Top Current Affairs 3rd September 2021 at Freshers Wisdom

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Top Current Affairs

Odisha launches new e-receipt model

• The Odisha government on 2 September 2021 rolled out a revamped platform e-Receipt 2.0.
• In the new system payment gateway service providers of Indian Bank and Axis Bank were integrated with the Odisha Treasury portal.
• Service legal agreements were signed between the state government and Indian Bank and Axis Bank for use of payment gateways – Bill desk and CC Avenue.​

Granules India gets licence from DRDO

• Drug firm Granules India has received a license from Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) to manufacture and market COVID-19 treatment drug, 2- Deoxy-D-Glucose 2-DG.
• The drug reduces a patient’s average recovery time by two and a half days.
• 2-DG has been granted permission by the Drug Controller General of India for emergency use as an adjunct therapy in moderate COVID patients.​

Indian govt departments to participate in Dubai Expo

• A number of Indian states, union territories, government departments, would participate in the six-month Expo 2020 Dubai beginning from October 1, 2021.
• India Pavilion at the expo would showcase the country’s march to becoming a USD 5 trillion economy.
• Live models of many of our heritage buildings such as Ram Mandir and Varanasi reconstruction would also be shown at the Expo.​

Merchandise exports soared to USD 33.14 billion in Aug 2021

• India’s merchandise exports in August 2021 soared 45.17 per cent to USD 33.14 billion as compared to USD 22.83 billion in August 2020.
• The data was released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry.
• The trade deficit in August 2021 was USD 13.87 billion compared to the trade deficit of USD 8.2 billion in August 2020.
• The value of non-petroleum imports was USD 35.37 billion in August 2021.​

Govt appoints Atul Bhatt as CMD of RINL

• The Central Government has appointed Atul Bhatt as chairman and managing director (CMD) of steel company Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL).
• RINL is a special steel-making player based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had earlier given in-principle approval for 100 percent disinvestment of government stake in RINL.​

Microsoft, Ed4All partner with NIOS to empower students

• Microsoft and Ed4All have collaborated with the National Institute of Open Schooling to transform learning in the open schooling system in India.
• Microsoft and Ed4All have launched a customised tech platform for the NIOS Virtual Open School, BLEAP for NIOS, as part of the collaboration.
• It aims to empower 170 million learners across the open schooling ecosystem.​

WBJFA award function to be held on Oct 6

• West Bengal Film Journalists Association Award function would be held on October 6, 2021.
• It is also known as ‘Cinemar Samabartan’.
• The festival would have the tagline ‘Cinemar Moja Cinemar Hall E’ (you can truly enjoy the charm of films by watching on the big screen).
• A lifetime Achievement Award in the name of the auteur Satyajit Ray would be given at WBJFA.​

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting constitutes a committee

• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has constituted a ten-member committee to review guidelines of the Journalists Welfare Scheme.
• It would be headed by Shri Ashok Kumar Tandon, renowned Journalist and Member, Prasar Bharati.
• Its recommendations would enable the Government to frame guidelines afresh for the benefit of the journalists.​

The first consignment of Ladakh Apricot exported to Dubai

• The first commercial shipment of Apricot sourced from the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh has been exported to Dubai.
• The shipment was exported by APEDA registered exporter from Mumbai.
• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has been working to establish an export value chain for Ladakh Apricot in association with an importer group based in Dubai.​

Agriculture Minister addresses 16th Sustainability Summit

• The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar addressed the 16th sustainability summit 2021 of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the Chief Guest on 2 Sept 2021.
• The conference was also addressed by Denmark’s Environment Minister Ms. Lea Wermelin and CII Director General Mr. Chandrajit Banerjee.

Chandigarh Station awarded certification by FSSAI

• Railways’ Chandigarh Railway Station has been awarded a 5-star ‘Eat Right Station’ certification for providing high-quality, nutritious food to passengers.
• This certification is granted by FSSAI to railway stations adhering to standard food storage and hygiene practices.
• The certification is awarded to railway stations that set benchmarks in providing safe and wholesome food to passengers. 

Ayush Ministry starts a campaign to distribute prophylactic medicine

• The Ministry of Ayush has launched a campaign of distributing Ayush prophylactic medicines and written guidelines on diet and lifestyle.
• In the next one year, the immunity booster medicines and the guidelines to combat Covid-19 will be distributed to 75 lakh people across the country.
• Special focus will be given on geriatric population and the front-line workers.

New low-cost integrated composting technology developed

• A new low-cost, integrated composting technology, which includes microbe-aided vermistabilisation, has been developed.
• It can convert toxic sludge from the textile industry into plant probiotics in a short time.
• Dr S. Senthil Kumar from Geobiotechnology Laboratory, National College, Tiruchirappalli, in partnership with Perundurai Common Effluent Treatment Plant Tamil Nadu has developed it.

Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani passes away

• Kashmiri separatist leader and former chief of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani passed away in September 2021.
• Geelani, an uncompromising campaigner against Indian rule in Kashmir, had been under house arrest for the past 11 years.
• He was elected to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly from the Sopore constituency in 1972, 1977 and in 1987.

A new epidemic intelligence hub opened in Berlin

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel on September 1, 2021, opened a new epidemic intelligence hub in Berlin with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
• The hub will serve as a collecting point for all available information on viruses.
• The data will then be analyzed for use in the global fight against pandemics.
• The hub and its work will be given 30 million euros funding.

Reliance Retail completes acquisition of Just Dial

• Reliance Retail Ventures Limited has taken sole control of Just Dial Limited in accordance with the SEBI takeover regulations with effect from 1 Sep 21.
• RRVL on July 20, 2021, acquired 1.31 crore equity shares of ₹10 each of Just Dial at a price of ₹1,020/- per equity share from VSS Mani.
• It now holds 40.98% in Just Dial Ltd.
• It will be classified as a promoter of Just Dial post this deal.

UK, India announce new steps to tackle climate change

• UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have announced new steps to tackle climate change.
• This includes a $1.2 billion package of public and private investment in green projects and renewable energy.
• They have also jointly launched the Climate Finance Leadership Initiative aimed at mobilizing private capital into sustainable infrastructure in India.

ICRA revises outlook on steel sector to ‘positive’

• Ratings agency ICRA has revised its outlook from ‘stable’ to ‘positive’ for the domestic steel sector, as all major listed steel companies have delivered healthy financial performance during the April-June 2021 quarter.
• After the outbreak of the COVID-19 in 2020, ICRA had assigned a ‘negative’ outlook on the sector expecting a record fall of 20% in domestic steel demand during FY 2020-21.

Indore gets clean street food hub status from FSSAI

• Indore’s famous eat streets of 56 Dukan and Sarafa Chowpaty have bagged the ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ certification from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• 56 Dukaan market has been declared as the second ‘clean street food hub’ in India.
• The FSSAI certification – valid for two years — is given for adopting best practices like garbage disposal, etc.

China develops prototype miniature helicopter

• China has developed a prototype miniature helicopter for surveillance work on future Mars missions.
• The prototype is similar in appearance to the robotic helicopter Ingenuity, developed by NASA for its Perseverance mission.
• China landed a Mars rover in May 2021 in its first-ever mission to the planet, becoming the second country after the United States to do so.

NASA’s Mars rover obtains first rock sample for return

• NASA’s Mars rover has successfully collected its first rock sample for return to Earth.
• In August 2021, Perseverance drilled into much softer rock but didn’t get inside the titanium tube.
• Perseverance arrived in February at Mars’ Jezero Crater- believed to be the home of a lush lake-bed and river delta billions of years ago, in search of rocks that might hold evidence of ancient life. 

Brazilian viper venom may become a tool in the fight against COVID

• Brazilian researchers have found that a molecule in the venom of a type of snake inhibited coronavirus reproduction in monkey cells, a possible first step toward a drug to combat the virus causing COVID-19.
• A study published in the scientific journal Molecules found that the molecule produced by the jararacussu pit viper inhibited the virus’s ability to multiply in monkey cells by 75%.

India, US sign agreement for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

• Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence have signed a Project Agreement (PA) for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV).
• It has been signed under the Joint Working Group Air Systems in the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).
• The PA for ALUAV falls under the Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E) Memorandum of Agreement.

Japan’s Yoshihide Suga to resign as Prime Minister

• Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will resign in Sept 2021.
• Mr. Suga had been appointed to the role in 2020 following the resignation of Shinzo Abe.
• In 2005, PM Junichiro Koizumi appointed him Senior Vice Minister of internal affairs and communication.
• The following year, Koizumi’s successor Shinzo Abe promoted him to minister with three cabinet posts, which he held until 2007.

POWERGRID wins the Prestigious global ATD Best Award

• Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) was awarded the Association for Talent Development (ATD) 2021 BEST Award on 2 Sept 2021.
• It has secured 8th rank among 71 organizations from around the globe and became the only PSU to win this award and one of the only two companies of India to be in the Top 20.
• It has been awarded for its diligent efforts in talent development practices.

Vartika Shukla: First woman CMD of Engineers India Ltd

• Engineering consultancy firm Engineers India Ltd (EIL) has announced that Vartika Shukla has assumed charge as the first woman Chairperson and Managing Director of the company.
• Shukla joined EIL in 1988 and possesses consulting experience.
• She has been spearheading the company’s initiatives in new energy areas including Bio Fuels, Coal Gasification, Waste to Fuel and Hydrogen.

RBI imposes a penalty on Kosamba Mercantile Co-operative Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on September 2, 2021, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs one lakh on the Kosamba Mercantile Co-operative Bank Ltd for violation of rules.
• The bank didn’t comply with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Loans and advances to directors, relatives, and firms’.
• The bank had sanctioned loans to relatives of a director resulting in non-compliance.

RBI to set up a five-member panel on NUE licences

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will set up a committee to scrutinize applications and give recommendations on new umbrella entity (NUE) licenses.
• The five-member committee will be headed by RBI chief general manager P Vasudevan.
• NUEs will establish their own payment infrastructure to compete with the National Payments Corp of India (NPCI).

Ladakh announces snow leopard as the state animal

• The Ladakh Union Territory administration has announced snow leopard as its state animal and black-necked crane as its state bird.
• This big update comes after the Union Territory was made from the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state in 2019.
• Earlier, the black-necked crane was the state bird of J&K that existed until 5 August 2019.

Avani Lekhara: 1st Indian woman to win multiple medals

• Avani Lekhara won bronze in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event with a score of 445.9 to become the first Indian woman to win two medals at the Paralympics.
• China’s Zhang Cuiping won gold with a Paralympic Record score of 457.9, while Germany’s Natascha Hiltrop took silver with a score of 457.1.
• Lekhara had also won gold in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event.

HDFC Life to acquire Exide Life

• HDFC Life Insurance’s board has approved the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Exide Life Insurance Company for a total consideration of ₹6,687 cr.
• It will acquire stake in Exide Life from Exide Industries through issuance of 8,70,22,222 shares at an issue price of ₹685 per share and a cash payout of ₹726 cr.
• It is the biggest insurance deal in the country.

India’s service activity grows at the fastest pace

• Indian service sector growth resumed in August 2021 as the pandemic continued to recede and vaccine access improved.
• Moreover, the latest reading pointed to a marked rate of expansion that was the fastest in one-and-a-half years, PMI survey by IHS Markit showed.
• The IHS Markit Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 56.7 in August – it’s the strongest pace since the pandemic hit.

Amit Shah inaugurates several programmes in Karnataka

• Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on 2 September 2021 inaugurated several development projects in Davangere district of Karnataka.
• He inaugurated Gandhi Bhavan, Police Public Residential School, and Police quarters in virtual mode from GM Institute of Technology in Davangere.
• He also inaugurated a high-tech library in the Institute of Technology.

Praveen Kumar bags silver medal in High Jump T64

• At Tokyo Paralympics, Indian Para-athlete Praveen Kumar has bagged the silver medal in Men’s High Jump T64 event.
• Praveen jumped 2.07 metre while Great Britain’s Jonathan Broom-Edwards took the gold with a season-best of 2.10 metre in the event.
• With the win, India’s medal tally at Tokyo Paralympics has risen to 11 with two gold medals, six silver, and three bronze medals. 

New Development Bank approves Bangladesh as a new member

• The New Development Bank (NDB) established by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries in 2015 has approved Bangladesh as its new member.
• The NDB Board of Governors initiated the negotiation to expand its membership in 2020.
• It has now approved the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Bangladesh as its first new member countries.

Gujarat to host 12th Defence Expo-2022 in Gandhinagar

• The Gujarat Government will host the 12th Defence Expo-2022 in Gandhinagar.
• An MoU has been signed between the Department of Defence Production and the Gujarat Government in this regard.
• About 100 countries are expected to participate in this biannual event.
• It will be held in Gandhinagar from 10th to 13th March.

India-US hold bilateral 2 plus 2 Intersessional meeting

• India and the United States held a bilateral 2 plus 2 Inter-Sessional Meeting at the official level on 2 Sept 2021 in Washington DC.
• They reviewed the progress made since the last 2 plus 2 Ministerial Dialogue in October 2020 and preparations for the forthcoming dialogue later in 2021.
• The Indian delegation was led jointly by Joint Secretary Vani Rao and Joint Secretary Somnath Ghosh. 

Meenakashi Lekhi to pay a six-day visit to Colombia

• Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi will be paying a six-day official visit to Colombia and New York from 4 Sept 2021.
• This will be her first visit as the Minister of State.
• During her visit to New York from 7-9 Sept, she will represent India at the UN Security Council Ministerial Open Debate on ‘Transitions’ under the agenda item United Nations Peacekeeping Operations

Ministry of Education to organize Shikshak Parv-2021

• Ministry of Education will be organizing Shikshak Parv-2021 from Teacher’s Day on 5 September 2021, which will continue till 17 September through virtual mode.
• President Ram Nath Kovind will also confer the awards to 44 awardees through virtual mode on the Teacher’s Day.
• The National Awards to Teachers were first instituted in 1958 to recognize the excellence and commitment of teachers.

CISF organizes 10 cycle rallies all over the country

• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is organizing 10 cycle rallies all over the country, as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations to mark the 75th year of India’s Independence.
• The longest of the 10 rallies will begin from 4 September 2021 from the historical Yerwada Jail in Pune and conclude at Rajghat in Delhi.
• A team of 12 CISF cyclists will participate in the rally.