Today's Current Affairs 11th September 2023

INTERNATIONAL

UK PM Rishi sunak announces $2 bn aid for green climate fund

• UK commits $2 billion to Green Climate Fund, its largest single funding commitment to tackle climate change. As the G20 Summit moves towards conclusion, the United Kingdom will contribute a record $2 billion to the Green Climate Fund to tackle climate change, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Sunday.
• Notably, this is the biggest single funding commitment made by the UK to help the world tackle climate change. G20 Summit in India is inching closer to its conclusion.
• The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is the biggest single funding commitment the UK has made to help the world tackle climate change. It was was established by 194 countries following the Copenhagen Accord at COP15.

NATIONAL

India-Middle East-mega economic corridor announced

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe mega economic corridor. The project includes India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, France, Italy, Germany and the US.
• “Today we all have reached an important and historic partnership. In the coming times, it will be a major medium of economic integration between India, West Asia and Europe,” he said. The corridor will give a new direction to connectivity and sustainable development of entire world, said PM Modi
• The rail and shipping corridor is part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII) — a collaborative effort by G7 nations to fund infrastructure projects in developing nations. PGII is considered to be the bloc’s counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
• The project will aim to enable greater trade among the involved countries, including energy products. “It could also be one of the more ambitious counters to China’s massive infrastructure program, through which it has sought to connect more of the world to that country’s economy,” AP said.

PM Modi launches Global Biofuels Alliance

• India on September 9 announced the launch of the Global Biofuel Alliance and urged G-20 nations to join the initiative with a plea to take ethanol blending with petrol globally to 20%.
• The Alliance was launched by Mr. Modi along with a host of global leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit.
• Besides India, the initiating members include Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Italy, Mauritius, South Africa, the UAE and the U.S., while Canada and Singapore are observer countries.
• “The launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance marks a watershed moment in our quest towards sustainability and clean energy. I thank the member nations who have joined this Alliance,” the Prime Minister said.

Indian Coast Guard participates in Asian maritime security meet in Istanbul

• Indian Coast Guard participated in the 19th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) from 05-08 Sep 2023 at Istanbul, Turkey. A four-member ICG delegation led by DG Rakesh Pal, Director General Indian Coast Guard took part in the annual event of the independent forum with 23 members of Coast Guard Agencies and 02 associate members in the form of ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia and UNODC (The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime).
• The 19th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) convened to address pressing issues related to maritime law enforcement, safety and security of life at sea, marine environment protection, and the illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, and humans at sea. The event witnessed the participation of the heads of Coast Guards from all member nations, setting the stage for meaningful discussions and cooperation.

MP cabinet approves Mob lynching Victim compensation scheme 2023

• The Madhya Pradesh government on September 9 approved a scheme to provide compensation to victims of mob lynching.
• The Cabinet, which was chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, also approved change of name of a housing scheme.
• In accordance with Supreme Court directives to the states, the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approved MP Mob Lynching Victim Compensation Scheme 2023, said Minister for Medical Education Vishwas Sarang after the Cabinet meeting.
• Under this scheme, mob lynching has been specified as killing of any person or persons by a group of five or more persons on grounds of religion, caste, sex, place of birth, language, food habits, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity or other such ground or grounds, an official said.

 SPORTS

Coco Gauff becomes first american teen to win US open title since 1999

• Dreams are meant to come true. With sheer will power and immense determination, focus and hard work, anything is possible. It stands true in the case of Coco Gauff who became the first American teenager to win the country's major tennis tournament since Serena Williams in 1999.
• Gauff burst onto the scene at 15 by becoming the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history and making it to the fourth round in her Grand Slam debut in 2019. She reached her initial major final at last year's French Open, finishing as the runner-up to Iga Swiatek.
• As a pro athlete from a young age, as someone of whom greatness has been expected by some and doubted by others, Gauff has always taken it all in and kept moving forward. Trying to learn from each setback.

Prathmesh Jawkar wins in men's Archery world cup

• It was so near yet so far for Prathamesh Jawkar who missed a gold medal by the narrowest of margins to end up with a silver in the Final in Hermosillo, Mexico, on Saturday.
• A bronze medal also eluded India in the compound event when Abhishek Verma lost to World No. 1 Mike Schloesser of the Netherlands 150-149.
• Jawkar began his maiden appearance in the World Cup Final with an easy 14 9-141 win against World No-5, Miguel Becerra of Italy in the quarterfinals. The Maharashtra boy then shot a perfect 150 against Schloesser, whom he defeated to grab the gold medal in the men's individual event in the Shanghai leg of the World Cup, to beat the second-seeded archer by a point (150-149) and book a summit clash with Mathias Fullerton of Denmark.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

National Forest Martyrs Day 2023: 11th September

• National Forest Martyrs Day is observed on September 11 in India. This day is a tribute to those who laid down their lives in the line of duty, defending the forests and wildlife that are important for the well-being of our planet. The Day is an important day to remember the sacrifices made by forest officers and personnel in protecting our forests and wildlife. It is also a day to reaffirm our commitment to conserve these precious natural resources.
• National Forest Martyrs Day is significant because it honours and recognises the sacrifices made by forest guards, rangers, and other personnel who have lost their lives in the line of duty. This day emphasises the importance of forest conservation. It serves as a reminder that forests are not just a collection of trees but complex ecosystems that support many species, maintain ecological balance, and also provide many benefits to humans. National Forest Martyrs Day sheds light on the dangers forest rangers encounter while combating illegal activities such as logging, poaching, and encroachments.

 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Army doctor awarded Dr Am Gokhale for ophthalmology in Pune

• Renowned ophthalmologist Brig Sanjay Kumar Mishra of Indian Army's Research and Referral Hospital on Sunday was conferred with the prestigious ''Dr AM Gokhale Award'' in Pune.
• Brig Sanjay Kumar Mishra hails from Mau, Uttar Pradesh and finished his tutoring from Prayagraj. He has been conferred with Bar to Sena Medal (Distinguished) by the President of India just before 26 January 2021. Earlier he was awarded the Sena Medal and Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).
• Suring his residency at Command Hospital Lucknow set up the territory of Art Retinal Center in 2018, taking into account patients from different states.
• Brig Mishra is one of the highest decorated officers of Indian Armed Forces Medical Services.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI likely to launch CBDC pilot in call money market by October

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is gearing up to launch a pilot program for the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), commonly referred to as the Digital Rupee. This initiative is expected to facilitate interbank transactions, specifically in the call money market, and is set to kick off around October.
• Last November, the RBI initiated the pilot phase for the wholesale CBDC, known as Digital Rupee-Wholesale (e-W), with a focus on settling secondary market transactions involving government securities. Subsequently, a pilot for the retail CBDC began on December 1. The recent announcement by RBI’s Executive Director, Ajay Kumar Choudhary, sheds light on the extension of the wholesale CBDC’s use into the call money market.
• The decision to extend the wholesale CBDC to the call money market aims to experiment with various markets and technologies. This move is in line with the government’s vision to introduce CBDC, as outlined in the Union Budget for 2022-23. To facilitate this, necessary amendments were made to the RBI Act 1934 through the Finance Bill 2022.