INTERNATIONAL

India-Australia holds inaugural 2+2 ministerial dialogue September 10-12

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External AFfairs Minister S Jaishankar with their Australian counterparts Peter Dutton and Marise Payne before the inaugural session of 2+2 ministerial dialogue in New Delhi on Saturday. UNI PHOTO-3U

• India and Australia are undertaking their first-ever 2+2 ministerial dialogue at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. The high-level foreign and defence ministerial-level dialogue will further ramp up the overall defence and strategic cooperation between the two countries, including in the Indo-Pacific cooperation amid China’s increasing military assertiveness in the region.

NATIONAL

Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated food processing unit Madhya Pradesh

• The Centre on Sunday inaugurated a food processing unit in Madhya Pradesh under Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana on the last day of the celebration of Food Processing week.

• To commemorate 75 years of India’s independence, the Government of India is celebrating the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.’ As a part of the celebration, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries is celebrating Food Processing Week from September 6-12 September under which the Ministry is organising various programmes.

• On the last day of the Food Processing Week, the Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Prahlad Singh Patel, inaugurated the Food Processing Unit of M/s Sahara Frozen Foods established in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, under the Cold Chain scheme of Central sector scheme – Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana.

India's largest open air fernery developed in Uttarakhand

• India is home to a plethora of plant and animal species. The geographical and weather condition of the country is apt for the growth and development of a variety of species. The natural forest of Uttarakhand has been known to host some of these. From unique black-bellied coral snakes to cryptogamic species, the forest is a secret hub for flora and fauna.

• In line with this, India’s largest open-air fernery was inaugurated today, September 12 in Uttarakhand’s Ranikhet. The fernery is home to a large number of fern species, some of which are endemic to the state, some hold medicinal value while some are threatened species that demand care and conservation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Sardardham Bhavan

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Sardardham Bhavan in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, via video conferencing. He also performed the “Bhoomi Pujan” of the Sardardham Phase-II Kanya Chhatralaya (girls’ hostel) project. Both these establishments are dedicated to the “Iron Man of India,” Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The project is developed by the Vishwa Patidar Samaj.

• The state-of-the-art Sardardham Bhavan provides separate hostel facilities to girls and boys from rural areas who aspire for better career prospects.

• Phase I of the Sardardham Bhavan project is built over an area of 11,672 square feet at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore, near the Vaishnodevi circle in the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar border area. It will house 1,600 students, including 800 boys and 800 girls.

• The Phase II of the Sardardham project is expected to house around 2,000 girl students. The project will be built at the cost of another Rs 200 crore.

SPORTS

Daniel Ricciardo wins Italian Grand Prix at Monza in McLaren

• Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren, Australian-Italian) has won the Formula One Italian Grand Prix 2021 title held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza track, Italy.

• This is the first victory for McLaren in 9 years. Lando Norris came second while Valtteri Bottas came third in the F1 race. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen crash out of Italian Grand Prix 2021 due to collision.

Daniil medvedev beats Novak Djokovic in 2021 US open Men's final

• Daniil Medvedev lifted his first Grand Slam trophy on Monday after defeating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and sixteen minutes in the US Open men’s singles final at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. 

• While Djokovic failed to become the third man after Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962, 1969) to sweep all four majors in the same year, Medvedev capped off a stellar US Open outing with a memorable win. 

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Bhupendra Patel is the new Chief Minister Gujarat

• Bhupendra Patel has been chosen as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat at the BJP legislature meeting. He is a BJP MLA from the Ghatlodia assembly seat in Ahmedabad. This comes after the resignation of Vijay Rupani from the post of CM of Gujarat.

• Bhupendra Patel holds a diploma in Civil Engineering and has held positions in Patidar trusts and organisations, including Sardar Dham and World Umiya Foundation, among others. He has been a standing committee chairman in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and chairman of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA).

OBITUARY

Sahitya akademi winner Aziz Hajini passed away

• Eminent writer and former secretary of the Academy of Arts, Culture and Languages of Jammu and Kashmir, Aziz Hajini, died here late on Saturday night. He was 64 years old and had been ill for some time.

• Hajini, a resident of Sonwari in Bandipur district of North Kashmir, held several important positions besides secretary of the Academy of Arts, Culture and Languages of Jammu and Kashmir and wrote several books.

INTERNATIONAL

El Salvador becomes Worlds1st country to adopt Bitcoin as National Currency

• El Salvador has become the first country in the world to accept Bitcoin as legal tender. The government of El Salvador claimed that the move will give many citizens of the country access to bank services for the first time. In addition, trading in cryptocurrency will help the country save around $400 million in fees that is levied by banks and financial institutions on the money sent home by expats.

• The acceptance of Bitcoin as a legal currency by El Salvador follows a law approved by the country’s parliament in June. At the time, the country allowed Bitcoin to be accepted as tender for all goods and services. The bill was approved within 24 hours of being presented to Congress by President Nayib Bukele.

NATIONAL

NPCI and Fiserv launch RuPay credit card stack for fintechs and banks

• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in partnership with Fiserv Inc. to launch the plug-and-play RuPay credit card stack, ‘nFiNi’. nFiNi is a ready stack of services required for fintechs and banks to issue RuPay credit cards and will enable fintech to co-create bank-sponsored credit cards. It is a BaaS (banking-as-a-service) programme.

• The nFiNi platform will power RuPay cards (including National Common Mobility Card) by offering access to needed services through the NPCI network combined with FirstVisionTM cloud-based open API integrations from Fiserv.

• This will bring significant efficiencies for banking and fintech institutions at various levels in terms of operations and customer management. The programme will further enable these institutions to expand their market base to new-to-credit customers.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Sardar Iqbal Singh Lalpura takes charges as the chairman of National Commission for Minorities

• Former IPS officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura has been appointed chairman of the National Commission for Minorities. He hails from Punjab and has authored several books on Sikh philosophy. He has also won several awards such as the president’s police medal, police medal for meritorious services, Shiromani Sikh Sahitkar Award and Sikh scholar award.

• Lalpura, during his tenure as IPS officer, served as SSP Amritsar, SSP Tarantaran, and Additional inspector general CID Amritsar. He joined BJP in 2012 after retirement. Lalpura has written nearly 14 books on Sikh philosophy and history, such as ‘Japji Sahib ek vichaar’, Gurbaani ek vichaar’, and ‘Raj Karega Khalsa’.

Vijay Rupani quits as Gujarat Chief Minister

• Vijay Rupani has resigned as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He submitted his resignation to governor Acharya Devvrat. The resignation comes following a flurry of developments in Gujarat following a meeting in Gandhinagar. He reached the Raj Bhavan shortly after PM Modi inaugurated Sardardham Bhavan in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad and performed ‘bhoomi pujan’ of Sardardham Phase-II Kanya Chhatralaya (girls’ hostel) through video conferencing.

• Mr Rupani is the fourth BJP chief minister to step down in recent months; in July BS Yediyurappa resigned as Chief Minister of Karnataka in July and the double whammy in Uttarakhand, where Tirath Singh Rawat quit barely four months after replacing Trivendra Rawat.

CAG of India gets elected as ASOSAI chairman

• The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, GC Murmu was elected as the chairman of the assembly of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) for a period of three years from 2024 to 2027. Murmu was elected by the 56th governing board of ASOSAI and approval for the same was conveyed by the 15th assembly of ASOSAI. India will host the 16th assembly of ASOSAI in 2024.

• The CAG, as the chairman, will be the chief executive of ASOSAI and represent ASOSAI in its dealings with national and international organisations. After the election, the CAG assured the members that during SAI India’s three-year term as chair of the ASOSAI, they will focus on the areas of environmental audit and leveraging emerging technologies for audit.

• The ASOSAI is one of the regional groups of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) which aims to promote understanding and cooperation among member institutions through the exchange of ideas and experiences in the field of public audit.

IMPORTANT DAYS

United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation 2021: 12th September

• International Day for South-South Cooperation is observed globally on 12th September every year. The day celebrates the economic, social and political developments made in recent years by regions and countries in the south. It also highlights the UN’s efforts to work on technical cooperation among developing countries.

• The history of the South-South cooperation begins in 1949 with the establishment of the UN technical aid programme by the Economic and Social Council and the creation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1969. In the year 1978, the conference of the Global South on TCDC adopted the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) for promoting and implementing technical cooperation among developing countries. This was one of the main pillars for South-South cooperation.

World First Aid Day: 11th September

• World First Aid Day is observed on the second Saturday of September every year. In 2021 the day is being observed on September 11, 2021. The day is an annual campaign aimed at promoting the importance of first aid training and increasing its accessibility to save more lives in a crisis. When a person suffers from minor or serious injury or illness, the first and immediate assistance given to the patient is termed as ‘First Aid’.

• The theme for World First Aid Day 2021 is ‘First aid and road safety’, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

• In 2000, World First Aid Day was established by the IFRC and for more than 100 years, this organisation has been providing first aid services to people. The history of this day dates back to 1859 when a young businessman, Henry Dunant, saw the carnage at the battle of Solfrino.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book “Bullets Over Bombay: Satya and the Hindi Film Gangster” written by Uday Bhatia

• A new book has titled “Bullets Over Bombay: Satya and the Hindi Film Gangster” authored by Uday Bhatia. The Book deals with the testimonies from Ram Gopal Varma, Anurag Kashyap, Manoj Bajpayee, Vishal Bhardwaj, Saurabh Shukla.

• Uday Bhatia is a film critic with Mint Lounge in Delhi. He has previously worked with Time Out Delhi and The Sunday Guardian. His writing has appeared in The Caravan, GQ, The Indian Quarterly, The Indian Express and The Hindu Business Line.

Book titled ‘Haryana Environment and Pollution Code’ by Smt. Dheera Khandelwal

• Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal released the book ‘Haryana Environment and Pollution Code’ compiled by former IAS officer and famous poet Smt. Dheera Khandelwal.

• The book will prove useful to the entrepreneurs, who were deprived of complete knowledge of laws and regulations related to the environment for setting up new ventures. Students, law researchers and practitioners will also benefit from this book.

INTERNATIONAL

In world first, Cuba starts Covid jabs for toddlers

• Cuba became the first country in the world to vaccinate children from the age of two against C-19, using home-grown jabs not recognised by the World Health Organisation. The communist island of 11.2 million people aims to inoculate all its children before reopening schools that have been closed for the most part since March 2020.

• Countries such as China, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela have announced they plan to vaccinate younger children, but Cuba is the first to do so. The Cuban vaccines, the first developed in Latin America, have not undergone international, scientific peer review.

China launched Earth observation satellite that can obtain radioactive data

• China successfully launched a new Earth observation satellite, Gaofen-5 02, into space, aboard a Long March-4C rocket, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in north China’s Shanxi Province. The Gaofen-5 02 satellite is the 24th in the series of Gaofen Earth-observation satellites of China, to monitor environmental protection efforts and boost its natural resources surveillance.

• Gaofen-5 02 is a hyperspectral satellite that will be used for comprehensive environmental monitoring, to improve the country’s hyperspectral observation capacity of the atmosphere, water and land.

World's Largest Carbon Capture Plant Opens in Iceland

• The world’s largest plant designed to capture carbon dioxide out of the air began its operations in Iceland. The plant is named Orca, which means ‘Energy’ in Icelandic word. It will suck out up to 4,000 tons of CO2 per year.

• The carbon dioxide captured directly from the air will be deposited underground at a depth of 1,000 metres, where it would be turned into rock.

• The facility has been developed by Icelandic carbon storage firm Carbfix, in partnership with Swiss start-up Climeworks AG, which specialises in capturing carbon dioxide directly from the air.

• The technology launched may become a major tool in the fight against climate change.

NATIONAL

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs 13th BRICS summit

• Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has chaired the 13th BRICS Summit, through video conferencing. The theme of the India-led Summit was “BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus.” The theme chosen by India reflects the fifteenth anniversary of BRICS, being observed in 2021. PM Modi called for enhanced BRICS cooperation under the motto of ‘Build-back Resiliently, Innovatively, Credibly and Sustainably’.

• The Summit concluded with the adoption of the ‘New Delhi Declaration’. This was the third time that India hosted the BRICS Summit. Prior to this India held the Presidency of the BRICS in 2012 and 2016. Also, this is the second time that Prime Minister Modi has chaired the BRICS Summit. He had previously chaired the Goa Summit in 2016.

Indian Air Force's first Emergency Landing Field on National Highway inaugurated in Rajasthan

• Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh and Union Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the Emergency Landing Facility on a National Highway in Rajasthan. This emergency landing facility has been constructed on the Satta-Gandhav stretch of National Highway (NH) 925A in Barmer, Rajasthan. This is the first time that a national highway (NH-925) will be used for the emergency landing of IAF aircraft. The project will cost ₹765.52 crores under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has developed a 3-km section of the Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A, as an emergency landing facility (ELF) for the IAF.

• It is part of a newly developed two-lane paved shoulder of the Gagariya-Bakhasar and Satta-Gandhav section having a total length of 196.97 km.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

President Ram Nath Kovind  Appointed new governors of Uttarakhand, Punjab, & Tamil Nadu

• President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Lt Gen Gurmit Singh, who retired as the deputy chief of Army, governor of Uttarakhand, a post which fell vacant after Baby Rani Maurya tendered her resignation. According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique, President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignation of Maurya and appointed Singh as the governor of the state.

• The President also appointed Banwarilal Purohit, currently the Governor of Tamil Nadu, as the Governor of Punjab.

• R.N.Ravi, presently the Governor of Nagaland, has been made the Governor of Tamil Nadu.

• Professor Jagdish Mukhi, Governor of Assam is appointed to discharge the functions of the Governor of Nagaland in addition to his own duties until regular arrangements are made.

• The President’s office, in an official release, mentioned that the new appointments will take effect from the dates they assume charge of their respective offices.

N. S. Rai Appointed as the new CMD of National Fertilizers Ltd

• State-owned fertiliser firm National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL) has Nirlep Singh Rai has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of the company. In a regulatory filing, NFL informed that Nirlep Singh Rai, Director (Technical), has been appointed as Chairman & Managing Director, on the Board of the company with effect from the date of his assumption of charge.

• Rai, who was born in August 1962, is a B.E (Instrumentation & Control) from Thapar University. Prior to his appointment as Chairman & Managing Director, he was holding the position of Director (Technical) in NFL. Rai had also held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd and he had also headed the Nangal Unit of NFL as Chief General Manager.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Himalayan Day organized every year on 09 September

• The National Mission for Clean Ganga organized Himalayan Diwas on September 09, 2021, in association with Naula Foundation. This year’s theme is ‘Contribution of Himalayas and our responsibilities’. The event was part of the ongoing celebration of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

• Himalaya Diwas is celebrated every year on 9th September in the state of Uttarakhand. It is celebrated with the aim to conserve the Himalayan ecosystem and region. It was officially declared as Himalaya Day in 2015 by the then Chief Minister.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Hyderabad: Trichy  Workshop bags best Energy Efficient Unit Award

• The Golden Rock Railway Workshop (GOC), Tiruchchirappalli has bagged 22nd National Award for Excellence in Energy Management from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for having adopted and implemented various energy conservation measures. GOC Workshop is the o¬nly workshop of Indian Railways to have received the award this year.

• The National Awards for Excellence in Energy Management is instituted by CII, to catalyze significant and innovative practices in the energy efficiency sector. CII conducts this annual event to recognize and award excellence in energy management among the industrial sector and railway workshops across the country and facilitate sharing of information o¬n best practices & technologies.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

India, ADB sign $300 million loan to expand rural connectivity in Maharashtra

• The government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a USD 300 million loan as additional financing to scale up the improvement of rural connectivity to help boost the rural economy in the state of Maharashtra. This is in addition to USD 200 million financings, approved by ADB in August 2019.

• The additional financing for the ongoing Maharashtra Rural Connectivity Improvement Project will help improve an additional 1,100 rural roads and 230 bridges for a total length of 2,900 kilometres (km) in 34 districts. The ongoing project with $200 million financings, approved in August 2019, is already improving and maintaining the condition and safety of 2,100 km of rural roads across Maharashtra.

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NATIONAL

India will host the G-20 summit in 2023 for the first time

•India will hold the G20 presidency from December 1, 2022, and will convene the G20 leaders’ summit in 2023 for the first time.

•Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Minister has been appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20 in 2023 (18th edition). A sherpa is a diplomat who undertakes preparatory work prior to a summit conference. The 2021 edition of the G20 meet will be held in Rome, Italy. The 2022 G20 meet will be held in Bali, Indonesia.

Gujarat rolls out ‘Vatan Prem Yojana’ for rural development

•The Government of Gujarat announced, that it plans on undertaking public welfare projects worth Rs. 1,000 crores jointly with non-resident Gujaratis by December 2022. The projects will be under the state government’s ‘Vatan Prem Yojana’. The Yojana was launched in Gujarat focusing on rural development through public and state contributions.

•The state government will undertake various rural development projects and activities.

•This scheme will be undertaken with 40% state government’s contribution and 60% contribution from the general public.

•The state government has invited Non-Resident Gujaratis and NRIs are also invited to contribute.

SPORTS

Guinness World Records recognise Ronaldo for most goals scored in international football by an individual

•Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo has broken the world record for most goals scored in men’s international football. Ronaldo surpassed Iranian striker Ali Daei’s long-held record of 109 international goals by scoring a brace against Ireland in a World Cup Qualifier. Ronaldo at 36 years of age is now a Guinness world record holder of most international goals of all time with 111 goals.

•The Guinness world book of records has recognised Cristiano Ronaldo as a world record breaker for the most goals scored in international football (soccer) matches scored by an individual (male). Ronaldo achieved the feat scoring goals for his native Portugal between 2003 and 2021 proactively over a span of 18 years with a career still going strong as he looks to overcome yet another new challenge after his move away from Turin with a year left on his contract with the Bianconeri.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Andhra Pradesh Government appointed Rajnish Kumar as economic advisor

•The Andhra Pradesh government has appointed Rajnish Kumar as its economic advisor. A former SBI chairman, Rajnish Kumar’s tenure in the cabinet rank position is for two years. Rajnish Kumar who had retired as SBI chairman in October 2020, is an independent non-executive director at the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. He joined SBI as a Probationary officer in 1980.

•The appointment comes amid the growing concerns over the state’s financial situation which has been badly hit by the Covid pandemic, even as the opposition has been critical over the sops and freebies being distributed by the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led state government. Rajnish Kumar’s appointment is expected to help the state government steer through the financially tough juncture.

Neeraj Chopra appointed as the brand ambassador of Tata AIA Life names

•Tata AIA Life Insurance has announced the signing of a multi-year brand partnership with Indian athlete and Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, as its brand ambassador. This association also marks the very first brand partnership to be signed with the champion javelin thrower, post his historic win at the recent Tokyo Olympics.

•Neeraj Chopra closely embodies Tata AIA’s vision of enabling dreams and inspiring healthier and happier lives and its core value of passion for excellence. He has consistently set high benchmarks and pioneered change through dedication to his sport. Over the next few years, Neeraj will support Tata AIA’s efforts in offering solutions to its consumers across the country.

Central Government  appointed G.S Pannu as Officiating ITAT President

•The Central Government has appointed G.S. Pannu as President of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. G. S. Pannu is presently a Vice-President, ITAT, New Delhi and will be Officiating President of ITAT with effect from September 6, 2021, till the appointment of regular President.

•Mr. Pannu was born on 01 Aug 1962 at Hoshiarpur (Punjab), he is a C.A and joined Government Service 14 September 2000. Presently posted as Vice-President at ITAT, New Delhi. Before joining ITAT, practised as a Chartered Accountant at New Delhi from 1986-2000.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Suicide Prevention Day 2021: 10 September

•International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) observes World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) on 10 September every year. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented. The theme for the 2021 World Suicide Prevention Day is “Creating hope through action”.

•The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) to host World Suicide Prevention Day with various activities around the world since 2003.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

V. Vaidyanathan is re-appointment of IDFC FIRST Bank as MD & CEO

•The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted its approval for the re-appointment of V. Vaidyanathan as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (‘MD & CEO’) of the IDFC First Bank.

•Vaidyanathan has been appointed for a further period of three years, which will be effective from December 19, 2021. He first took charge as the MD & CEO of IDFC FIRST Bank in December 2018, after the merger of IDFC Bank and Capital First.

Government appoints 10 merchant bankers to manage IPO of LIC

•The government of India has appointed 10 merchant bankers for managing the Initial Public Offering of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). The IPO of LIC is likely to be launched in the January-March quarter of 2022. The role of merchant bankers in the case of IPO is of Issue management, Promotional activities, Credit syndication, Project counselling, and Portfolio management, etc.

Ten merchant bankers:-

•Goldman Sachs (India) Securities

•Citigroup Global Markets India

•Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities India

•SBI Capital Market

•JM Financial

•Axis Capital

•BofA Securities

•JP Morgan India

•ICICI Securities

•Kotak Mahindra Capital Co Ltd.

RBI removes restrictions on UCO Bank, lending curbs removed after 4 years

•Reserve Bank of India has taken public sector lender UCO Bank out of the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework on improvement in financial and credit profile. This decision gives the bank more freedom for lending, especially to corporations and grow the network, subject to prescribed norms. The Kolkata-based lender was placed under PCA in May 2017 on account of high Net Net-Performing Assets (NPAs) and negative Return on Assets (RoAs).

•Following UCO Bank’s exit, two banks — Indian Overseas Bank and Central Bank of India — remain under PCA. The central bank uses the PCA framework to rein in banks that have breached certain regulatory thresholds in bad loans and capital adequacy. PCA entails curbs on high-risk lending, setting aside more money on provisions and restrictions on management salary.

NATIONAL

Chandigarh railway station fifth to get 5-star 'Eat Right Station'

• The Chandigarh Railway Station(CRS) was awarded a 5 star ‘Eat Right Station’ certification for providing high-quality, nutritious food to passengers. The certification was awarded by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) upon the conclusion of the FSSAI-empanelled third-party audit agency. CRS was selected to upgrade on the pattern of the World Class Railway Station.

• The certification is part of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement- a large-scale effort by FSSAI to transform the country’s food system to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians.

• According to IRSDC, Eat Right India adopts a judicious mix of regulatory, capacity building, collaborative, and empowerment approaches to ensure that our food is suitable both for the people and the planet.

Ramesh Narayan to be inducted into AFAA's Hall of Fame at AdAsia 2021

• Indian advertising doyen Ramesh Narayan will be inducted into the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) Hall of Fame at AdAsia 2021. The AFAA Hall of Fame sets out to recognise the best of the very best. It’s for those who’ve defined a generation of advertising.

• Ramesh has been honoured with AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award, the International Advertising Association Global Champion Award, the Public Relations Society of India Special Award, the Association of Business Communicators of India Lifetime Achievement Award, and an induction into the Hall of Fame of the India chapter of the IAA.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Ashoka Buildcon MD Satish Parekh Appointed

• Ashoka Buildcon Managing Director and promoter Satish Parekh has taken over as the president of the India Chapter of the International Road Federation (IRF). The governing council of the International Road Federation unanimously endorsed Satish Parakh as President, IRF-IC.

• He takes over from Subhmay Gangopadhyay, former director of Central Road Research Institute. The Geneva-based global road safety body IRF is working for better and safer roads worldwide.

OBITUARY

BBC's first Hindi news reader Rajni Kaul dies at 93

• Rajni Kaul who was the first News Broadcaster for BBC Hindi passed away in Faridabad, Haryana. She was 93.

• She was not only the first woman to join BBC Hindi as a staff member but she also became the first woman to read a news bulletin in Hindi on the network in 1961. She was well-known for her programme Indradhanush.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day to Protect Education from Attack 2021: 09 September

• International Day to Protect Education from Attack is observed globally on 9th September. In proclaiming the International Day to Protect Education from Attack to be celebrated for the first time in 2020. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness regarding the importance of safeguarding schools as places of protection and safety for students and educators and the need to keep education at the top of the public agenda.

• The day was established by a unanimous decision of the UN General Assembly, calling on UNESCO and UNICEF to raise awareness of the plight of millions of children living in countries affected by conflict. The resolution proclaiming the Day was presented by the State of Qatar and co-sponsored by 62 countries.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Author Namita Gokhale honoured with 7th Yamin Hazarika Woman of Substance Award at virtual event

• Writer Namita Gokhale has been chosen as the recipient of the seventh Yamin Hazarika Woman of Substance Award. She was conferred upon the honour recently in a virtual ceremony. She is a co-founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, Gokhale also mentors Himalayan Echoes and the Kumaon Festival of Literature and the Arts.

• The award was organised by a collective of women professionals from the year 2015, the annual award honours Yamin Hazarika, the first woman from Northeast India to be selected for DANIPS, a federal police service that administered Delhi and the Union Territories in 1977.

Indian biologist Shailendra Singh has been awarded the Behler Turtle Conservation Award

• Indian biologist Shailendra Singh has been awarded the Behler Turtle Conservation Award for bringing three critically endangered turtle conservation species back from the brink of extinction. Shailendra Singh was named to lead the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA)/ Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India turtle programme.

• The award has been bestowed by several global bodies involved in turtle conservation such as Turtle Survival Alliance, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Turtle Conservancy, and Turtle Conservation Fund.

• The Behler Turtle Conservation Award was established in 2006 to recognise outstanding achievements, contributions and leadership excellence in international turtle conservation and biology.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book “Gita Govinda: Jaydeva’s Divine Odyssey” by Utpal K. Banerjee

• Union Minister of Culture Shri Kishan Reddy Gangapuram has launched a book titled “Gita Govinda: Jaydeva’s Divine Odyssey” authored by Dr Utpal K. Banerjee. The book is the first-ever fully-rhymed translation of the book GeetaGovindam by great 12th-century poet Jayadeva.

• Union Minister also launched a programme named ‘BujurgonkiBaat–DeshKeSaath’ that aims at enhancing the interaction between the youth and the elder persons who are 95 years and above and thus have spent around 18 years in India before independence.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

HDFC Bank Signed A MoU With NSIC To Offer Credit Support To MSMEs

• HDFC Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) for providing credit support to the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector. The branches of HDFC bank will extend support to the MSME projects in the areas they are located in and to other important industrial sectors across the country. Under this, the country’s largest private sector bank will also provide MSMEs with a set of specially-tailored schemes to enhance their competitiveness.

• National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), is an ISO 9001:2015 certified Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

Karnataka Bank launches 'WisePOSGo' a new POS device in collaboration with Mswipe Technologies Pvt Ltd

• The Karnataka Bank has launched an all-in-one Point-of-Sales (POS) swiping machine dubbed as ‘WisePOSGo’, for its merchant customers to process business payments. The private sector lender has rolled out this POS device in collaboration with Mswipe Technologies Pvt Ltd. The introduction of ‘WisePOSGo’ is yet another step in the direction of expanding the digital payment infrastructure in the country and promote a cashless economy.

• WisePOSGo is a compact, lightweight and user-friendly device, designed to keep in view the specific cost-centric requirements of the bank’s MSME customers.

• Apart from processing payments, merchants can also make calls using the WisePOSGo swiping machine.

BOBaroda tops the MeitY Digital Payment Scorecard for 2020-21

• Bank of Baroda, announced that the bank has Ranked #1 with a total of 86% marks on the scorecard issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for the month of February and March 2021. The scorecard ranks 44 banks (Public Sector Banks, Private Banks, Foreign Banks, Payments Banks, Small Finance Banks) on various parameters on the digital business. In the same period last year, BOB was rated “Average” by Meity, which has now been upgraded as “Good”.

• The exceptional growth of digital payment transactions achievement (129% of 137 Cr. Digital transactions target)

• Achievement of 6 times the target for merchant acquiring in Rural geography target (16,100)

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NATIONAL

India’s first Dugong Sanctuary to be set up in Tamil Nadu

• Tamil Nadu state government has announced to set up India’s first dugong conservation reserve at the northern part of the Palk Bay. Dugong are commonly known as sea cows. According to Wildlife Institute of India (WII) estimates, only 200-250 Dugongs are left in the wild, of which 150 are found in the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu.

• The reserve will span the northern part of the Palk Bay from Adiramapattinam to Amapattinam. The reserve will cover an area of more than 500 sq km.

• Marine biologists and conservationists have long demanded a reserve as the population of dugongs, as known as sea cows, in Indian waters has been dropping to dangerous levels.

• According to Wildlife Institute of India (WII) estimates, only 200-250 Dugongs are left in the wild, of which 150 are found in the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu, among the last surviving natural habitats for dugongs in the world.

IAF chief attends three day-long Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium

• Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria attended a three-day-long Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2021 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. The event themed ”Enduring Cooperation towards Regional Stability” was attended by air chiefs from countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Bhadauria was nominated as the Dean for the symposium.

• India, the US, Australia, Japan and many other like-minded countries are working towards ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The symposium saw deliberations through panel discussions, tabletop exercises and keynote addresses on topics ranging from aspects of regional security to cooperation amongst air forces for humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

PM Modi inaugurates 'Shikshak Parv' conclave

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the “Shikshak Parv-2021” and addressed the inaugural conclave through a video conference. The theme of ‘Shikshak Parv-2021’ is “Quality and Sustainable Schools: Learnings from Schools in India”. The event was organised by the Ministry of Education, will continue to be celebrated from September 07 to 17, 2021.

• The objective of the Shikshak Parv-2021 is to encourage innovative practices to ensure not only continuity of education at all levels but to improve quality, inclusive practices and sustainability in the schools across the country as well.

• As a part of the event, PM launched five key schemes under the National Education Policy, NEP 2020.

Atmanirbhar Corner to be set up by TRIFED in 75 missions

• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, is setting up an Atmanirbhar Bharat corner in 75 Indian Missions/ Embassies across the world in the next 3 months. The first such Atma Nirbhar Bharat corner was successfully inaugurated at Indian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand on August 15, 2021. Apart from this, TRIFED will also be establishing Atmanirbhar corners in 75 embassies of foreign countries set up in India.

• As India moves ahead with its strategy for India@75 and focuses on converting development into a mass movement, TRIFED is working with its roots in ground realities and emphasizing the welfare both in design and implementation. With the focus on “Vocal for Local” and building an “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, TRIFED is undertaking several activities, while re-dedicating its efforts towards tribal empowerment.

SPORTS

130th edition of Durand Cup kicks off in West bengal

• The 130th edition of the Durand Cup kicked off at the Vivekananda Yubabharati Krirangan in Kolkata. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee kicked the ball and inaugurated the tournament. 16 teams are playing in this edition of the oldest club football tournament in Asia while two clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are not participating. The final match will be held on 3rd October.

• The Durand Cup is a prestigious football tournament. It was first held in 1888, at Dagshai in Himachal Pradesh. This tournament has been named after Mortimer Durand. He was the then Foreign Secretary in charge of India.

Puducherry ropes in former Australian pacer Shaun Tait as bowling coach 

• Former Australia pacer Shaun Tait has been roped in as the bowling coach of the Puducherry cricket team, sources in the Cricket Association of Pondicherry. Tait joins a coaching team that includes head coach Dishant Yagnik and manager and strength and conditioning coach Kalpendra Jha. The former Australia player had recently been appointed bowling coach of the Afghanistan team for a period of five months.

• Tait, who featured in three Tests, 35 ODIs and 21 T20 Internationals for Australia, had also turned out for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL during his playing career. The pacer had played a significant role in Australia’s World Cup triumph in the West Indies in 2007, claiming 23 wickets.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Harsha Bhupendra Bangari appointed as MD- Exim Bank

• The government has appointed Harsha Bhupendra Bangari as the new Managing Director (MD) of the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank). Before this Bangari was posted as deputy managing director at EXIM Bank.

• She has been appointed for a period of three years or until further orders of the government. He will replace the incumbent MD David Rasquinha, who was appointed for five years on July 20, 2014.

S.L. Tripathy appointed as CMD of United India Insurance company Ltd

• The central government has selected S.L.Tripathy as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of United India Insurance Company Limited.

• He is currently General Manager and Director at The New India Assurance Company Limited. He is appointed as CMD of United India from the date of assumption of charge of the office and up to the date of attaining the age of superannuation.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Literacy Day 2021: 08 September

• International Literacy Day is observed globally on 8th September every year. The day spread awareness about the importance of literacy for individuals, communities, and societies and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies. The theme of 55th International Literacy Day is Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide.

• The 8th of September was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO in 1966 to remind the international community of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies, and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies. It was celebrated for the first time in 1967.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

National Teachers' Award 2021: 44 unique teachers awarded by President

• National Teachers’ Award 2021 was awarded by President Ram Nath Kovind, September 5, 2021. President Kovind gave the awards to 44 finest teachers in the country for their dedicated contribution. The award is contributed to those who improve the quality of education for students and also inspire, enrich their lives. This year, the Ministry of Education released the name of 44 teachers, who would be conferred the National Teachers’ Award. Out of the total 44 teachers, 9 of the awardees are women.

• Due to the prevailing C-19 situation, President Kovind addressed the teachers virtually. While highlighting the role and importance of teachers in one’s life, President Kovind expressed his gratitude to all the teachers who received the awards. The award was also bestowed upon Pramod Kumar Shukla of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS), Chhattisgarh. It is the second award in a row for an EMRS established under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

NATIONAL

Manipur CM Launched 'Go to Hills 2.0' outreach campaign

• Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday launched an outreach programme “Go To Hills 2.0″ to ensure that people in remote places avail benefits of various welfare schemes at their doorsteps. The campaign was rolled out at a programme at Peace Ground, Tuibong in Churachandpur district.

• The launch of the initiative was marked by the inauguration of 30 projects worth Rs 37.34 crore under various departments such as works, tribal affairs and hills and health. “It gives me immense pleasure to officially launch the ‘Go To Hills 2.0’ today. In our effort to take governance further to the doorsteps, the mission aims to strengthen ties amongst our people through rigorous development,” the CM said on Twitter. Under the outreach programme, the state administration provided assistance and equipment worth Rs 51.52 crore for several departments such as agriculture, horticulture, health, social welfare and education.

28th edition of Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise

• The 28th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) took place from September 02 to 04, 2021. The SIMBEX-2021 annual bilateral maritime exercise was hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) in the southern fringes of the South China Sea.

• The Indian Navy was represented by Guided Missile Destroyer INS Ranvijay with a shipborne helicopter, ASW Corvette INS Kiltan and Guided Missile Corvette INS Kora and one P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

• The exercise aimed to strengthen the bilateral defence ties between both countries. This year’s edition of SIMBEX is also a special occasion as it takes place during the ongoing celebrations of the 75th year of India’s independence.

• The success of SIMBEX-2021 is yet another demonstration of the mutual resolve on both sides to strengthen the bilateral partnership further in the years ahead.

Government launched AYUSH AAPKE DWAR

• As a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration, the Ministry of AYUSH has launched a campaign titled ‘AYUSH AAPKE DWAR’, which aims to distribute medicinal plant saplings to 75 lakh households in one year. The campaign was inaugurated by the Union Minister of AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal from Mumbai, during which he distributed medicinal plant saplings to citizens.

• Subsequently, the campaign was launched from more than 45 locations across the country. The medicinal plants being distributed include Tejpatta, Stevia, Ashoka, Giloy, Ashwagandha, Lemongrass, Tulsi, Sarpagandha and Amla. Under this campaign, it is proposed to undertake the cultivation of medicinal plants across 75,000 hectares in one year.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Ashoka Buildcon MD Appointed as IRF India president

• Ashoka Buildcon Managing Director and promoter Satish Parekh has taken over as the president of India Chapter of International Road Federation (IRF).

• The governing council of the International Road Federation on September 4, 2021, unanimously endorsed Satish Parakh as President, IRF-IC.

• He takes over from Subhmay Gangopadhyay. former director of  Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).

Equitas Small finance Bank appoints Rani Rampal & Smriti Mandhana as brand ambassadors

• Equitas Small Finance Bank (ESFB) has roped in Indian women hockey player, Rani Rampal and cricketer Smriti Mandhana as the brand ambassadors of the company. The announcement was made during the 5th anniversary of the ESFB on September 5, 2021.

• Rampal holds the record for being the youngest player to play in the national hockey team while Mandhana was recognised as the Best Women’s International Cricketer by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Cyrus Poncha elected Asian Squash Federation vice-president

• Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) Secretary-General, Cyrus Poncha has been unanimously elected as Vice-President of the Asian Squash Federation (ASF), during the 41st annual general meeting of ASF. The Dronacharya Awardee has been elected for a period of the four-year term.

• David Mui of Hong Kong was elected unopposed as the President of ASF for a second term. Apart from Cyrus Poncha, Mr Fayez Abdullah S.Al-Mutairi of Kuwait and Tae-sook Hee of Korea have been also elected as the Vice-Presidents of ASF.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

India, US ink pact to develop air-launched

• The Ministry of Defence, the Government of India and US Department of Defence have signed a Project Agreement (PA) for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV). This agreement is signed under the Joint Working Group Air Systems in the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).

• The PA for ALUAV is part of the Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E) Memorandum of Agreement, which was first signed between the Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence, in January 2006 and renewed in January 2015. The RDT&E aims at deepening defence technology collaboration between the two nations through the co-development of defence equipment.

OBITUARY

Former France Footballer Jean-Pierre Adams Passes Away after 39 years in coma

• Former France footballer Jean-Pierre Adams, who had been in a coma for 39 years, has passed away. In 1982, Adams slipped into a coma following a medical error, during his routine knee surgery.

• He made a total of 22 appearances for the France National Football Team from 1972–1976. At club level, Adams played as a defender for Paris Saint-Germain, Nîmes and Nice.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Clean Air for blue skies 2021: 07th September

• The International Day of Clean Air for blue skies is observed globally on September 07 to promote and facilitate actions to improve air quality. It is an UN-recognised day that aims to raise public awareness at all levels (individual, community, corporate and government) that clean air is important for health, productivity, the economy and the environment.

• The 2021 theme for the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies is “Healthy Air, Healthy Planet” which emphasizes the health aspects of air pollution, especially considering the C-19 pandemic. This year’s focus is on prioritizing the need for healthy air for all while keeping the conversation broad enough to encompass other critical issues such as climate change, human and planetary health as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. The day serves as a rallying call to action to align our efforts and claim our right to clean air. #HealthyAirHealthyPlanet.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

'Super 30' Founder Anand Kumar Gets Award

• ‘Super 30’ founder and mathematician Anand Kumar was conferred the ‘Sarabhai Teacher Scientist National Honorary Award 2021’ by the National Council of Teacher Scientist (NCTS) for making mathematics easy to learn and coaching the underprivileged students to succeed in the IIT exams, the organisers said here on Monday.

• Kumar, a native of Bihar, who has been coaching underprivileged students for nearly two decades for JEE-Advanced, the entrance exam for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), was also awarded the life membership of the organisation during a virtual event held on the occasion of the Teachers’ Day on Sunday, NCTS Chairman Chandramouli Joshi said in a statement.

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NATIONAL

Mansukh Mandaviya participates in G-20 Health Minister Meeting 2021

• Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya participated in G-20 Health Ministers Meeting 2021 hosted by Italian Presidency on the theme – People, Planet and Prosperity. Yesterday during the meeting, he shared India’s response to monitor Global Health Impact of C-19 pandemic with a detailed assessment of its consequences in implementing Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

• Mr Mandaviya is on a four day visit to Rome in Italy from 4th of this month to attend G- 20 Health Ministers’ meeting. In a tweet, Mr Mandaviya also said that he had an excellent discussion with Minister of Health for Brazil Marcelo Queiroga for better cooperation in healthcare. They also talked about One Health and the introduction of Nano-Urea for better results.

Delhi government declares Raj Kumar as 'Face of DoE'

• To honor Teacher’s day, the Delhi government decided to give a new face to the Directorate of Education (DoE). A music teacher from the Delhi government’s School Of Specialized Excellence will be the new ‘Face of Directorate of Education (DoE)’.

• The music teacher is Mr. Raj Kumar who was awarded Guinness World Record for playing Sitar for 32 hours.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman chairs 24th meeting of FSDC

• Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has chaired the 24th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC). Finance Minister is the chairperson of FSDC. It must be noted that FSDC Sub-Committee is chaired by the Governor, RBI.

• Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) is the apex level forum set up by the Government of India for strengthening and institutionalizing the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination and promoting financial sector development.

• The Council also, inter alia, discussed issues relating to the management of stressed assets, strengthening institutional mechanism for financial stability analysis, financial inclusion, the framework for resolution of financial institutions and issues related to IBC processes, banks’ exposure to various sectors and Government, data sharing mechanisms of government authorities, internationalisation of Indian Rupee and pension sector related issues.

India becomes first Asian nation to launch ‘Plastics Pact’

• India has become the first country in Asia to launch a Plastics Pact, a new platform to promote a circular system for plastics. The India Plastic Pact platform was launched on September 03, 2021, by the British High Commissioner to India, Alexander Ellis, at the 16th Sustainability Summit hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

• The new platform ‘India Plastic Pact’ is a joint effort of the World-Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF India) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and envisions to create a world where plastic is valued and does not pollute the environment.

• The Pact targets the businesses to transition towards a circular economy for plastics by 2030.

• The initiative is supported by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) and WRAP, a global NGO based in the UK, and endorsed by the British High Commission in India.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

lovlina borgohain named brand ambassador of SSA Assam

• Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain has been roped in as the brand ambassador for Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) of Assam, state Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said on Sunday.

• “Her role as the brand ambassador is on a completely honorary basis at her insistence. It is a very good gesture on her part,” Korati said. The 23-year-boxer hailing from Golaghat district had scripted history at the Tokyo Games by becoming the first Assamese to win a medal in the Olympics when she had clinched the bronze medal in the women’s welterweight (64-69kg) category.

OBITUARY

Former President of International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge passes away

• Former President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge has passed away.

• He had spent 12 years as president of IOC, from 2001 to 2013, overseeing three summer Games and three winter Games, as well as creating the Youth Olympics. He was then succeeded by Thomas Bach. He was the 8th President of IOC.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book “A Rude Life: The Memoir” by Vir Sanghvi

• Vir Sanghvi, one of India’s most recognised journalists, has come out with a memoir titled A Rude Life. ‘A Rude Life: The Memoir’ has been published by Penguin Random House. Through this book, the author has shared his views and experience of the most eventful careers in Indian journalism, including his personal life, stories of and about celebrities and politicians, middlemen and behind-the-scene actors.

• Vir Sanghvi is an Indian print and television journalist, author, columnist and talk show host, who worked with Hindustan Times from 1999 to 2007, after which he continued at the paper as a columnist.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

PhonePe launched digital payment interactive geospatial platform “Pulse platform”

• PhonePe has launched a platform named PhonePe Pulse. Pulse is India’s first interactive platform with data insights and trends on digital payments. The platform shows more than 2000 crore digital transactions by customers on an interactive map of India. PhonePe also launched the Pulse Report, an in-depth study on the evolution of digital payments over the past 5 years. The report also has insights about how digital payment adoption across India has evolved since 2016 and includes detailed geographical and category-specific trends.

• The insights on the website and in the report have been drawn from two key sources – the entirety of PhonePe’s transaction data combined with merchant and customer interviews.

• The report is available as a free download on the PhonePe Pulse website. This new product is relevant to multiple ecosystem stakeholders including the government, policymakers, regulatory bodies, media, industry analysts, merchant partners, startups, academic institutions and students.

• The rich data set along with insightful trends and stories can be used by these partners to understand consumer and merchant behaviour and identify new opportunities for growth.

LIC buys 3.9% stake in Bank of India 

• Life Insurance Corporation of India has bought 3.9 per cent (15,90,07,791 shares) of the Bank of India through open market acquisition. Before this acquisition, LIC held about 3.17 per cent stake in the Bank of India.

• After this acquisition, LIC now has 7.05 per cent, equivalent to 28,92,87,324 shares of Bank of India. This information was shared by the Bank of India to SEBI. As per SEBI guidelines, companies have to inform the stock exchanges when an entity holds more than 5 per cent shares in a listed company.

NATIONAL

Maharashtra Government to set up 'Rajiv Gandhi Science City'

• The Maharashtra Government has decided to set up a world-class science city at Pimpri-Chinchwad near Pune to develop a scientific outlook among the students and prepare them to become students in future. To be named as ‘Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi Science Innovation City’, a science Centre will be developed on one acre area in an eight-acre complex in the PCMC area.

• The Centre has granted an assistance of Rs 191 crore to build the Science city in the PCMC area.

SPORTS

India win record 19 medals in Tokyo Paralympics 2020

• India finished their campaign at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 with an all-time high of 19 medals which includes five gold, eight silver, and six bronze. This is the best medal tally for India a single edition of the Paralympic Games. India is placed at 24th position in the overall medal tally out of a total of 162 nations.

• Javelin thrower Tek Chand was the flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics.

• Shooter Avani Lekhara was India’s flag-bearer at the closing ceremony.

Max Verstappen wins Dutch Grand Prix F1

• Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) has won the formula one Dutch Grand Prix 2021. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) came second while Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) came third.

• The Red Bull driver’s leading seventh win of the season and 17th of his career moved him three points ahead of the defending champion, who finished second but softened the blow with a bonus point for fastest lap.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Vartika Shukla assumes charge as CMD of Engineers India

• Vartika Shukla took charge as the first woman Chairperson and Managing Director of public sector enterprise Engineers India Ltd. She spearheaded the company’s innovative energy programmes, including biofuels, coal gasification, waste to fuel and hydrogen energy, among others.

• A graduate in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Shukla joined EIL in 1988 and has extensive consulting experience comprising design, engineering, and implementation of complexes in refining, gas processing, petrochemicals and fertilisers.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

India to host International Climate Summit 2021 today

• India is all set to host a key conference as part of the International Climate Summit (ICS) 2020-21 to build a dialogue for India’s transition to clean energy. Policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, experts, and scientists from across the globe are going to be a part of the climate summit.

• Director of CSIR, National Chemical Laboratory, Dr Ashish Lele has underlined the importance of the conference for the future mitigation strategies of climate change. The need to adopt these strategies and the problems arose due to dependence on conventional fuels.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Teachers’ Day: 05 September

• The 5th of September is celebrated as teacher’s day all over India. This day is celebrated as the teacher’s day to mark the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who was the former president of our country. He was a philosopher, a scholar, and the Bharat Ratna Awardee.  He was the second President of India (1962 to 1967) and the first Vice President of India (1952–1962). The Ministry of Education presents the National Teachers Awards on this occasion every year. In 2021, the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind will confer National Awards on 44 teachers from across the country.

• In 1962, Dr. Radhakrishan became the second President of Independent India. The main significance to celebrate this day is that Dr Radhakrishan’s students approached him to allow them to celebrate his birthday as a special day. He was surprised and happy by the respect which is given to him by the students even after he was not their teacher.

International Day of Charity: 05 September

• The International Day of Charity is observed annually on September 05. It was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012. September 5 was chosen in order to commemorate the death anniversary of Mother Teresa, who had always been engaged in charitable work. Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for “work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace.”

• The prime purpose of the International Day of Charity is to raise awareness and provide a common platform for charity related activities all over the world for individuals, charitable, philanthropic and volunteer organizations for their own purposes on the local, national, regional and international level.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book Know Your Rights and Claim Them: A Guide for Youth by Angelina Jolie

• Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has recently announced her upcoming book, titled “Know Your Rights and Claim Them: A Guide for Youth”. The book has been written jointly by Angelina Jolie, Amnesty International and human rights lawyer Geraldine Van Bueren QC.

• This book will be helpful to young people and children from around the world in making them aware of their rights and how to claim these rights decided years ago based on what would make them healthy, balanced, safe and stable adults.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

HDFC Life to acquire Exide Life Insurance for ₹6,687 crore

• HDFC Life has announced to acquire a 100 per cent stake in Exide Life Insurance Company in a stock and cash deal, for Rs 6,887 crore. Subsequently, Exide Life will be merged with HDFC Life, subject to regulatory approvals. Exide Life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of battery maker Exide Industries. This acquisition will mark one of the first and the largest acquisitions in the life insurance space.

• From the total deal value of Rs 6,887 crore, HDFC Life will pay Rs 725 crore in cash, while the balance amount will be in form of shares.

• HDFC Life will issue 87.02 million equity shares of the face value of Rs 10 at a price of Rs 685 per share to Exide Industries Limited.

• Post the acquisition, Exide Industries will hold a 4.1 per cent stake in merged HDFC Life and mortgage lender HDFC Ltd will hold 47.9 per cent. Currently, HDFC Ltd. holds a 49.9 per cent stake in HDFC Life.

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INTERNATIONAL

India becomes third largest startup ecosystem in the world

• Hurun Research Institute has released the Hurun India Future Unicorn List 2021, as per which India is the third-largest Unicorn/startup ecosystem in the world. The USA is on top followed by China on second. India has 51 unicorns according to the list. The USA has 396 and China has 277 unicorns.

• Zilingo is the top unicorn in the ranking in India with funding of USD 310. The headquarters of Zilingo is in Singapore. Bengaluru is the top Indian city in terms of the number of Unicorns headquartered in a city. Bengaluru has 31 unicorns followed by Mumbai which has 12 unicorns.

NATIONAL

Women and Child Development Minister inaugurates NUTRI GARDEN at All India Institute of Ayurveda

• The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated NUTRI GARDEN to mark the beginning of Poshan Maah – 2021 at All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA). Plantation of Shigru (Sahijan) and Amla saplings were also carried out. AIIA, New Delhi under the direction of the Ministry of Ayush initiated the celebration of Poshan Maah – 2021.

• Nutri kitchen garden/Nutri garden is a method of planting and harvesting nutrient-rich crops in residential houses or in their vicinity to meet the requirements of the family all year round.

• In urban areas, Nutri kitchen gardening can be promoted in the form of rooftop gardening, terrace gardening, vertical gardening and container gardening.

• In rural areas, Nutri kitchen gardens can be promoted in the backyard of the houses.

I&B Ministry constitutes Committee to review existing guidelines of Journalist Welfare Scheme

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has decided to form a committee to review the existing guidelines of the Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS). The 12-member committee, with Ashok Kumar Tandon, Member, Prasar Bharati Board, as its chairperson, will revise the quantum of ex-gratia payment in case of death as well as in other cases under the scheme. The terms of reference (ToR) of the committee include examining the need for such a revision of the quantum of ex-gratia payment.

• The committee will look into the aspect of differentiation or parity between accredited and non-accredited journalists for availing benefits under the scheme. The committee shall give its recommendations within two months and all secretarial assistance for convening its meetings will be provided by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Gujarat to host 12th Defence Expo-2022 in Gandhinagar

• The next Defence Expo will be hosted by Gujarat in 2022. This was announced by chief minister Vijay Rupani. The Memorandum of Understanding 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.

• Defence Expo-2022 will be held in Gandhinagar from 10th to 13th March next year. The aim of Defense Expo 2022 is to move from Make in India to make for the world. The Defence Expo-2022 will focus on making India a Defence manufacturing hub.

PM's Virtual-Address at 6th Eastern Economic Forum 2021

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the plenary session of the 6th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), organised in Vladivostok, Russia. An Indian delegation led by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri and comprising leading Indian oil and gas companies are participating in the EEF Summit 2021 in Russia.

• On the sidelines of EEF, Petroleum Minister will also have meetings with Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov to review bilateral energy cooperation in the energy sector and with the Russian Minister for Development of Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunkov to discuss the collaboration between Indian and Russian companies in that region. Petroleum Minister will also co-chair India-Russia Business Dialogue.

SPORTS

Tokyo Paralympics: Shooter Manish Narwal wins Gold

• Indian shooters Manish Narwal and Singhraj Adhana clinched the gold and silver medal respectively in the P4 – Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 final at Asaka Shooting Range. The 19-year-old Manish created the Paralympic record as he amassed 218.2 points to clinch the gold while Singhraj grabbed his second medal of the Tokyo Paralympics with 216.7 points. The Russian Paralympic Committee’s (RPC) Sergey Malyshev won the bronze medal.

• India’s medal tally now stands at 15 at these Paralympics. It has now won three golds, seven silvers and five bronze medals. This is India’s best tally at a single edition of the Para Games. It had won four medals at Rio 2016 and four at the 1984 Paralympics.

Paralympics 2020: Archer Harvinder Singh won Bronze

• In Paralympics 2020, India’s ace archer Harvinder Singh has won the bronze medal in the men’s individual recurve open. The 31-year old has become India’s first-ever archer to win a medal in the Paralympics. With this win, India’s medal haul at the ongoing Paralympics Games in Tokyo has reached 13 [2G,6S,5B].

• Harvinder defeated South Korea’s Kim Min Su 6-5 in a shoot-off to win India’s third medal of the day at Tokyo 2020, taking India’s tally to 13. Earlier, United States of America’s (USA) Kevin Mather defeated Harvinder by 6-4 in the semi-final.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

PPK Ramacharyulu appointed RS secretary general

• Rajya Sabha Chairman, M Venkaiah Naidu has appointed Dr PPK Ramacharyulu, who is the secretary in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat since 2018, as the secretary general. He succeeds Desh Dipak Verma, who demitted office as secretary-general after serving the top post for four years. Ramacharyulu is the first insider to have risen from the ranks of the secretariat to the top post in the about 70 years of the Rajya Sabha.

• Ramacharyulu joined the Rajya Sabha Secretariat in 1983 after serving in the Lok Sabha Secretariat for a year. Ramacharyulu had served as special secretary, Andhra Pradesh Legislature. Ramacharyulu has about 40 years of experience of handling various aspects of the functioning of Parliament.

Govt appoints Atul Bhatt as CMD of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd

• Atul Bhatt has been appointed as chairman and managing director (CMD) of disinvestment-owned steel company Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL). He was the CMD of state-owned consultancy firm MECON, which offers a full range of services required to set up a project from concept to commissioning including turnkey execution. PK Rath retired as CMD RINL on May 31, after serving the company for 38 years.

• RINL is a special steel-making player based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The company, without any captive iron ore mines, owns and operates a 7.3-million tonne (MT) steel plant in the state. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had given in-principle approval for 100 per cent disinvestment of government stake in RINL, along with the company’s stake in subsidiaries/ joint ventures through strategic disinvestment by way of privatisation.

RANKING

University of Oxford tops Times World University Rankings 2022

• The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2022 has been announced. The University of Oxford is at the top of the list, followed by the California Institute of Technology and Harvard University at the second and third positions, respectively. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, is placed between the 301-350 position. Incidentally, it is also the only university in the top 350 rankings.

• The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 includes record 1,662 universities from 99 countries and territories. The ranking is based on 13 balanced performance indicators.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

IMF increases India’s quota of Special Drawing Rights (SDR)

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has made an allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) 12.57 billion to India. (approx USD 17.86 billion). With this, the total SDR holding of India has gone upto SDR 13.66 billion (equivalent to around USD 19.41 billion).

• SDR is one of the components of the Foreign Exchange Reserves (FER) of India. Hence the Foreign Exchange Reserves (FER) has also increased now. IMF has allocated a total of SDR 456 billion to all its member countries out of which India has got SDR 12.57.