Top Current Affairs 17th September 2021 at Freshers Wisdom

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Top Current Affairs

Hyderabad Liberation Day: 17 September

• Hyderabad Liberation Day is celebrated on 17 September to mark the historic accession of the princely state of Hyderabad into the Indian Union.
• ‘Operation Polo’, as the famous “Police Action” was codenamed, brought down the curtains on an oppressive Nizam’s rule on this day in 1948.
• Even after India became independent, people of Hyderabad state had to wait for 13 more months to get freedom.

Power Finance Corporation issues India’s first Euro Green Bond

• The Ministry of Power on 15 September 2021 informed that the Power Finance Corporation Ltd (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 the first-ever Euro issuance by an Indian Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).

Byju’s acquires US-based coding platform Tynker

• Byju’s, on 16 September 2021, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire K-12 creative coding platform Tynker.
• The acquisition would enable Tynker to introduce its creative coding platform to even more kids, educators, schools, and coding camps globally.
• Over the last year and a half, Byju’s has acquired two additional major edtech companies in the US – Osmo and Epic.

China officially applies to join CPTPP trade pact

• China has formally filed an application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
• CPTPP is a free trade agreement between 11 countries around the Pacific Rim.
• Its members include Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. 

European Union unveils new Indo-Pacific strategy

• The European Union on 16 September 2021 unveiled a new strategy for boosting economic, political, and defence ties in the Indo-Pacific.
• The aim of the strategy is to strengthen and expand economic relations while reinforcing the respect of international trade rules, help partners fight and adapt to climate change and biodiversity loss, and boost cooperation on health care.

World Economic Forum to host next annual meeting in Davos in Jan 2022

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced that its next annual meeting would be held in the Swiss ski resort town of Davos in January 2022.
• The theme of the meeting will be  ‘Working Together, Restoring Trust’.
• The Annual Meeting 2022 will be the first global leadership event to set the agenda for a sustainable recovery.

National Asset Reconstruction Company to acquire stressed assets

• The Union Cabinet has approved the Central Government guarantee of Rs 30,600 crore to back Security Receipts issued by National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) for acquiring stressed loan assets.
• NARCL has been incorporated under the Companies Act and has applied to the Reserve Bank of India for a license as an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC).

Culture Ministry announces e-auction of gifts received by PM

• The Ministry of Culture has decided to organize an e-auction of gifts and mementos between 17 September and 7 October 2021, received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Among others, the memorabilia include sports equipment of the medal-winning Olympians and Paralympians and a replica of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.
• Proceeds from the e-auction would go to the Namami Gange Mission.

6th BRICS Young Scientist Forum hosted by DST on 16 September

• The sixth BRICS Young Scientist Forum on 16 September 2021 was hosted by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) in collaboration with the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru (NIAS).
• All the member countries have agreed to operationalize the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Center as a virtual network.
• BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Microsoft and HONOR collaborate to enhance mobile experiences

• Microsoft and Chinese smartphone brand HONOR have entered into a strategic partnership to bring a more innovative mobile experience for end-users.
• As part of the strategic partnership, HONOR would integrate Microsoft’s cloud computing and AI technology into its product and services such as the YOYO smart assistant, collaboration tools, AI travel assistant, and translation services.

UNESCO adds 20 new sites to World Network of Biosphere Reserves

• UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme has added 20 new sites in 21 countries to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves which now numbers 727 biosphere reserves in 131 countries.
• Lesotho, Libya and Saudi Arabia joined the MAB Network in 2021 with the designation of their first sites.
• UNESCO Biosphere reserves now cover more than 5% of the Earth’s landmass.

World Patient Safety Day: 17 September

• World Patient Safety Day is observed every year on 17 September.
• The theme for 2021 is “Safe maternal and newborn care”.
• The day was established in May 2019 by the 72nd World Health Assembly with the adoption of resolution WHA72.6 on ‘Global action on patient safety. 
• It aims at increasing public engagement for the safety of health care, promoting patient safety, and reducing patient harm. 

Crime against women in Indian cities decreased by 21% in 2020: NCRB

• Crime against women in Indian cities declined by nearly 21 percent in the pandemic year of 2020, when compared with 2019.
• A report by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) stated that nearly 35,331 cases of violence against women were registered in 2020.
• In 2019, however, 44,783 cases of women assault were registered by the authorities.

BUMS course of first-ever Government Unani Medical College

• J&K is all set to welcome its first-ever Government Unani Medical College and Hospital in the Ganderbal district.
• Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will be inaugurating the BUMS (Bachelor of Unani Medicine & Surgery) course of the College on 17 Sept’21.
• The Ministry of Ayush has provided financial assistance of Rs 17 crore for its establishment. 

15th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers meeting held

• 15th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers Meeting was held on 16 September 2021.
• Krishan Pal Gurjar, Union Minister of State for Power, attended the meeting along with other senior officials of the Ministry from the Indian side.
• He provided a brief status of the Indian energy transition plans and efforts towards decarbonization.
• The theme of the meeting was “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper”.

New method to convert poultry feather waste to animal feed

• Indian scientists have developed a new sustainable and affordable solution for converting keratin waste such as human hair, wool, and poultry feathers to fertilizers, pet, and animal feeds.
• Professor A. B. Pandit, Vice-Chancellor, Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai has developed the technology.
• This technology will make amino acid-rich liquid fertilizers more economical.

Kotak Mahindra acquires vehicle financing portfolio of Volkswagen

• Kotak Mahindra has announced the acquisition of German carmaker Volkswagen’s captive vehicle finance business.
• The deal involves Kotak’s in-house NBFC Kotak Mahindra Prime acquiring the passenger car and two-wheeler portfolio.
• While Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL) will acquire the commercial vehicles portfolio from Volkswagen Finance (VF).

UN awards pandemic management software co-developed by Indian students

• In an international acclaim, ‘CoronaSafe Network’, an open-source pandemic management software solution has been recognized by the United Nations as a Global Digital Public Good.
• It has been co-developed by software industry volunteers and a group of engineering students from India.
• Digital Public Good is the highest recognition accorded by the UN to open-source software.

Dassault Systèmes, NITI Aayog partner to boost innovations

• NITI Aayog and France’s software maker Dassault Systèmes have partnered to help innovators and entrepreneurs under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).
• AIM is a flagship programme of the Indian government.
• Under the deal, Dassault Systèmes’ start-up acceleration program will be accessible to selected AIM startups.
• Also, mentorship will be given to selected AIM startups.

CBSE partners with Partham Books, CSF to start a ‘Reading Mission’

• The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is launching a Reading Mission in partnership with Pratham Books and Central Square Foundation (CSF).
• It will promote reading literacy among elementary school learners.
• The CBSE Reading Mission 2021-23 is a two-year initiative to encourage students to read and engage actively with books.

Virat Kohli to step down as Indian cricket team’s T20 captain

• Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has announced that he will step down as the captain of the T20 cricket team after the T20 World Cup in Dubai.
• The T20 World Cup starts on 17 October, with the final to be played in Dubai on 14 November 2021.
• Kohli took over India’s limited-overs captaincy in 2017, succeeding Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Zomato, InCred collaborate for loans with no processing fee

• Zomato has partnered with InCred to help cash-strapped food businesses, operating under Zomato’s food delivery platform across India.
• They will offer zero processing fees on credit from 1st September 2021 till 31st October 2021.
• The partnership will support over 50,000 businesses working with Zomato to overcome any credit crunch with tailor-made solutions. 

UNDP, HDFC and Greater Noida Authority ink pact

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), HDFC Bank and the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) have inked a pact.
• They will set up a facility to manage up to 300 metric tonnes of dry waste in the city every month.
• The material recovery facility (MRF) in Greater Noida will come up at a cost of Rs 3 crore and will be funded by the HDFC bank.

Former RBI deputy governor Vishwanathan joins EY India as Advisor

• Advisory firm, EY India has appointed NS Vishwanathan, former Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as an Advisor in their financial services practice.
• EY also appointed Nandkumar Saravade, former founding CEO of Reserve Bank Information Technology (ReBIT) as an advisor. Vishwanathan was also a non-executive member of the Board of Directors at SEBI.

DDCA​ appoints Indu Malhotra as new Ethics Officer

• The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has appointed Justice Indu Malhotra as the Ombudsman cum Ethics Officer.
• She is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India.
• She succeeds Ombudsman Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed.
• Earlier, there was no Annual General Meeting conducted so the association appointed Justice Badar and now it has elected a new one.

District-level committees to be constituted

• Ministry of Power has issued an order to set up district level committees.
• This is being done in order to ensure the involvement and oversight of the people in the process of power sector reforms and their implementation in the country.
• It will be the responsibility of the Convenor and Member Secretary to conduct the meetings on regular basis and issue timely minutes.

Alka Nangia Arora assumes charge as CMD, NSIC

• Alka Nangia Arora, IDAS (91) has assumed the additional charge of the post of Chairman cum Managing Director (CMD) of the National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC).
• She is serving as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
• She has also served in various capacities with the Indian Navy as a Financial Advisor Naval Dockyard.

MyGov launches Planetarium Innovation Challenge

• MyGov India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), launched the Planetarium Innovation Challenge in September 2021.
• It is for Indian startups and tech entrepreneurs.
• The challenge aims to bring together the tech firms and startups with the potential to build an indigenous planetariums system software using latest technologies.

L&T Infotech hits ₹1 trillion market capitalization for the first time

• Shares of Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd (LTI) on 17 September 2021 joined the ₹1 trillion market capitalization after its shares jumped more than 60% so far in 2021. 
• This is the second L&T Group firm to achieve this milestone after Larsen & Toubro Ltd, India’s largest engineering company.
• L&T’s current market cap stands at ₹2.39 trillion.

Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana launched

• Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology launched Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana on 17 September 2021.
• It is a program under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
• Indian Railways will impart training to 50000 candidates over a period of three years.
• Initially, the training will be provided to 1000 candidates.

Nitin Gadkari inaugurates projects in Madhya Pradesh

• Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 34 road projects worth Rs 9,577 crore in Madhya Pradesh in September 2021.
• More such projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore will be sanctioned by the Centre for the state in the coming days. 
• A 168km stretch of Gwalior-Jhansi-Khajuraho road, constructed at a cost of Rs 2,209 cr, was also inaugurated.

Telangana unveils its Information Technology policy for next 5 years

• Telangana has unveiled its Information Technology policy for the next five years.
• State Information Technology and Industries Minister K. Taraka Ramarao formally launched the second IT Policy in Hyderabad on 16 September 2021.
• The focus is on digital empowerment of citizens, innovation and entrepreneurship, and taking the innovation ecosystem to global levels.

J&K LG releases silver souvenir coin, inaugurates e-library

• Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha released 20-gram Silver Souvenir coin in Jammu on 16 September 2021.
• He also e-inaugurated a digital library established in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Spiritual Growth Centre, Katra with the aim to ease out the difficulty in finding out information from voluminous books.
• He is also the Chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

Nagaland’s first Software Technology Park inaugurated

• Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development Rajeev Chandrasekhar is on a 2-day visit to Nagaland from 17 Sept’21.
• He inaugurated the Software Technology Parks of India Centre at Kohima and distributed the Kaushal Acharya Award
• On the second day, he will visit the Skill Upgradation Centre for Tribal Women under SANKALP and Handicraft Industry Cluster at Dimapur.    

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

• Punjab’s Harmilan Kaur Bains broke Sunita Rani’s national record in the 1,500 metres on the 2nd day of the 60th National Open Athletics Championships on 16 September 2021.
• The new record set by her was at 4:05.39 while the previous one by Sunita Rani was at 4:06.03 in the Asian Games in Busan in 2002.
• Harmilan has won eight national-level 1,500 m races since January 2020.

ITEC Day celebrated in Bangladesh on 16 September 2021

• The High Commission of India celebrated the 57th Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) day in Dhaka on 16 September 2021.
• Deputy Minister for Education of Bangladesh Mohibul Hasan attended the event as the Chief Guest of the event.
• ITEC was established in 1964 to offer the benefit of India’s development experience and appropriate technologies to the developing countries.     

Investment of Rs. 5,000 cr will be done for manufacturing of drones

• Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has informed that an estimated investment of Rs. 5,000 crore will be done for manufacturing drones over a period of three years.
• It will bring a turnover of 900 crore rupees and 10 thousand job opportunities will be created.
• Under the PLI scheme, incentives of 120 crore rupees will be given in the next three years.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurates 5 NIELIT Centres in North East Region

• The Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar reached Imphal on 16 September 2021.
• He inaugurated a NIELIT (National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology) Centre at Tuibong.
• He also inaugurated NIELIT Centres constructed at Aizawl, Mizoram and Kokrajhar and Tejpur, Assam.

The target set by the Centre to set up water testing labs by 2023

• Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has informed that a target has been set by the Centre to set up a water testing lab in all blocks of the country by 2023.
• So far over two thousand accredited labs have been set up.
• Six lakh women across the country have also been trained on how to test pure and safe drinking water.

R K Singh addresses US India Strategic Partnership Forum

• Power Minister R K Singh addressed the US India Strategic Partnership Forum and industry leaders in a Virtual Energy Industry Roundtable on 16 September 2021.
• He informed that India has set an ambitious target of having 175 GigaWatt capacity of renewable energy by 2022 and 450 Giga Watt renewable energy capacity by 2030.