  • CEO & MD of Tata Steel: T. V. Narendran.

NITI Aayog, RMI, and RMI India launches ‘Shoonya’ Campaign

  • NITI Aayog, with RMI and RMI India has launched ‘Shoonya Campaign’ to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles by working with consumers and industry.
  • Aim: To accelerate adoption of electric vehicles in urban deliveries segment and create consumer awareness about zero-pollution delivery.
  • As part of campaign, corporate branding and certification programme is being launched to recognize and promote industry’s efforts towards transitioning to EVs for final-mile deliveries

Minister Nitin Gadkari launches AI-powered road safety project ‘iRASTE’

  • Union Minister, Nitin Gadkari has launched an Artificial Intelligence-powered project, titled as ‘iRASTE’ to help reduce road accidents, understand the factors responsible for these events and come up with solutions to mitigate them.
  • iRASTE: Intelligent Solutions for Road Safety through Technology and Engineering
  • The project is launched jointly by Centre, Intel, INAI, IIIT-Hyderabad, CSIR-CRRI, Mahindra & Mahindra and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).

IIT Bombay rolls out language translator ‘Project Udaan’

  • IIT Bombay has launched ‘Project Udaan’ to break the language barrier in education, which hampers the flow of messages.
  • It is a donation-based project, which can translate scientific and technical content from English to Hindi and all other Indian languages.
  • The project uses an AI-based translation software ecosystem, to translate engineering textbooks and learning materials, and all main streams of higher learning, in the desired language

Govt approves PLI scheme for Auto Industry and Drone Industry

  • Govt has approved Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Auto Industry and Drone Industry to enhance manufacturing capabilities
  • It will incentivize emergence of Advanced Automotive Technologies global supply chain in India
  • It will help create additional employment for 7.6 lakh people
  • The scheme will also provide incentives worth  26,058 crore for over 5 years
  • PLI Scheme for auto sector will bring fresh investments of over 42,500 crore in 5 years

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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%

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.

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

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.

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)

Indu Malhotra appointed as DDCA Ombudsman

  • The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) appointed Justice (Retd.) Indu Malhotra (65-years), former judge of the Supreme Court of India, as the Ombudsman cum Ethics Officer for a period of one year.
  • Malhotra was designated senior advocate by the Supreme Court in 2007.
  • She has been appointed amicus curiae by different benches of the Supreme Court in some matters.
  • The DDCA's general body, headed by its president Rohan Jaitley.

World Bamboo Day being observed today

  • World Bamboo Day is observed every year on 18 September to raise awareness about the benefits of bamboo promoting its use in everyday products.
  • The theme for the 12th edition of WBD 2021 is ‘#PlantBamboo: It Is Time To Plant Bamboo
  • World Bamboo Organisation (WBO) declared the day officially on September 18 at the 8th World Bamboo Congress held in Bangkok in 2009.  
  • Bamboo is a tall, tree-like grass of the family Poaceae. It comprises more than 115 genera and 1,400 species.

RN Ravi sworn-in as Governor of Tamil Nadu

  • Ravindra Narayan Ravi (69-years) was sworn in as the Governor of Tamil Nadu.
  • He succeeded Banwarilal Purohit who has since been shifted to Punjab.
  • Sanjib Banerjee (Chief Justice of the Madras High Court) administered the oath of office to Ravi at an official ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai.
  • The Governors of the states of India have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the President of India at the Central level.

IRCTC opens new world-class executive lounge at NDLS

  • IRCTC has started a brand new executive lounge at the New Delhi Railway Station.
  • It would be operational round the clock providing the passengers with recliners, entertainment rooms, massage chairs, multi-cuisine buffet, wash-n-change facilities, business centre and even massage chairs.
  • People can avail of the mentioned facilities at a nominal price of Rs 150 plus taxes for the first hour with an additional Rs 99 for every added hour, as per an official.

Raninder Singh re-elected NRAI president

  • Seasoned administrator Raninder Singh has been re-elected as the president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) for the fourth term.
  • Kunwar Sultan Singh was elected unopposed as the secretary-general.
  • The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was founded in 1951 with a view to promote and popularize the shooting sports in India.

International Equal Pay Day: 18th September

  • The United Nations observes the International Equal Pay Day on September 18 each year to build momentum around the urgent need to address the gender pay gap.
  • This day draws attention to the gender pay gap-the difference between what a woman earns as compared to a man, for work of equal value. 
  • The first-ever (IEPD) was celebrated by United Nations in 2020.

Ministry of Law and Justice launches Pan-India Special Campaign

  • The Ministry of Law and Justice has launched a Pan-India Special Campaign “Ek Pahal Drive” for Justice Delivery at the doorstep
  • It was launched in a bid to encourage mass registration under Tele-Law.
  • The campaign was launched by Department of Justice and NALSA
  • This campaign seeks to actualize the aspiration of access to justice for citizens in India
  • The highlights of this campaign include the deployment of 185 vehicles to showcase films and documentaries.

 National Affairs

National Open Athletics: Harmilan Kaur sets national record in 1500m

  • Punjab's Harmilan Kaur Bains stole the thunder from the sprinters by breaking Sunita Rani's long-standing national record in the 1,500 metres at the 60th National Open Athletics Championships in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Hanamkonda in Telangana.
  • Delhi's K. M. Chanda gamely shadowed Harmilan until the Punjab runner sped away at the bell to win by a sizable margin.
  • Harmilan, undefeated in eight national-level 1,500 metres races since January 2020.

Click Here to Download Current Affairs PDF (12 - 18 September 2021)

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