Top Current Affairs 23rd September 2021 at Freshers Wisdom

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Top Current Affairs

India hosts first India-United Kingdom Consular Dialogue

• India hosted the first India-United Kingdom Consular Dialogue through video conferencing on 22 September 2021.
• At this inaugural Consular Dialogue, the two sides discussed ways to further strengthen people-to-people contacts between the two countries as part of the India-UK 2030 roadmap. 
• Both sides agreed to hold the next round of this Dialogue in 2022, in London.

MoS for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi on a visit to Uzbekistan

• Minister of State for External Affairs, Meenakashi Lekhi is on an official visit to Uzbekistan and Switzerland from 23 Sept’21.
• She will be delivering a lecture on India’s democratic traditions at the Tashkent State University of Law in Uzbekistan.
• During her visit to Switzerland, she will hold discussions with Dr. Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councillor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

India, UAE hold the first round of negotiations for CEPA

• The first round of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations between India and UAE were held on 23 Sept’21.
• The UAE is currently India’s third-largest trading partner with bilateral trade in 2019 and 2020 valued at 59 billion dollar.
• It is also India’s second-largest export destination after the US, with exports valued at approximately 29 billion dollars in 2019-2020.

Federal Bank partners with OneCard to offer mobile-first credit card

• Private sector lender Federal Bank on 22 September 2021 announced a strategic alliance with OneCard to offer a mobile-first credit card.
• The partnership aims to provide a seamless digital experience to the young, tech-savvy population across the country.
• OneCard has been launched by FPL Technologies – a fintech start-up that aims to digitally revolutionize credit and payments in India.

Bangalore rises up global startup ecosystem ranks

• Bangalore rose up three spots to be ranked 23rd in an annual analysis of the world’s most favourable ecosystems to build a globally successful startup, according to Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2021.
• The report is topped by Silicon Valley in California.
• Delhi ranked 36th position in the report, with Mumbai topping a parallel ‘Top Emerging Ecosystems’ ranking for the 2nd yr in a row.

Taiwan applies to join Trans-Pacific free trade group

• Taiwan on 22 September 2021 filed an official application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade group.
• CPTPP is a free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore, and Vietnam.
• It was signed by these 11 countries in March 2018 in Santiago, Chile.

Walmart, Flipkart sign MoU with the Tamil Nadu govt, to support MSMEs

• Walmart and Flipkart on 22 September 2021 announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Tamil Nadu.
• Through programs like Walmart Vriddhi and Flipkart Samarth, the MoU aims to empower Tamil Nadu’s MSMEs, artisans, and craftsmen and to continue providing them the ecosystem support they require to grow.

Mansukh Mandaviya to inaugurate ‘Arogya Manthan 3.0’ on September 23

• Union Minister for Health Mansukh Mandaviya will inaugurate the virtual inaugural session of the third anniversary of AB PMJAY, which will be celebrated as ‘Arogya Manthan 3.0’, on September 23, 2021.
• The anniversary of the AB-PMJAY is also observed as ‘Ayushman Bharat Diwas’.
• AB PM-JAY stands for Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

Freshworks becomes first Indian SaaS startup to list on Nasdaq

• Tech firm Freshworks on 22 September 2021 made its debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange after a billion-dollar IPO, making it the first Indian SaaS company to list on the American bourse.
• The San Mateo, California-headquartered software as a service (SaaS) company was founded in 2010 by Girish Mathrubootham and Shan Krishnasamy in Chennai.

Accra named as UNESCO World Book Capital for 2023

• The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has named Accra (Ghana) as UNESCO World Book Capital (WB) for 2023.
• The year of celebrations will start on 23 April 2023, on World Book and Copyright Day.
• Cities designated as UNESCO WB Capital undertake to promote books and reading for all ages and population groups, across national borders, and to organize a slew of activities for the year.

Rajasthan governor inaugurates drip irrigation system at Raj Bhavan

• Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on 22 September 2021 inaugurated the drip irrigation system, Azolla production, and vermicompost units at the garden of Raj Bhavan.
• The units were set up by Sri Karan Narendra Agricultural University, Jobner.
• Azolla acts as nutritious food for cows and livestock, which increases milk production.

Andhra Pradesh to set irradiation facility to boost Agri exports

• The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to set up an irradiation facility at the Mallavalli Model Industrial Park in Krishna district to reduce post-harvest losses and boost agriculture exports.
• The proposed facility will be the first-of-its-kind in the state with a Gamma irradiation facility and a packhouse that will open new markets and avenues of income for exporters and farmers alike.

DAHD and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sign MoU to improve livestock

• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Government of India and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have signed a multi-year MoU to work together on sustainably improving India’s livestock sector.
• The National One Health platform will be established as part of this partnership to improve coordination, productivity, and support livelihoods of small-scale producers.

107-year-old Japanese sisters are the world’s oldest identical twins

• Japanese sisters Umeno Sumiyama and Koume Kodama turned 107 years and 300 days old in September 2021, thus officially breaking the record for the world’s oldest living identical twins.
• The Japanese siblings are also the oldest identical twins to have ever lived.
• Previously, Kin Narita and Gin Kanie, also sisters from Japan, held the title of oldest living identical twins. 

Govt sets up an asset management company for bad bank

• The govt has set up India Debt Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL).
• It is an asset management company that will work along with the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) to clean up bad loans.
• It has been set up with a paid-up capital of ₹80.5 lakh on an authorized capital of ₹50 cr.
• Arvind Sadashiv Mokashi has been appointed on the board as State Bank of India’s nominee Director.

Government launches single window platform for investors

• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal launched National Single Window System on 22 September 2021.
• It will enable investors to identify and obtain clearances from central and states governments on a single platform.
• It will address information asymmetry and duplication of information submitted across platforms.
• It hosts approvals across 18 central departments and nine states. 

International Day of Sign Languages: 23 September

• 23 September every year is observed as the International Day of Sign Languages.
• The World Federation of the Deaf has declared “We Sign For Human Rights” as the theme for the year 2021.
• According to the World Federation of the Deaf, there are more than 70 million deaf people worldwide.
• More than 80% of them live in developing countries.
• They use more than 300 different sign languages.

Govt extends Uday Kotak’s term as IL&FS Chairman by 6 months

• The government has extended the term of Uday Kotak as non-executive Chairman of IL&FS group by another six months.
• He is also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kotak Mahindra Bank.
• Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited is an Indian state-funded infrastructure development and finance company.
• It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Assam setting up a tea Park at Kamrup district’s Chayygaon

• To boost the tea production in Assam, the state government will be setting up a Tea Park at Chayygaon in the Kamrup district of the state.
• However, this tea park will also help to improve the quality of its tea production.
• The park will also have ail and port connectivity.
• Cargo and warehouse and other facilities like tea grinding, blending, etc. will be set up under one roof.

Rajiv Bansal to take over as Civil Aviation Secretary from 1 October

• IAS officer Rajiv Bansal will take over as Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on 1 October 2021.
• He is currently the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India Ltd.
• His appointment follows the retirement of incumbent Pradeep Singh Kharola on 30 September 2021.
• Kharola was appointed as the Secretary, MoCA, in February 2019.

Policy 4.0 announces the appointment of the advisory board

• Digital currency policy research body, Policy 4.0, has announced the appointment of its advisory board.
• The board comprises Ashima Goyal, member of the RBI’s monetary policy committee, Sandeep Parekh, former regulator with SEBI, etc.
• Policy 4.0 is a unique Indian policy advisory body focused on emerging technology that develops research and advisory for decision-makers.

People of Japan bear genetic signatures from three ancient populations

• A research has shown that the people of Japan bear genetic signatures from three ancient populations rather than just two as previously thought.
• The oldest of the skeletons from which DNA was extracted for the study was a female dating around 9,000 years ago from a Jomon period site in Ehime Prefecture.
• The study has been published in the journal Science Advances.

CBSE to use Blockchain technology to secure board exam documents

• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has come up with a new solution called ‘academic documents’ using Blockchain technology to record its result certificates in a linked chain structure.
• It can be used by various educational institutes to keep board exam results and other important documents secure and tamper-free.
• It can also be used by companies for job offers.

Freedom fighter Susheela passes away

• Freedom fighter and senior member of the famous Vadakkath family, G Susheela passed away in September 2021.
• Born in 1921 in Kerala, Susheela participated in the freedom struggle while she was a student in Madras.
• A follower of the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, Susheela served as the national secretary of the women’s wing of the Congress.

Andhra Pradesh CM inaugurates American Corner in Andhra University

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on 23 Sept 2021 virtually launched American Corner at Andhra University (AU) in Visakhapatnam.
• It is the third centre in the country after Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.
• American Corner is a partnership between the US Consulate and Andhra University, which aims to provide educational and cultural opportunities for the students.

Government Cuts Patent Fees For Academic Institutions By 80%

• The government has informed that patent fees for all educational institutions have been reduced by 80 per cent.
• The move is aimed at promoting innovation and development of new technologies.
• This benefit was earlier available to all recognised educational institutions owned by the government. 
• High patenting fees presents a restrictive element for getting these technologies patented.

CSIR-CMERI develops Solar DC Cooking System

• CSIR-CMERI (Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute) has developed Solar DC Cooking System.
• It is a solar energy based cooking system consisting of solar PV panel, charge controller, battery bank and cooking oven.
• The technology has a potential to save 1 ton of carbon dioxide emissions year/household.
• It was handed over to the Asansol Braille Academy, West Bengal on 22 Sept’21.

Anirudh Tewari appointed new Punjab Chief Secretary

• Punjab govt has shunted Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan and appointed Anirudh Tewari in her place.
• Tewari is a 1990-batch IAS officer and is currently holding the position of the Additional Chief Secretary of Development, Food Processing and Horticulture. 
• Vini Mahajan was appointed in 2020 during the Amarinder Singh-led regime and she was the first woman to hold the post in the state.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina receives SDG Progress Award

• The UN-sponsored Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has conferred Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with “SDG Progress Award”.
• She has been awarded for Bangladesh’s steady course in responding to the universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all.
• SDSN was set up in 2012 by prominent economist Professor Jeffrey D Sachs.

JSPL bags lease for Kasia iron ore mine in Odisha

• Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) has bagged Kasia iron ore block in Odisha.
• The mine with 278 million tonne (MT) reserves is strategically located about 17 kilometers from company’s pellet plant in Barbil in the state.
• At present, the Kasia mine has an environmental clearance (EC) for mining 7.5 MT mineral per annum.

WHO issues new air quality guidelines

• The World Health Organization has issued new air quality guidelines on 22 September 2021.
• The guidelines aim to protect people from the adverse effects of air pollution and are used by governments as a reference for legally binding standards.
• The WHO’s new guidelines recommend air quality levels for six pollutants, including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Tamil Nadu signs MoUs worth Rs 2,120.54 crores

• The Tamil Nadu government on 23 sep signed MoU for 24 projects worth Rs 2120.54 crore.
• The government goal is to increase the state’s exports to USD 100 billion by 2030. 
• Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Trade and Investment Promotion Bureau (M-TIPB) and The Indo German Chamber of Commerce have also entered into an MoU for collaboration between MSMEs in the state and businesses in Germany.

Zee to merge with Sony; Punit Goenka will be CEO and MD

• Sony has agreed to merge its India entertainment business with Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL).
• It will thus lead to the creation of India’s largest entertainment network with about $2 billion in revenues and 26 per cent viewership share.
• Punit Goenka will be the CEO and MD of the unified entity.
• The promoters of Sony would invest $1.57 billion in the merged entity as growth capital.

Yogesh Singh appointed Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University

• Yogesh Singh has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University.
• Currently, Professor Pooran Chand Joshi is the interim Vice-Chancellor.
• He was appointed to the post following then V-C Professor Yogesh Kumar Tyagi’s suspension. 
• Prof Neelima Gupta has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar.

Bharti Airtel partners with Tejas Networks

• Tejas Networks has been selected by Bharti Airtel to enhance the telecom operator’s optical network capacity in key metropolitan markets.
• It will supply, install and support its optical transmission products for extending Airtel’s optical networks.
• Tejas Networks designs, develops and sells networking products to telecommunications service providers in over 75 countries.

DoHE, IIT Delhi, Bombay, and Kanpur sign Expression of Interest

• Ladakh Higher Education Department (DoHE) and the consortium of IIT, Delhi, Bombay, and Kanpur have signed an Expression of Interest (EoI), in Leh.
• The aim and vision of this historic step is to strengthen technical education in Ladakh.
• The partnership shall focus on providing innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities focused on Ladakh’s ecosystem, skill development, etc.

Bangladeshi Fairooz Faizah Beether gets 2021 Changemaker Award

• Fairooz Faizah Beether of Bangladesh has been chosen for the 2021 Changemaker Award for her work promoting good health and well-being by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• She is co-founder of Moner School which is an anonymous online platform active in the field of mental health.
• It works with youth to educate them about the importance of mental health care through training.

13 departments, ministries get new secretaries

• The union government has appointed secretaries to 13 departments and ministries.
• Anurag Jain, an IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh Cadre of the 1989 batch will be the secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Sunil Barthwal, the central PF commissioner at EPFO will be the new secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 

INS Tabar undertakes 12 maritime partnership exercises

• Indian Naval Ship INS Tabar was mission-deployed in international waters for over three months from 13th June 2021.
• During the deployment, it made eleven port calls in nine countries of Europe and Africa, traversing nearly 20 thousand nautical miles.
• The ship also undertook twelve maritime partnership exercises with foreign navies at sea.

Ministers of the G4 countries met on 22 September

• The foreign ministers of G4 countries – India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 22 Sept’21.
• The ministers were India’s S Jaishankar, Brazil’s Carlos Alberto Franco Ranca, Germany’s Heiko Maas, and Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi.
• They underlined the urgency of reforming the UN Security Council in order to make it more effective.