Top Current Affairs of the day: Instantly obtain Latest Current Affairs with all essential info, Be the first to know all the Today Current affairs 4th September 2021 top news, Major Issues, Current News, Important events in National Current News as well as International level with clear explanation. For all competitive exams and Interviews, equip yourself with the Latest Current Affairs on 4th September 2021 granted here.
Top Current Affairs
Reliance arm acquires 80 pc stake in Strand Life Sciences
- Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Ltd (RSBVL) has acquired 2.28 crore equity shares of Strand Life Sciences Pvt Ltd for Rs 393 crore.
- RSBVL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited.
- Strand is a pioneer of genomic testing with bioinformatics software and clinical research solutions to healthcare providers including clinicians, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies.
Army, Navy, Air Force sign deal for inducting anti-drone system
- Army, Navy, Air Force have signed a deal for inducting DRDO-developed anti-drone system.
- The Drone Detect, Deter and Destroy system (D4S), developed by Defence Research and Development Organizations(DRDO), is the first indigenously developed anti-drone system to be inducted into the Indian Armed Forces.
- It has been manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
LIC picks up 4 pc stake in Bank of India
- LIC has picked up nearly 4 percent equity shares of the state-owned Bank of India through an open market transaction.
- LIC’s stake in the Bank of India has now increased to 7.05 per cent.
- Bank of India (BOI) is an Indian nationalized bank.
- It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India with headquarters in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai.
J-K L-G launches Tourist Village Network initiative
- Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on 3 September 2021 launched the Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Village Network under Mission Youth.
- The objective of the initiative is to adopt best practices recognizing the uniqueness of each village and showcasing the landscapes, local values, and traditions, besides encouraging film shooting and offering financial incentives.
Assam to amend the policy to fix sports job quota
- The Assam government has decided to amend its sports policy to reserve a certain percentage of jobs for athletes.
- Under the sports policy of the state, appointment letters as inspectors in the excise department were also handed over to 2014 World Cup silver medallist archer Sanjay Boro and 2019 Women World Boxing Championship bronze winner Jamuna Bora.
‘Hansa’ makes successful maiden flight
- National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL)’s new-generation (NG) aircraft Hansa made its maiden flight on 3 September 2021.
- NAL designed and developed the plane under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
- The features of Hansa-NG are a glass cockpit with cabin comfort, high efficient digitally controlled engine, long-endurance, low acquisition, and operating cost.
Kerala launches ILGMS portal
- The Kerala government on 3 September 2021 has launched a portal, an integrated local self-government management system (ILGMS),
- It aims to provide the people access to the service of the panchayat offices from home.
- The ILGMS is an open-source software developed by Information Kerala Mission.
- The project was launched across 153-gram panchayats in the State and 150 more would be added.
APEDA signs MoU with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research
- The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority(APEDA) on 3 September 2021 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research.
- The objective of the MoU is to build the export-centric ecosystem with the requisite supply chain linkages, technological repository, clinical studies, awareness creation, and a pipeline of entrepreneurs.
Tata-Cornell Institute launches hub to empower smallholder farmers
- Tata-Cornell Institute (TCI) for Agriculture and Nutrition has launched a hub for farmer producer organizations (FPOs) within its Centre of Excellence.
- It aims to empower India’s 125 million smallholder farms to take advantage of growing opportunities in the agricultural sector.
- The hub would serve as a repository of learnings, information and knowledge for the advancement of FPOs.
UP govt to conduct a special drive to make roads ‘pothole-free
- The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to conduct a 30-day special drive from September 15 to November 15, 2021, to make the roads in the state “pothole-free”.
- As per the ministry of road transport and highway (MoRTH), Uttar Pradesh (UP) made up for the largest share – 15% of total road accident deaths in the country in 2019.
Odisha govt forms a new technical committee
- The Odisha government on 3 September 2021 decided to form a technical committee to oversee the implementation of a contingency crop plan.
- The committee has been set up under the chairmanship of the vice-chancellor of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).
- The technical committee has been directed to submit its report by September 6, 2021.
Arunachal CM launches 2 credit-linked schemes
- Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu launched two credit-linked schemes in the state to boost the agriculture and horticulture sectors and to ensure the doubling of farmer’s income.
- The government has earmarked a subsidy amount of Rs 60 crore against the Atma Nirbhar Krishi Yojna and another Rs 60 crore against the Atma Nirbhar Bagwani Yojana under the credit-linked schemes.
Biological E nod to study its Covid vaccine Corbevax
- The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted approval to Biological E for two clinical trials of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate Corbevax.
- With this, it can begin midstage studies of its Covid-19 vaccine in children and adolescents.
- So far, six vaccines have been authorized for use in the country where only about 11.28% of the entire population has been fully vaccinated so far.
Mullah Baradar to lead new Afghanistan government
- Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar will lead a new Afghan government set to be announced shortly.
- Baradar, who heads the Taliban’s political office, will be joined by Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of late Taliban co-founder Mullah Omar, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, in senior positions in the government.
- Haibatullah Akhunzada will focus on religious matters and governance.
SJVN conferred with Dun & Bradstreet Corporate Award 2021
- SJVN has been conferred with the Dun & Bradstreet – Corporate Award 2021 in the category of Best Growth Performance-Power.
- The award was presented in a virtual conference titled India’s Top 500 Companies 2021.
- The event, with the central theme ‘Laying the Foundations for an ESG-Ready Corporate India’ featured keynote addresses by several eminent dignitaries.
National e-Governance Division (NeGD) signs MoU with NLU
- National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has signed an MoU with National Law University (NLU), Delhi and National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal.
- It will establish a Cyber Lab for the ‘Online Capacity Building Programme on Cyber Law, Crime Investigation and Digital Forensics’.
PM addresses at 6th Eastern Economic Forum 2021
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a video-address during the plenary session of the 6th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) held on 3 September 2021 in Vladivostok.
- PM was the Chief Guest for the 5th EEF in 2019, the first by an Indian Prime Minister.
- He reiterated India’s commitment as part of its ‘Act East Policy’ of being a reliable partner of Russia in this regard.
Plant-based products to be delisted as ‘dairy’
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has directed e-commerce platforms to delist plant-based products as dairy milk products.
- Brands in India such as Sofit and NatureVit sell packaged soya, almond or coconut milk on e-commerce grocery platforms as dairy products.
- This is despite a government regulation that non-milk products cannot be classified and sold as ‘dairy’ products.
SJVN Ltd plans 25 GW capacity by 2040
- Hydropower generator SJVN Ltd plans to have 25 gigawatt (GW) of capacity by 2040.
- It currently has a portfolio of 9 GW, and is executing 27 projects in hydropower, thermal, solar and wind sectors in India, Bhutan, and Nepal.
- With a robust portfolio of 31 projects of about 10,000 MW in the pipeline, SJVN for itself has set an ambitious target of achieving 5000 MW installed capacity by 2023.
Forty-five solar parks were approved under the solar park scheme
- India has approved 45 solar parks with a cumulative capacity of 37 gigawatt (GW) under the solar park scheme.
- India’s solar and wind generation recorded an all-time high of 43.1GW on 27 July 2021.
- India has also crossed the 100 GW milestone of installed renewable energy capacity.
- India is running the world’s largest clean energy programme to achieve 175 GW of renewable capacity.
India’s forex reserves surge $16.663 bn to record high
- India’s foreign exchange reserves soared by $16.663 billion to touch a lifetime high of $633.558 billion in the week ended 27 August 2021.
- It was mainly due to an increase in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) holdings.
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) made an allocation of SDR 12.57 billion (equivalent to around $17.86 billion at the latest exchange rate) to India on August 23, 2021.
WhatsApp faces $267 mn GDPR fine over privacy breaches
- Facebook-owned WhatsApp has been fined a record 225 million euros (or $267 mn) by the Irish data privacy regulator for privacy breaches.
- WhatsApp has objected to the penalty as disproportionate and said that it would file an appeal.
- Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner had been investigating complaints over how WhatsApp processes user data under Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation.
6 companies of PAC to be deployed for ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’
- Six companies of the provincial armed constabulary (PAC) and two companies of rapid action force (RAF) will be deployed for the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’.
- It will be held on 5 September 2021 on issues concerning farmers, including the contentious Central farm laws.
- Farmers from across the country, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Maharashtra will take part in the programme.
DRDO, Amity University jointly roll out a course
- DRDO has joined hands with Amity University to roll out a defence technology course to augment the human resource pool and create talent to build startups.
- The programme will focus on six subjects of specializations — Combat Vehicle Engineering, Aerospace Technology, Communication Systems and Sensors, High Energy Materials Technology , Naval Technology and Directed Energy Technology.
Dr Reddy’s inks pact with Citius Pharma
- Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has inked a pact with US-based Citius Pharmaceuticals to sell its rights to an anti-cancer agent.
- It has entered into a definitive agreement with Citius to sell all of its rights to E7777 (an engineered IL-2-diphtheria toxin fusion protein) and certain related assets.
- Dr Reddy’s will receive USD 40 million upfront upon the closing of the transaction.
National Nutrition Week: 1-7 September
- In India, the National Nutrition Week is observed every year from September 1 to September 7 to raise public awareness about nutrition and healthy eating habits.
- In India, the history of National Nutrition Week dates back to 1982 when the government launched a campaign in 1982 to educate individuals about the importance of nutrition.
- The theme for 2021 is ‘feeding smart right from start’.
Two new ant species found in Arunachal Pradesh
- A team of scientists from Bengaluru’s Ashoka Trust for Research In Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) has discovered two species of rare ants.
- The species are parasyscia ganeshaiahi and syscia indica.
- They have been found at Arunachal Pradesh Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Parasyscia ganeshaiahi which are small, cryptic ants usually nest in decaying logs or under rocks.
International Vulture Awareness Day: 4 September 2021
- International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) falls on the first Saturday in September every year.
- It is being celebrated on 4 September for the year 2021.
- The initiative is run jointly by the Birds of Prey Programme of the Endangered Wildlife Trust in South Africa and the Hawk Conservancy Trust in England.
- Globally, 75% of all vultures are threatened with extinction.
C-DOT celebrates its 38th Foundation Day
- Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) observed its 38th Foundation Day on 3 September 2021.
- It organized an international technical conference in virtual mode as part of GB Meemamsi Lecture Series 2021.
- C-DOT is a government-owned telecommunications technology development centre.
- It was established in 1984 with initial mandate of designing and developing digital exchanges.
Infosys launches digital skilling programme Springboard
- Infosys has announced the launch of Springboard.
- It is a digital skilling programme aimed at everyone from Std VI students to professionals as it looks to reach its goal of reskilling more than 10 million people by 2025.
- Springboard is part of Infosys’ environment, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
- It will also allow learners to assess themselves and be certified through examinations.
India and US 2+2 dialogue to be held in November 2021
- The fourth annual 2+2 dialogue between India and the US would be held in November 2021 in Washington DC.
- This was announced by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
- The 2+2 ministerial dialogue takes place between foreign and defence ministers of both sides.
- The inaugural 2+2 Indo-US dialogue was held in New Delhi in 2018.
India becomes the world’s 3rd largest startup ecosystem
- The Hurun Research Institute has released the Hurun India Future Unicorn List 2021.
- India is the third largest Unicorn ecosystem in the world after US and China.
- Hurun India Future Unicorn List 2021 is a list of the most valuable private equity or venture capital-funded companies in India founded after 2000, ranked according to their latest funding round valuation.
RBI imposes fine on Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of ₹50 lakh on Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank, Mumbai for deficiency in regulatory compliance.
- The bank had sanctioned unsecured advances.
- The RBI has also imposed a penalty ₹2 lakh on Akola District Central Co-operative Bank Limited, Akola (Maharashtra) for non-compliance with certain provisions of Know Your Customer (KYC) norms.
IRDAI grants approval to Bharti AXA – ICICI Lombard deal
- ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company has received a letter from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India granting final approval to the proposed scheme of arrangement for the demerger of the general insurance business of Bharti AXA General Insurance Company to it.
- The IRDAI has also granted approval to ICICI Bank to bring down its stake in ICICI Lombard to 30%.
Centre signs a tripartite ‘Karbi Peace Accord’
- The Union government signed a tripartite “Karbi Peace Accord” on 4 Sept 2021.
- Nearly 200 Karbi militants, who were part of those 1,040 militants who surrendered before the Assam government were present during the event.
- The accord is significant as the insurgency by Karbi has had a long history in Assam, marked by killings, ethnic violence, abductions, and taxation since the late 1980s.
IISC, ISRO develop a device for biological experiments
- Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science and Indian Space Research Organisation in Bengaluru have jointly developed a modular, self-contained device.
- It will be used to cultivate microorganisms, which could enable scientists to carry out biological experiments in outer space.
- The research study has been published in Acta Astronautica.
MP government clears 27 percent reservation for OBCs
- The Madhya Pradesh government has cleared 27 percent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
- The General Administration Department (GAD) of the state government issued an order in this regard on 2 September 2021.
- The reservation for the OBC category has been increased from 14 percent to 27 percent.
BMC commissions its first mini waste-to-energy plant
- The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has commissioned its first mini waste-to-energy plant at Haji Ali in Mumbai.
- It will convert two metric tonnes of wet waste into 300 units of electricity per day.
- This is the first decentralized organic waste processing centre set up in Mumbai and there are plans to start such a project in other municipal wards as well.
Ladakh Administration, BRO sign MoU
- Ladakh Administration and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have signed an MoU for upgradation and improvement of the road network in the UT.
- Ladakh has assigned seven projects to BRO considering their expertise in hilly areas to construct tunnels and roads.
- The MoU comprises DPR preparation of tunnels and roads besides upgradation of three roads as per the required standards.
Manish Narwal wins gold, Singhraj Adhana bags silver
- India’s Manish Narwal won gold, while Singhraj Adhana took home silver in the mixed 50 metre pistol event at the Tokyo Paralympics on 4 September 2021.
- Narwal shot a total of 218.2, a Paralympic record, to claim the gold while Adhana, who had won the bronze in the P1 men’s 10m air pistol event, added silver with an effort of 216.7.
- This is India’s third gold at the ongoing Paralympics.
24th meeting of Financial Stability and Development Council
- Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 3 September 2021 chaired the 24th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council, FSDC in New Delhi.
- The meeting deliberated on the various mandates of the FSDC, financial stability, financial sector development, inter-regulatory coordination, financial literacy and financial inclusion.
EAM Dr Jaishankar on a two-day visit to Denmark
- External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Denmark from 4 September 2021.
- He will co-chair the 4th round of the Indo-Danish Joint Commission Meeting with the Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod.
- He also visited Slovenia and Croatia on 2 and 3 September 2021.
- He participated in the European Union Foreign Affairs Council.