Top Current Affairs 8th September 2021 at Freshers Wisdom

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International Literacy Day: 8 September

• International Literacy Day is observed every year on 8 September.
• The day aims to highlight the importance of literacy for individuals, communities, and societies and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies.
• It was celebrated first in 1967.
• The theme of International Literacy Day 2021 is ‘Literacy for a human-centered recovery: Narrowing the digital divide.’

Five food processing projects launched in Assam, Gujarat, Karnataka

• The central government inaugurated five food processing projects in Assam, Gujarat, and Karnataka on 7 September 2021.
• These projects worth Rs 124 cr will benefit over 7,600 farmers and provide employment opportunities.
• Union Food Processing Industry Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras and Minister of State for Food Processing Industry Prahlad Singh Patel virtually inaugurated these projects.

India’s first functional smog tower inaugurated in Delhi

• Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav dedicated the first functional Smog Tower in India at Anand Vihar, Delhi on 7 September 2021.
• The smog tower is a structure designed as large-scale air purifiers to reduce pollution particles in surrounding areas.
• Built by Tata Company, the tower has a capacity of 1,000 cubic metres per second.

Central Board of Direct Taxes amends income-tax rules

• Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has amended the income-tax rules to ease the authentication of electronic records submitted in faceless assessment proceedings.
• This simplified process will also be available to companies and tax audit cases.
• Earlier, companies and tax audit cases were mandatorily required to authenticate electronic records by digital signature.

Rajnath Singh approves delegation of financial powers to armed forces

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the delegation of financial powers to armed forces for revenue procurement.
• The primary focus is to empower Field Commanders and below to procure equipment and war-like stores in a speedy manner for urgent operational necessities.
• A general enhancement of up to two times has been approved for the Competent Financial Authorities. 

Sebi introduces the T+1 settlement cycle on an optional basis

• Capital markets regulator Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 7 September 2021 introduced the T+1 settlement cycle for completion of share transactions on an optional basis in a move to enhance market liquidity.
• The regulator has decided to provide flexibility to stock exchanges to offer either T+1 or T+2 settlement cycle for completion of share transactions.​

T Saminathan appointed KIOCL’s Chairman and Managing Director

• State-owned Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) on 7 September 2021 has appointed T Saminathan as its Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) in the company.
• T Saminathan was earlier a Director in the company.
• KIOCL, under the Ministry of Steel, has an iron oxide pellet plant with a capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per annum at Mangaluru in Karnataka.​

Commerce Ministry notifies procedure for imports under IMTP

• The Commerce Ministry has notified tariff rate quota (TRQ) for certain items including pineapples, tunas, rum and procedure for imports of those goods under the India-Mauritius trade pact.
• The India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA), a kind of free-trade pact, came into effect on April 1, 2021.​

RBI enhances the scope of tokenisation to ensure the security of card data

• The RBI on 7 September 2021 extended the device-based tokenization to card-on-file tokenization (CoFT) services.
• Under tokenization services, a unique alternate code is generated to facilitate transactions through cards.
• Card-on-file refers to card information stored by payment gateway and merchants to process future transactions.
• It will reinforce the safety and security of card data.

CAG GC Murmu gets elected as ASOSAI Chairman

• The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India GC Murmu, on 7 Sep 2021, was elected as the Chairman of the assembly of ASOSAI for a period of three years from 2024 to 2027.
• ASOSAI stands for Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions.
• As the Chairman, he would be the Chief Executive of ASOSAI and represent ASOSAI in its dealings with national and international organizations.​

DTC signs MoU with CESL to set up battery swapping stations

• The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) on 7 Sep 2021 inked an MoU with the state-owned Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) for the installation of charging and battery swapping stations at its seven terminals and depots.
• Once installed, these locations with their real-time status and availability of charging points will also be available on the ONE DELHI app of the Delhi government.​

S.Korea tests first submarine-launched ballistic missile – Yonhap

• South Korea has test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from a submarine, Yonhap, becoming the first country without nuclear weapons to develop such a capability.
• The SLBM is a variant of the Hyunmoo-2B ballistic missile, with a range of around 500 km.
• SLBM was developed by 7 other countries, including United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, India, and North Korea.​

Pakistan inducts its first long-range maritime patrol twin-engine jet

• The Pakistan Navy has inducted its first modern long-range maritime patrol twin-engine aircraft, called the ‘Sea Sultan’, to bolster its naval capabilities.
• The newly inducted aircraft is a variant of Brazilian-built state-of-the-art Embraer Jet globally utilized in air operations.
• It is based on Embraer’s Lineage 1000E business jet, which is a variant of the Embraer 190 regional airliner.​

Kishan Reddy launches book ‘Gita Govinda: Jaydeva’s Divine Odyssey’

• Union Minister of Culture Kishan Reddy on 7 Sep 2021, launched the book “Gita Govinda: Jaydeva’s Divine Odyssey” and a program ‘BujurgonkiBaat–DeshKeSaath’ along with an exhibition on “Gita Govinda”.
• The book has been compiled by Dr Utpal K. Banerjee.
• The program BujurgonkiBaat–DeshKeSaath aims at enhancing the interaction between the youth and the elder persons who are 95 years and above.​​

TN announces Welfare Board for journalists

• The Tamil Nadu government on 7 September 2021 announced a welfare board for journalists and an increase in financial support to families of press, media persons who die in harness.
• The government also announced the institution of the ”Kalaignar Ezhuthukol Award” for journalists making exemplary journalistic contributions towards social development and the uplift of marginalized people.​

Rosh Hashana: Jewish New Year

• Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, and literally translates to “head of the year”.
• Rosh Hashanah begins on the first day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar – Tishrei – meaning the date varies each year.
• It almost always falls in September or October.
• For 2021, it was observed on 6 September.
• It marks the beginning of the Days of Awe.

MoU between All India Institute of Ayurveda and Western Sydney Univ.

• All India Institute of Ayurveda, under the Ministry of Ayush, signed an MoU in coordination with NICM Western Sydney University Australia, on 7 September 2021.
• It has been signed to appoint an Academic Chair in Ayurveda.
• This Ayurveda Academic Chair will be based at Western Sydney University’s NICM Health Research Institute, for a period of three years.

Ministry of Coal constitutes task force and expert committee

• The Ministry of Coal constituted a task force and an expert committee on 7 Sept 2021.
• One is to oversee the Hydrogen Mission and another one is of experts to give guidance to the Ministry.
• The Task Force has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Vinod Kumar Tiwari, Additional Secretary Coal.
• The Expert Committee will be headed by R.K. Malhotra, Director-General (FIPI).

Piyush Goyal appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20 meet

• Trade Minister Piyush Goyal has been appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20 meet.
• The next G20 Summit is scheduled for 30-31 October 2021 under the Italian Presidency.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to travel to Italy for the summit.
• The G20 is a major international grouping that brings together 19 of the world’s major economies and the European Union.

Shaun Tait appointed as bowling coach of Puducherry

• Former Australia pacer Shaun Tait has been appointed as the bowling coach of the Puducherry cricket team.
• He will join the team in the last week of September 2021.
• Tait represented Australia in three Tests, 35 ODIs, and 21 T20 internationals.
• The Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP) has named former Rajasthan wicket-keeper batsman Dishant Yagnik as it’s head coach for the season.

India Post Payments Bank, LIC Housing tie-up to sell home loans

• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has tied up with LIC Housing Finance for selling housing finance products of LIC to its customers.
• IPPB will make LIC Housing Finance Ltd’s (LICHFL) home loan products accessible to its customers pan-India.
• Under the partnership, credit underwriting, processing, and disbursement for all home loans will be handled by LICHFL, while IPPB will source the loans.

Essar Power commissions system to cut sulphur emissions by 25%

• Essar Power has commissioned its first flue gas scrubber at the Essar Power Hazira (EPHL) facility which will cut down sulphur dioxide emissions by 25 per cent.
• The scrubber was optimised as per the coal quality being supplied, and the emission norms targeted.
• The company also has a 465-km inter-state transmission system that spans across three Indian states.

Amazon India signs MoU with Gujarat government to boost exports

• Amazon India has signed an MoU with the Industries and Mines Department, Government of Gujarat.
• It will help drive e-commerce exports from the state.
• As part of the MoU, Amazon will train and onboard MSMEs from the state on Amazon Global Selling, enabling them to sell their unique Made in India products to millions of Amazon customers across over 200 countries and territories.

France’ Lhyfe Labs produces green hydrogen directly from wind power

• In a first, Lhyfe Labs SAS of France has produced green hydrogen directly from wind power.
• Acme Solar and Oman’s Tatweer also plan to invest $3.5 billion for green ammonia and green hydrogen production.
• Lhyfe has begun producing its first hundred kilograms of ecological hydrogen and is ready for industrial-scale production.

El Salvador becomes 1st country to adopt bitcoin as the national currency

• El Salvador has become the first country in the world to accept bitcoin as legal tender.
• The move will give many Salvadorans access to bank services for the first time and save some $400 mn in fees on remittances sent home from abroad every year.
• El Salvador bought its first 400 bitcoins, in two tranches of 200, and promised more were coming.

Manda buffalo gets recognition as a unique breed

• The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) has recognised the 19th unique breed of buffaloes found in India.
• Native to the Eastern Ghats, Mandas are small-sized buffaloes having a unique coat colour of ash grey and grey with copper colour hair.
• The Manda are resistant to parasitic infections, less prone to diseases and can live, produce and reproduce at low or nil input system. 

India’s first dugong conservation reserve to be set in Tamil Nadu

• The Tamil Nadu government has announced that a 500-sq km dugong conservation reserve will soon be set up in Palk Bay.
• The dugong (Dugong dugon), also called the sea cow, is a herbivorous mammal.
• They can grow up to three meters long, weigh about 300 kilograms, and live for about 65 to 70 years, grazing on seagrass and coming to the surface to breathe.

TN to celebrate Periyar’s birth anniversary as “Social Justice Day”

• The Tamil Nadu government has decided to celebrate every year the birth anniversary of reformist leader E V Ramasamy Periyar on September 17, as “Social Justice Day”.
• Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy, commonly known as Periyar or Thanthai Periyar, was an Indian social activist and politician who started the Self-Respect Movement and Dravidar Kazhagam. 

Saudi Aramco inks pacts in sustainability, technology, energy sectors

• As part of its diversification drive, the world’s biggest oil producer, Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco) has signed 22 new pacts and a joint venture agreement.
• They have been signed with leading global firms in sectors such as sustainability, technology, industrial, and energy services.
• 22 MoUs that were inked includes the ones with SOLVAY, DHL, Veolia, Air Liquide, Haliburton, PIF, etc.

Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021 to be launched on 9th September 2021

• Swachh Survekshan Grameen, 2021 will be launched under the Swachh Bharat Mission Phase- 2 on 9th Sept 2021 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Swachh Survekshan Grameen aims to support the acceleration of ODF (Open Defecation Free) interventions and results in the country.
• As part of the Survekshan, Villages, Districts and States would be ranked using key parameters.

Emergency landing field in Barmer to be inaugurated on 9 September

• Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate an Emergency Landing Field on National Highway-925 at Gandhav Bhakasar Section at Barmer, in Rajasthan on 9 Sept’21.
• The National Highways Authority of India has developed a 3-km section of the Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A, as an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) for the Indian Air Force. 
• It has a total length of 196.97 km.

The uGMRT confirms an unexpected event in millisecond pulsars

• A group of nearly 40 astronomers, under the banner of the Indian Pulsar Timing Array, have provided clear evidence of unexpected changes in a millisecond radio pulsar using the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT).
• Millisecond pulsars are exotic objects in the sky and are used in efforts for detecting ultra-low frequency gravitational waves due to their extreme stable behaviour.

IDBI Intech Ltd successfully implements iAML solution

• IDBI Intech Ltd has successfully implemented their iAML (Anti Money Laundering) solution at Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
• IDBI Intech is a dominant FinTech products and services organization focusing on strategic niche digital transformations for its clients.
• iAML will provide an enterprise-wide single view of risk and compliance at transactions and customer level.

Amazon Pay India partners with mutual fund platform Kuvera

• Direct mutual fund investment platform Kuvera.in has partnered with Amazon Pay India to provide services, products, and technology know-how for Amazon’s users.
• The partnership will facilitate investments in mutual funds, fixed deposits, and more over time.
• Kuvera is an online personal financial services provider that pioneered goal based, direct plan mutual fund investing for Indians.

Edelweiss Wealth Management promotes Ashish Kehair as MD and CEO

• Ashish Kehair will replace Nitin Jain as MD and CEO of Edelweiss Wealth Management (EWM).
• In the new role, Ashish will lead the strategic initiatives and business operations for EWM, reporting to the Board of Directors.
• Nitin Jain, who worked with the Edelweiss group for almost 15 years, resigned in August 2021 to pursue entrepreneurial interests. 

Paytm Money launches investment advisory marketplace on the platform

• Paytm Money, the wealth management division of digital payments major Paytm, is creating a wealth and investment advisory marketplace on its platform.
• It will offer curated advisory services and products to retail investors.
• Paytm Money has partnered with investment startup WealthDesk to supply investment portfolios referred to as ‘WealthBaskets’.

Centre appoints Harsha Bhupendra Bangari as EXIM Bank MD

• The government has appointed Harsha Bhupendra Bangari as the Managing Director (MD) of the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank).
• Bangari, who is presently the Deputy MD at EXIM Bank, would be at the helm for a period of three years or until further orders of the government.
• Banks Board Bureau (BBB) had recommended Bangari as the EXIM Bank MD. 

CIL to contribute Rs 75 crore towards National Sports Development Fund

• National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) of the Department of Sports has signed an MoU with Coal India Limited (CIL)
• CIL will contribute Rs 75 crore towards NSDF as part of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).
• Three hostels at SAI academies at Bangalore, Bhopal, and LNIPE Gwalior will be constructed with the help of this fund.

First India-Japan High-Level Policy Dialogue on Environment held

• The First India–Japan High-Level Policy Dialogue was held virtually on 7th September 2021.
• Mr.Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India, and Mr. Koizumi Shinjiro, Minister of the Environment of Japan were a part of it.
• They discussed issues on air pollution, sustainable technologies, and transports, climate change, marine litter, COP 26, etc.

Taliban announces caretaker government in Afghanistan

• The Taliban group has announced its caretaker government in Afghanistan.
• The all-male interim cabinet will be headed by Mullah Hasan Akhund as acting Prime Minister.
• Reclusive Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada will be the Supreme leader of the government.
• Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is the head of the Haqqani network, will get the portfolio of Interior Minister.