Today's Current Affairs-10th September 2022

INTERNATIONAL

Passenger vehicle dispatches rise 21% in August as chip supply improves

• Passenger vehicle wholesales in India witnessed a 21 per cent annual growth in August, riding on improved supplies of semiconductors and festive demand, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. As per the latest data released by industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), passenger vehicle (PV) dispatches to dealers stood at 2,81,210 units last month, against 2,32,224 units in August 2021. Passenger car wholesales were up 23 per cent at 1,33,477 units last month, as against 1,08,508 units in the year-ago period, SIAM said.
• Utility vehicle dispatches were higher by 20 per cent at 1,35,497 units in August, as compared to 1,12,863 units in the same month a year ago. Similarly, total two-wheeler wholesales increased to 15,57,429 units last month, compared to 13,38,740 units in the year-ago period, a growth of 16 per cent. Motorcycle wholesales grew by 23 per cent at 10,16,794 units in August 2022, as compared to 8,25,849 units in the year-ago month. Scooter sales were higher by 10 per cent at 5,04,146 units last month, as against 4,60,284 units in August 2021, SIAM said.
• The increase in dispatches from manufacturers to their dealers comes on the back of improvement in semiconductor shortage issues and also preparation to meet festive season demand.

 NATIONAL

Chhattisgarh gets two more districts, takes total to 33

• Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated the 32nd and 33rd districts of the State. Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur and Sakti were announced as the 32nd and 33rd districts of Chhattisgarh. Sakti is carved out from Janjgir-Champa, and Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur is carved out from the Koriya district.
• The Chattisgarh Chief Minister said that people have been demanding the creation of the Manendragarh district for a very long time and it has been a long-term struggle to create Manendragarh as a district. Three new districts have been inaugurated in Chattisgarh by the Chief Minister. There are now, 33 districts in Chattisgarh including Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Sarangarh-Bilaigarh, and Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai.

About Chhattisgarh:

Capital: Raipur (Executive Branch)

Governor: Anusuiya Uikey

Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel

NITI Aayog, WRI launches e-FAST - India’s first national electric freight platform

• NITI Aayog and World Resources Institute (WRI), launched India’s first National Electric Freight Platform- E-FAST India (Electric Freight Accelerator for Sustainable Transport-India). The National Electric Freight Platform brings different stakeholders together with the support of the World Economic Forum, CALSTART, and RMI India.
• The platform aims to raise awareness of freight electrification bolstered by an on-ground demonstration pilot and evidence-based research.
• The launch of E-Fast India has witnessed participation from major automobile industries, logistics companies, development banks, and fin-tech companies.
• The TCO Evaluator is an intuitive excel-based application, which helps in analyzing cost components and performance parameters.
• The parameters included light, medium, and heavy-duty freight and compared electric variants with their diesel, petrol, and CNG counterparts to identify their impact on TCO per km.

About NITI Aayog:

Formed: 1 January 2015

Headquarters: New Delhi

Chairperson: Narendra Modi

Founder: National Democratic Alliance

SPORTS

Australia captain Aaron Finch announces retirement from one-day cricket

• Aaron Finch, Australia’s captain announced his retirement from one-day international cricket after Australia’s third and final ODI against New Zealand. Finch will continue to be the captain of the Australian cricket team for T20 and will lead it in defense of its world title in the T20 World Cup which is going to be held in October and November in Australia.
• Finch is known as one of the most damaging opening batters in the world, Finch has scored 5,401 runs in the ODI format with an average of close to 40, and 17 centuries.
• Aaron Finch is a top-order Batsman and is known for his ability to finish matches with his amazing batting skills. In 2006, Finch earned his place in the U-19 Australian cricket team for World Cup. He started as a middle-order batsman. In IPL, he became an acknowledged batsman as he scored 41 runs in just 17 balls against Chennai Super Kings. In 2013, Finch made his ODI debut and scored 5,041 runs. In 2018, he became the first player to reach 900 rating points on the official International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 rankings. Finch domestically played for Victoria, Surrey, and Melbourne Renegades.

About Australia:

Currency: Australian dollar 

Capital: Canberra

Prime Minister: Anthony Albanese

Sikkim to host Ranji Trophy matches for the first time

• Sikkim will be hosting Ranji Trophy matches at home for the first time when they welcome three teams to the hill State in the forthcoming Indian domestic season.
• Sikkim Cricket Association has previously hosted First Class matches, at adopted home venues, and to be able to bring the biggest domestic tournament in India home is a historic and hugely significant step forward for cricket in Sikkim.
• SICA president Lobzang G. Tenzing stated, “To host First Class matches is no mean feat for a State association which got full membership just four years back.”
• He thanked Board of Control for Cricket in India for trusting SICA with “such huge responsibility” and assured to be a perfect host.
• The BCCI’s decision to allow Sikkim to host three of its Ranji Trophy matches at home will certainly play a game changer in the promotion of cricket in the State.
• Sikkim will play against Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh at SICA ground, at Mining. The venues for the remaining Plate Group matches, against Meghalaya and Bihar, are yet to be announced.
• Along with Ranji Trophy matches, Sikkim will also play two Cooch Behar Trophy matches and three Col CK Nayudu Trophy matches at Mining.

About Sikkim:

Capital: Gangtok

Governor: Ganga Prasad

Chief Minister: Prem Singh Tamang

 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DRDO, Indian Army successfully conduct 6 flight tests of Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile System

• Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Indian Army completed six flight tests of the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) system from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, on the Odisha Coast, as part of evaluation trials.
• The QRSAM aims to provide a protective shield to the moving armored columns of the Army from aerial attacks.
• The six flight tests were carried out against high-speed aerial targets mimicking various types of threats to evaluate the capability of the QRSAM as a short-range Surface Air Missile (SAM) system.
• The different threat scenarios include long-range medium-altitude, short-range, high-altitude-maneuvering target, low-radar signature with receding and crossing target, and salvo launch with two missiles fired in quick succession.

About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):

Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi

Founded: 1958

Jurisdiction: India

Aircraft designed: Avatar, DRDO Lakshya, DRDO Nishant

Subsidiary: Gas Turbine Research Establishment

About Odisha:

Governor: Ganeshi Lal

Capital: Bhubaneswar

Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Volker Türk appointed new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

• The United Nations (UN) General Assembly approved Volker Türk of Austria to be the global body’s Human Rights Chief by UN Secretary¬-General Antonio Guterres. Volker Turk replaces Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria, a Chilean politician who served at the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) from 2018 to 2022. Turk, currently serving as assistant secretary-general for policy.
• Previously, Volker Türk served as the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection at UN refugees, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Geneva. He had a long and successful career in the advancement of human rights globally. He served with the UN refugee agency in Malaysia, Kosovo and Bosnia Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kuwait. His immediate challenge will be the controversial report of the accusation on China committing crimes against humanity and possibly genocide (mass murder) against the Uyghur people and abusing Muslim minorities.

About United Nations (UN):

Founded: 24 October 1945, San Francisco, California, United States

Headquarters: New York, United States

Secretary General: António Guterres

About United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR):

Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

Founded: 14 December 1950

Founder: United Nations

Head: High Commissioner for Refugees; Filippo Grandi

 IMPORTANT DAYS

World Suicide Prevention Day 2022: 10^th September

• World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), celebrated annually on 10^th September, is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The overall goal of this day is to raise awareness about suicide prevention worldwide. Objectives include promoting stakeholder collaboration and self-empowerment to address self-harm and suicide through preventative action.
• The theme of WSPD 2022, “Creating hope through action,” reflects the need for collective, action to address this urgent public health issue. This has been the triennial theme for World Suicide Prevention Day from 2021 to 2023.
• According to experts at WHO, the motive of World Suicide Prevention Day is to make people realise that committing suicide is not the only way to end their problems.
• World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO).

About International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP):

Founder: Erwin Ringel

Founded: 1960

About World Health Organization (WHO):

Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

Founded: 7 April 1948

President: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

 

Himalaya Diwas 2022: 9^th September

• The National Mission for Clean Ganga organized Himalayan Diwas on September 9^th, in association with Naula Foundation. The day is celebrated with an aim to preserve the Himalayan ecosystem and region. This day is celebrated to mark the importance of the Himalayas. The Himalayan hill cities face many challenges due to poor building planning and design, poor infrastructures like toads, water supply, sewage etc. and unprecedented felling of trees.
• Himalaya Day 2022 was observed under the theme ‘Himalayas will be safe only when the interests of its residents are protected.
• The day is observed highlighting that there is an urgent need to develop eco-sensitive hill town plans and designs. The Himalayas are a source of strength and a valuable heritage for the entire world. So it needs to be protected. Apart from promoting scientific knowledge, the day helps to raise awareness and community participation.

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Singapore confers Meritorious Service Medal to former Navy chief Sunil Lanba

• Former India Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba has been conferred Singapore’s prestigious military award, the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) or Meritorious Service Medal (Military) (MSM(M)), by President Halimah Yacob. Admiral Lanba has been conferred the award for his outstanding contributions in enhancing the strong and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy.
• Both navies concluded the Bilateral Agreement for Navy Cooperation in November 2017 and the Implementing Arrangement for Mutual Coordination, Logistics and Services Support in June 2018, which established the framework for greater Navy-to-Navy interactions and expanded collaboration in areas of mutual interest such as submarine rescues, maritime-security information-sharing and logistics support.
• With Lanba’s support, both navies also commemorated the Silver Jubilee of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise in 2018 and successfully conducted the inaugural Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime Exercise (SITMEX) in September 2019. These professional exchanges have strengthened interoperability and deepened mutual understanding and trust between personnel from both militaries.

About Singapore:

Currency: Singapore dollar

President: Halimah Yacob

Capital: Singapore city