National News
Union Home Secretary launches ‘e-Sahaj’ portal for grant of Security Clearance 
 
The Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba launched an online ‘e-Sahaj’ portal for grant of Security Clearance. 
The portal will facilitate an applicant to submit application online and also to view the status of his application from time to time. The aim is to strike a healthy balance between meeting the imperatives of national security and facilitating ease of doing business and promoting investment in the country.
Role of MHA
MHA is the nodal Ministry for security clearances in certain sensitive sectors before issue of licence/permit, permission, contract etc, to companies/ bidders/individuals by the administrative Ministry. 
The objective of national security clearance is to evaluate potential security threats, including economic threats, and provide risk assessment before clearing investment and project proposals in key sectors. 

Union Cabinet approves Triple Talaq Ordinance, making triple talaq an offence
 
The Union Cabinet on September 19, 2018 approved an ordinance making instant triple talaq a punishable offence. 

The ordinance has similar provisions as mentioned in original the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which was cleared by the Lok Sabha in December 2017. However, the bill was stuck in the Rajya Sabha. 

It faced a stiff resistance in the Rajya Sabha where several opposition lawmakers argued over the criminal provisions in the draft law. 

In view of the growing opposition, the Government on August 9, 2018 approved three amendments in the instant triple talaq bill, making it permissible for a magistrate to give bail for the offence.

International News
India to launch agriculture project worth $33.5 million with UN's FAO in five states
 
The government along with United Nations body FAO has launched an agriculture project with $33.5 million grant from Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The $33.5 million project is being funded by the GEF and implemented by the government of India (agriculture and environment ministries) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The project, to be implemented in five landscapes in Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, strives to bring harmony between conservation and development efforts of the country.
Objective of this Project:-
The project aims to transform agricultural production to generate global environmental benefits by addressing biodiversity conservation, land degradation, climate change mitigation and sustainable forest management.
This project seeks to bring transformative change in the farm sector through conservation of biodiversity and forest landscapes.
Global Environment Facility (GEF) 
The Global Environment Facility was established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems.  Since then, the GEF has provided over $17.9 billion in grants and mobilized an additional $93.2 billion in co-financing for more than 4500 projects in 170 countries.

India first country in the world to develop document on Cooling Action Plan 
 
Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan has released a draft India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) during World Ozone Day celebrations.
The ICAP provides a 20-year perspective (2017-18 to 2037-38) to address the cooling requirements across sectors and ways and means to provide access to sustainable cooling for all.
India is the first country in world to develop such a document - ICAP, which also gives thrust towards looking for synergies in actions for securing both environmental and socio-economic benefits.
India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)
The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)—first of its kind in the world—has listed various interventions, including guidelines to all commercial buildings to maintain an internal temperature between 24-25°C on a voluntary basis and adopting various passive measures in buildings to reduce the cooling demand by 20-25% by 2037-38.

India signs Financing Loan Agreement with the World Bank for US$ 74 Million
 
A Loan Agreement for IBRD Credit of US$74 million equivalent for the Uttrakhand Workforce Development Project (UKWDP) was signed with the World Bank. 
Project objective
The Project objective is to improve the quality and relevance of training at priority Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and to increase the number of labor-market-relevant workers through short term training in Uttrakhand. 
The Project has three components: 
(1) Improving the quality and relevance of ITI Training; 
(2) Increasing the number of skilled workers certified under National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQE) - Compliant Short Term Training; and 
(3) Policy and Institutional Development and Project Management.
Uttarakhand Workforce Development Project:
The program development objective is to help improve the quality of training at select Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and increase the number of labor-market-relevant workers through short-term training in Uttarakhand. 

7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism
 
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is organizing the 7th UNWTO Global Summit on Urban Tourism: A 2030 Vision for Urban Tourism, on 16-19 September, in Seoul, Republic of Korea, jointly with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, the Korea Tourism Organization and the Seoul Tourism Organization. 
About World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
The Summit provides a unique platform to discuss the key issues shaping the future of urban tourism in the context of the 2030 Urban Agenda. 
It brings together high-level representatives from National Tourism Administrations, city authorities and related stakeholders, serving as a platform to exchange experiences and expertise and set a shared vision on urban tourism that embraces innovation, digital transformation and sustainability.

Delhi and Seoul Sign MoU to Tackle Air Pollution
The Delhi government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to work closely in the fields of environment, tourism, waste water and solid waste management, infrastructure and public health.
The Mou on the 'Friendship and Cooperation Agreement' was signed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Seoul mayor Park Won-Soon in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The Delhi CM particularly sought the city’s expertise in dealing with transport and air pollution.

Key points to remember:
The agreement has listed 11 areas for exchange of expertise and cooperation including environment, culture, tourism, smart city, transportation, education, land use planning and management, science and technology, MICE industry, waste water and solid waste management, infrastructure and public health.
The 'Twinning Agreement' will remain in force till three years from September 14, 2018, and it could be amended by written agreement between the two parties.

Awards
All-women crew of INSV tarini receives tenzing norgay award
 
All-women crew of INSV Tarini has bagged the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure award for beating the odds in water with their enduring skills and sailing across the world for eight long months.
The award is the highest national recognition for outstanding achievements in the field of adventure on land, sea and air.
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award is the highest national recognition for outstanding achievements in the field of adventure on land, sea and air.
A cash Award of Rs.5.00 lakh and a certificate of honour is given to each Awardee. 
This Award is at par with the Arjuna Award for sporting excellence. Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards are conferred by the Hon’ble President of India, along with Arjuna Awards, in a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the month of August every year. 
INSV Tarini 
INSV Tarini is the second sailboat of the Indian Navy. She was constructed at Aquarius Shipyard located in Goa. After undergoing extensive sea trials, she was commissioned to Indian Navy service on 18 February 2017.

Kerala Tourism Bags PATA Gold Awards 2017
 
Kerala Tourism Department has won 'The Pacific Asia Travel Association Grand and Gold Award 2017’ for its Film Tourism Brochure in the Marketing Media-Consumer Travel Brochure category.
P Bala Kiran, IAS, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala received the award at the 32nd edition of the PATA Awards, held at Macao, in recognition of its trend-setting marketing initiatives, which have boosted the state's profile as a must-visit destination.
PATA Gold Awards 
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. 
These awards, generously supported and sponsored since 1995 by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).

International News

India and Malta sign three MoUs in the fields of Maritime Cooperation, Tourism and Training

India and Malta has signed three MoUs in the fields of Maritime Cooperation, Tourism and Training after delegation level talks between Vice President, Venkaiah Naidu and President of Malta, Ms. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. 

Mr. Naidu is in Malta in the second phase of his visit to three European countries. In a Joint Press Statement, Mr. Naidu said, India is today the main source of affordable generic drugs in the world and can cooperate in Wellness and Ayurveda sectors. 

World's first hydrogen train rolls out in Germany
Germany launched world's first hydrogen-powered passenger train on September 16, 2018. The locomotives, built by the French train-maker firm, Alstom, entered regular service from September 17 onwards, operating on a 62 mile stretch of line in northern Germany.
What is a hydrogen train?
Hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen, a process that leaves steam and water as the only emissions.

This makes the cells a promising energy source that produces zero emissions and very little noise. Excess energy is stored in ion-lithium batteries on board the train
The locomotives are also eco-friendly.

Other countries to use this technology
Other countries are also looking into hydrogen trains including Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Italy, and Canada. In France, the government has already said it wants the first hydrogen train to be on the rails by 2022.

Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurates the first ever India tourism Mart 2018

The Union Minister for Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurated the ‘first ever’ India Tourism Mart (ITM 2018) in the presence of Union Tourism Minister, Shri K J Alphons and the Tourism Minister of Morocco, Mr. Mohamed Sajid, in New Delhi.

Imortant:

ITM will be an annual event hereafter in line with other International Tourism Marts and it will be held in the month of September.

The ITM 2018 has a participation of around 225 hosted international buyers and Media personnel across the world such as North America, West Europe, East Asia, Latin America, CIS countries etc. 

Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) is the apex organization of all the important trade and hospitality associations of the country with all the 10 major Tourist organizations like FHRAI, HAI, IATO being involved in this mega event and India Convention Promotion Board (ICPB) is coordinating the whole event.  

National News

Govt proposes merger of Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank

The Union Finance Ministry on September 17, 2018 announced the proposal to merge three public sector lenders - Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. The combined lending entity will create India’s third largest bank with a total business of more than Rs 14.82 lakh crore.  The proposal will now need the approval of the boards of these individual banks. 
The merger of these three state-owned banks is a part of the government's agenda of consolidation of public sector banks. The consolidation was proposed by the Alternative Mechanism comprising Chairperson Arun Jaitley.

Supreme Court lifts ban on Saridon, 3 other FDCs

 The Supreme Court of India on September 17, 2018 allowed the sale of popular painkiller Saridon and three other banned fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) in medical stores across the country.
The apex court has allowed the sale of Piramal Healthcare's Saridon, GlaxoSmithKline's Piriton, Juggat Pharma's Dart and another drug.
FDC
The Fixed Dose Combination drugs are two or more drugs combined in a fixed ratio into a single dosage form.
Background
The Union Health Ministry issued a notification last week prohibiting the manufacture, sale and distribution of 328 Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) for human use with immediate effect.
The Ministry also restricted the manufacture, sale and distribution of six FDCs subject to certain conditions. The action was taken by the Ministry under the powers conferred by section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Launch of India's first 'smart fence' projects
 
India’s first ‘smart fence’ pilot project was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh along the India-Pakistan International Border in Ploura, Jammu and Kashmir on September 17, 2018. 

The Union Minister launched the project from the BSF Headquarters during his one-day visit to the state. The initiative has been taken up by the Border Security Force (BSF), as part of their comprehensive integrated border management system.
Importance of this Project:
The smart fence pilot project is expected to be a massive boon for monitoring security situations in border areas. It is a technological solution devised to make the security system at the borders more strong and effective.

The system will virtually make it impossible for terrorists to infiltrate into the Indian side of the border. 

According to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the shortcomings of the pilot project will be addressed to make the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management system fool proof before it is extended to other areas.

Military Equipment worth Rs. 9,100 Crore Gets Defence Ministry Nod
 
The Defence Ministry has given its approval for the procurement of military equipment and weapons worth Rs. 9,100 crore.
The procurement will include two regiments of Aakash missile systems.
The acquisition proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the Defence Ministry's highest decision making body on procurement.
The Defence Acquisition Council also approved the design and development of test equipment for guided weapons systems for T90 tanks.
Defence Acquisition Council
An overarching structure, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), under the Defence Minister was constituted for overall guidance of the defence procurement planning process.
The objective of the Defence Acquisition Council is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the Armed Forces in terms of capabilities sought, and time frame prescribed, by optimally utilizing the allocated budgetary resources.

Launch of C-DAC Information Media Server (CIMS)
 
Shri S.S. Ahluwalia, Hon’ble Minister of State for Electronics and IT launches C-DAC Information Media Server (CIMS) for enhancing Good Governance. 
What is C-DAC Information Media Server?
C-DAC Information Media Server is a dedicated computer appliance having specialized application software to provide audio and video on demand. This low-cost affordable system is built with single board computer having powerful and energy efficient multi-core processor. It does not require any special purpose internet service provider or data connectivity. The common feature includes displaying text, images for viewing, video streaming, e-brochure; for viewing or downloading for offline reference. 

Sanitary Napkin Vending Machines installed in MeitY
 
CSC SPV has installed Sanitary Vending Machines in MeitY Women Restrooms.  This will benefit women employees availing Sanitary Pads in the ministry. Based on the success and learning of this initiative, further similar vending machines will be installed at the other Public and Private institutions.
Stree Swabhiman Initiative
The initiative was launched in partnership with Common Service Centres (CSCs).The initiative implemented by the central government in coordination of the CSC (Common Service Centers). 
The entire project will also be implemented within the country at the ground root level. Under this initiative, Common Service Centres (CSC) will provide access to affordable, reliable and modern (eco-friendly) sanitary napkins (menstrual pads) to adolescent girls and women in rural areas. 
 

17th September 2018 - GK and Current Affairs

Science & Space
Inauguration of Polarimetry Doppler Weather Radar at Sriharikota spaceport
 
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has inaugurated the Polarimetry Doppler Weather Radar at Sriharikota spaceport near Chennai.
The S–Band Polarimetry Doppler Weather Radar facility was launched at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota by Isro Chairman Dr K Sivan.
The radar has been developed by Bharat Electronics Ltd, Bengaluru under ToT (Training of Trainers) from ISRO.
Doppler Weather Radar (DWR)
The Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) provides advanced information, enhances the lead-time essential for saving lives and property in the event of a natural disaster associated with severe weather.
While conventional radars are able to track and predict cyclones, the DWR provides detailed information on a storm’s internal wind flow and structure.
The severity of the weather systems can be quantitatively estimated and more precise advanced warnings can be generated for saving human lives and property.
The polarimetric capability of the radar will significantly improve the accuracy of rainfall estimation leading to accurate and timely flash flood warnings, according to ISRO’s earlier release.

PSLV-C42 launches 2 foreign satellites
 
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C42) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched two satellites -- NovaSAR and S1-4 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.
The satellites belong to UK-based Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), which has a contract with Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO. 
NovaSAR
NovaSAR carries S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Automatic Identification Receiver payloads. The satellite applications include forestry mapping, land use and ice cover monitoring, flood and disaster monitoring and maritime missions. It will be operated from SSTL’s Spacecraft Operations Centre in Guildford, UK.
S1-4
S1-4 is a high resolution earth observation satellite meant for surveying resources, environment monitoring, urban management and disaster monitoring.
Important
This was the 44th flight of PSLV and the 12th flight of the Core Alone version of the vehicle. Core Alone is its lightest version without the six strap-on motors. It is used for launching smaller payloads.

DRDO successfully tests anti-tank missile
 
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on 16th September successfully tested a low-weight indigenously developed man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM) at its Ahmednagar range. It was the second MPATGM test, the second test was held on 15th September. 

MPATGM
The MPATGM is a third-generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), which has been under development by DRDO in partnership with Indian defense contractor VEM Technologies Ltd. since 2015.  Fitted with a high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead, the MPATGM reportedly boasts a top attack capability and has a maximum engagement range of about 2.5 kilometers.

Sports News
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge sets new marathon world record
 
Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge set a new marathon world record in Berlin, smashing the previous best as he clocked 2 hour 1 minute 39 second.
The 33-year-old Olympic champion, aided by a string of pacemakers through to 25km of the 42.195 km race, took 1 minute 17 second off the previous best set four years ago by Dennis Kimetto.
It was the largest single improvement on the marathon world record since Derek Clayton improved the mark by 2:23 in 1967.
About Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge (born 5 November 1984) is a Kenyan long distance runner, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist in the marathon, and current world record holder in the marathon. He has been described as “the greatest marathoner of the modern era.” He has won 10 out of 11 marathons he raced; he finished second in his second marathon in 2013 in Berlin, where Wilson Kipsang ran the world record for that time.

Sakshi Malik settles for Silver medal at Medved Intl Wrestling
 
Rio Olympics Bronze medalist Sakshi Malik settled for a Silver medal at the Medved International Wrestling tournament at Minsk, Belarus last night. 

In the Final of the 62 kg category, Sakshi lost to Hungary's Marianna Sastin, 2-6 to finish second best.Other Indian grappler Pooja Dhanda bagged a Bronze medal in the 57 kg category after she produced a superb performance in the repechage round.

MC Mary Kom clinches her 3rd gold medal of the year at Silesian Open boxing in Poland
 
Indian five-time world boxing champion M C Mary Kom today clinched her third gold medal of the year in 48 kg category, while Jyoti Gulia picked up the country's lone gold in 51 kg of the youth category of the Silesian Open boxing Tournament for women in Gliwice, Poland

International News

Second Nepal-China joint military drill from Monday
 
The second edition of Nepal-China joint military exercise named Mt Everest Friendship Exercise-2018 (Sagarmatha Friendship-2018) with a special focus on combating terror began from 17th September in China's southwestern Sichuan province.
The Nepal Army's 12 military personnel will visit China to attend the second edition of 'Mt Everest Friendship Exercise', a 12-day long military drill.
Objective:-
The exercise will mainly focus on anti-terrorism activities, Disaster management training.
This will be the second time that the Nepal Army will participate in a joint military drill with People's Liberation Army. The first such exercise was held in April last year 2017.
Important:-
Nepal has been conducting battalion-level exercises named 'Surya Kiran' with the Indian Army for the last 13 years, engaging some 300 personnel from both sides.

Day & Dates News

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
 
September 16 was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. This designation had been made on December 19, 2000, in commemoration of the date, in 1987, on which nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
In 1994, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 16 September the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
Ozone layer 
The Ozone layer or ozone shield is a region of Earth's stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. It contains high concentrations ofozone (O3) in relation to other parts of the atmosphere, although still small in relation to other gases in the stratosphere.

Important Current Affairs 16th September 2018 

(International News)

Philippines hit by TyphoonMangkhut

Northern Philippines was hit by powerful Typhoon Mangkhut with destructive winds and heavy rain that set off landslides and destroyed homes on Saturday, leaving at least 12 people dead, as Hong Kong and other parts of southern China braced for the powerful storm.
Typhoon
-mature tropical cyclone
-in the Northern Hemisphere.
-the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth.
-A typhoon differs from a cyclone or hurricane only on the basis of location.A hurricane is a storm that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean or northeastern Pacific Ocean, a typhoon occurs in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, and a tropical cyclone occurs in the south Pacific or Indian Ocean.

(National News)

Pravasi Conference rescheduled 

The 15th edition of the event will be held in January 2019 in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, and close to the site of the 'Ardh Kumbh' in Allahabad. 
Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas    
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a celebratory day observed on 9 January by the Republic of India to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the development of India. The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915. 

Inauguration of Sikkim airport on September 23

Sikkim is now on the aviation map of the country. The greenfield airport, located 30 km from Gangtok.Prime minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the airport.

Life Expectancy of Indians increased

India had a life expectancy of only 57.9 years in 1990 ,this has gone up to 68.8 years.india’s HDI is now at 0.640 higher than South Asian average of 0.638.
HDI
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic (composite index) of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development.
 

(Science)

World’s first private passenger selected

The first person to fly around the moon has been selected. Elon Musk’s space transportation company SpaceX  has signed it. 
Space X mission
The SpaceX lunar tourism mission is a proposed private mission by SpaceX to fly space tourists around the Moon. 

NASA’s new launch 
    
NASA launched satellite to measure Earth’s Ice changes. The mission is a successor to the original Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite that operated from 2003 to 2009. A Delta 2 rocket carrying ICESat-2 lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 6:02 AM and headed over the Pacific Ocean. According to NASA, it will collect more than 250 times as many measurements as the first ICESat. The launch was the last for a Delta 2 rocket. The first Delta 2 lifted off on February 14, 1989, and since then it has been the launch vehicle for Global Positioning System orbiters, Earth observing and commercial satellites, and interplanetary missions including the twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity.

Important Current Affairs 15th September 2018 

                                                       ( National News)
PM to launch Swachhata Hi Seva movement on September 15th
 
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will launch the Swachhata Hi Seva movement from September 15th.
Objective:-
The Swachhata Hi Seva movement, which aims at generating greater public participation towards Swachhta, is being organized in the run up to the fourth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, on October 2nd, 2018, which will also mark the commencement of the 150th year celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.
As part of an elaborate launch event for this fortnight long movement, the Prime Minister will interact with a cross-section of people from 18 locations across the country, via video conferencing. The people with whom PM will interact include school-children, jawans, spiritual leaders, members of milk and agricultural cooperatives, media persons, local government representatives, railway employees, Self Help Groups, and Swachhagrahis, among others.

Power Ministry launches ambitious program on energy efficiency in Chillers
 
Ministry of Power, Government of India launched an ambitious program to encourage the deployment of Energy Efficient chiller systems in the country here today on 15th September.  
Chiller Star Labelling Program
The Chiller Star Labelling Program has been formulated by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). The program envisages providing star rating in terms of its energy performance. Initially, the program is launched on voluntary basis and will be valid upto 31stDecember 2020.
The Objective is to improve energy efficiency in space and process cooling sector, considering the occasion of 24th World Ozone Day and the 31st Anniversary of Montreal Protocol, which will be observed on 16th September 2018.
This initiative will promote advancement technology for central HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems and will also facilitate energy efficient solutions for the large commercial and industrial applications.
Important to Know:
Chillers are used extensively for space conditioning of buildings and for industrial process cooling applications. The size of Indian chiller market which stood at 1 Million Tonne per year at 2017, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.6 per cent fuelled by a growth in the retail, hospitality and infrastructure projects. Chillers, being energy intensive system, contribute more than 40 per cent of the total energy consumption in commercial buildings. Therefore, it is important to optimize energy performance of chillers and create awareness amongst the end users to adopt transition towards energy efficient chillers.

Reserve Bank to purchase govt securities (G-secs) worth Rs 10,000 crore on September 19
 
The Reserve Bank to purchase government securities (G-secs) worth Rs 10,000 crore on September 19, a move aimed at inducing liquidity in the system. 
The purchase of the government securities will be done through Open Market Operations (OMO).

RBI said in a statement issued in Mumbai today on 15th September that based on an assessment of prevailing liquidity conditions and also of the durable liquidity needs going forward, the Reserve Bank has decided to conduct purchase of Government securities under OMO through multi-security auction using the multiple price method," 

Hyderabad Airport gets ACI ASQ World No 1 trophy
 
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd has received the Airports Council International Airport Service Quality World no.1 airport award trophy in the 5-15 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) categories for the second consecutive year. 
GMR, which operates the Rajiv Gandhi International airport here, said S G K Kishore, CEO, GHIAL on Wednesday received the trophy from Joyce Carter, President and CEO, Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Nova Scotia at the ASQ awards ceremony, organised at the '2018 ACI Customer Excellence Global Summit' at Halifax in Canada. 

INMAS developed India's first indigenous anti-nuclear medical kit

 Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) scientists has developed India’s first indigenous medical kit that may ensure protection from serious injuries and faster healing of wounds resulting from nuclear warfare or radioactive leakage.
The kit, developed after two decades of work by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) here, has over 25 items, including radio-protectors that provide 80-90 per cent protection against radiation and nerve gas agents, bandages that absorb radiation as well as tablets and ointments. 
What this Kit Contains?
The contents include an advanced form of Prussian blue tablets, highly effective in incorporating Radio Cesium (Cs-137) and Radio Thallium, among the most feared radioisotopes in nuclear bombs that destroy human body cells. 
According to INMAS, the kit has been developed for the armed, paramilitary and police forces only as they are the first ones likely to get exposed to radiation -- be it during nuclear, chemical and biomedical (NCB) warfare or a rescue operation after a nuclear accident. 

Coast Guard commissions patrol vessel 'Vijaya' 
 The Indian Coast Guard commissioned the indigenously built patrol vessel 'Vijaya', fitted with advanced navigation and communication equipment.

The 98-metre ship will be based at Paradip in Odisha for extensive surveillance in the Exclusive Economic Zone.

'Vijaya' is capable of carrying limited pollution response equipment to contain oil spill in sea, besides, is equipped with a 30 mm gun with fire control system. 

Important:

Defence Secretary: Sanjay Mitra and Coast Guard Director General: Rajendra Singh 

Rajasthan's forest minister inaugurates state's first lion safari
Rajasthan Forest Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar has inaugurated the state's first lion safari at Nahargarh Biological Park. To start with, three sub-adult Asiatic lions have been shifted in the area.

Apart from inaugurating the safari project, Khimsar also chaired a meeting of the state wildlife board. The extension of Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary near Udaipur was approved in the meeting.

Nahargarh Biological Park

Nahargarh Biological Park, a part of the Nahargarh sanctuary is located about 12 km from Jaipur on the Jaipur-Delhi highway. It encompasses a large area of 720 hectares and is situated under the Aravalli range. The Park is famous for its vast flora and fauna, and its main aim is to conserve it. It also doubles up as a great place to educate people and conduct research on existing flora and fauna.

Cabinet approves continuation of Capacity Development Scheme for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20 

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved continuation of the Capacity Development Scheme for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20 with an outlay of Rs 2,250 crore.

The Capacity Development Scheme is an Ongoing Central Sector Scheme of MoSPI. The overall objective of the scheme is to augment infrastructural, technical as well as manpower resources for making available credible and timely Official Statistics for policy makers and public at large.

The Capacity Development Scheme has two Sub-schemes, Economic Census and Support for Statistical Strengthening (SSS). 
 

NATIONAL NEWS

Justice Ranjan Gogoi appointed as next Chief Justice of India
 
The President of India has appointed Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief Justice of India. He will assume the office of Chief Justice on 3rd October, 2018 after the retirement of the current Chief Justice, Justice Dipak Misra.
About Ranjan Gogoi:
Born on 18th November, 1954, Justice Gogoi was enrolled as an advocate in 1978. He practised in the Gauhati High Court on constitutional, taxation and company matters. He was appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Gauhati High Court on 28th February, 2001. On 9th September, 2010, he was transferred to the Punjab & Haryana High Court. He was appointed as Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court on 12th February, 2011. He was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 23rd April, 2012.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launches National Scholarship Portal Mobile App

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launched the country's first "National Scholarship Portal Mobile App" (NSP Mobile App) here today.
National Scholarship Portal Mobile App:
“National Scholarship Portal Mobile App" will ensure a smooth, accessible and hassle-free scholarship system for students from poor and weaker sections.
All the scholarships are being given directly into bank accounts of the needy students under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode through the National Scholarship Portal which has ensured that there is no scope for duplication and leakage.

First Tribal Circuit Project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme to be inaugurated in Chhattisgarh 
 
Shri. K.J Alphons, the Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India has inaugurated the project “Development of Tribal Circuit: Jashpur- Kunkuri- Mainpat- Kamleshpur- Maheshpur- Kurdar-Sarodadadar- Gangrel- Kondagaon- Nathiya Nawagaon- Jagdalpur- Chitrakoot- Tirthgarh in Chhattisgarh” implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism, in Gangrel, Chhattisgarh on 14th September 2018. 
This is the second project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme being inaugurated in the country.
Swadesh Darshan scheme
Swadesh Darshan scheme is one of the flagship schemes of the Ministry of tourism, for development of thematic circuits in the country in a planned and prioritised manner. The scheme was launched in 2014 -15 and as on date the Ministry has sanctioned 74 projects worth Rs. 5997.47 Crore to 31 States and UTs. 30 projects / major components of these projects are expected to be completed this year.
 

BEML launches India's first 205T Electric Drive Rear Dump Truck
 
BEML has launched an indigenously designed & developed nation's first 205T Electric Drive Rear Dump Truck (Model BHQOS-E).
This will address the growing demand for higher capacity equipments in the Mining Industry.
BH205E
BH205E is an electric drive rear dump truck for large scale mining operations. Indigenously designed and developed BHZOSE Dump Truck is powered by Tier II emission compliant Modular Common Rail Electronic Engine with 2300 HP. The AC drive system has been engineered to provide exceptional haul road performance with reduced maintenance.

Udhayveer Singh wins individual gold in jr. men's 25m pistol event in S Korea
 

Udhayveer Singh has won an individual Gold Medal in Junior Men's 25 metre pistol event in the World Shooting Championships in South Korea.
The 52nd ISSF World Shooting Championships are held in Changwon, South Korea from 2 to 14 September 2018.

ISSF World Shooting Championships:
The ISSF World Shooting Championships are governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation. World Shooting Championships began in 1897, after the successful 1896 Summer Olympics, and although the ISSF was not founded until 1907, these early competitions are still seen by the organization as the beginning of a continuous row of championships. By this logic, the 2006 competition in Zagreb was called the 49th ISSF World Shooting Championships. These championships, including all ISSF shooting events, are held every four years since 1954.

Suresh Prabhu to take part in G-20 meet in Argentina 
 

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu will participate in G-20 trade and investment ministerial meeting at Mar del Plata in Argentina.
Important:

Issues including increasing protectionism, challenges to promote global commerce and new industrial revolution are expected to be discussed at the meeting.
The meeting assumes significance as countries including the US has significantly raised customs duties on products including steel and aluminium.
The G20 members include India, Argentina, Brazil, China, the US, EU, France, Gemaany among others.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

EAM Sushma Swaraj to co-chair 23rd meeting of IRIGC-TEC with Russian Dy PM
 
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will co-chair the 23rd meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) with Deputy Prime Minister of Russian Federation, Yuri Borisov in Moscow.
IRIGC-TEC is a standing body which annually meets and reviews ongoing activities of bilateral cooperation in the fields of bilateral trade and investment, science and technology, culture and other issues of mutual interest.

Hindi Divas being celebrated across country
 
Hindi Divas is being celebrated across the country today on 14th September. It was on this day in 1949 that the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari as the official language of the country.
Background:
Hindi Divas is celebrated on 14 September because on this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the Republic of India.
On the 50th birthday of Beohar Rajendra Simha on 14 September 1949, the efforts came to fruition following adoption of Hindi as the official language. This decision was ratified by the Constitution of India that came into effect on 26 January 1950. Under the Article 343 of the Indian Constitution, Hindi written in Devanagari script was adopted as the official language. In all, there are 22 Scheduled languages of India, of which, two are officially used at Union government of India level: Hindi and English.
Hindi is spoken by 250 million people as the original language and it is the fourth language of the world.

Jharkhand govt introduces electric cars for official use
 
The state government of Jharkhand on September 12, 2018 introduced electric vehicles for official use. The energy department of the state got 20 such cars for its use. The information was shared by the state’s Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
The state’s energy department received 20 cars in the first phase. The cars were procured by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), which is a joint venture of the PSUs under the Ministry of Power.

Important To Know:
With the development, Jharkhand has become the fifth state of India and the first state in eastern India to procure the eco-friendly vehicles for government use.
Prior to Jharkhand, the governments of Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have procured electric cars for official purpose.
Under the agreement signed between EESL and JBVNL, EESL would give this fleet of 50 cars, along with drivers, to JBVNL on a lease for six years. JBVNL would pay Rs 40,000 per car per month.
The EESL has set up three charging stations at JBVNL corporate headquarters at HEC Township, its Kushai complex and near Raj Bhavan for these cars.

Haryana Vidhan Sabha passes State Commission for SC Bill
 

The Haryana Legislative Assembly on September 11, 2018 passed the Haryana State Commission for Scheduled Castes Bill, 2018, for development and safeguarding the interests of people belonging to the community. The bill was passed on the last day of the state assembly’s session.

Objective
The Haryana State Commission for Scheduled Castes Bill, 2018, has been passed to set up a commission for scheduled castes in the state for the overall development and welfare of the community and to safeguard their interests.
The commission would also check and curb the atrocities committed on the people belonging to the scheduled caste community.

Important Current Affairs 13th September 2018   

 (International News)

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Brunei Darussalam 

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Brunei Darussalam on Cooperation in the operation of Telemetry Tracking and Telecommand station for satellite and launch vehicles, and for cooperation in the field of Space Research, Science and Applications. The MoU was signed in New Delhi on 19th July 2018.
Benefits:
The MoU enables India to continue to operate, maintain and augment its ground station meant for supporting India’s launch vehicle and satellite missions.  This will also help India to share its experience and expertise in space activities through training of officials and students from Brunei Darussalam on space technology applications.

(National News)

LK Advani renominated as Chairman of Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha
BJP leader L K Advani was renominated as Chairman of Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha. He was renominated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. L K Advani represents Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency from Gujarat.
It formulates Code of Conduct for members and suggest amendments to it from time to time. It also oversee moral and ethical conduct of Members. It examines complaints related to any unethical conduct by members of Lower House of Parliament. It can also initiate suo motu investigation into matters related to unethical conduct of a member and make recommendations, as it may deem fit.

Government makes demat mandatory for issue and transfer of shares
Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has mandatory for unlisted public companies to issue new shares or transfer of all shares in dematerialised or demat (i.e. in electronic form) form beginning October 2, 2018. With this, major benefits of dematerialisation of securities will now be available to unlisted Public companies.
Facts
The Companies Act 2013, provides for government to mandate that as in case of listed public companies other classes of public companies should also issue securities only in dematerialised form. MCA’s latest step is seen as measure for further enhancing transparency, investor protection and governance in the corporate sector.

Cabinet approves Policy Framework to Promote and Incentivize Enhanced Recovery Methods for Oil and Gas
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Policy framework to promote and incentivize Enhanced Recovery (ER)/ Improved Recovery (IR)/ Unconventional Hydrocarbon (UHC) production Methods/techniques to improve recovery factor of existing hydrocarbons reserves for augmenting domestic production of oil and gas. The ER includes Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and Enhanced Gas Recovery (EGR), Unconventional Hydrocarbon (UHC) production methods include Shale oil and gas production, tight oil and gas production, production from oil shale, gas hydrates and heavy oil.

Haryana signs MoU with Indian Oil for an ethanol plant

The Haryana government on September 10 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to set up an ethanol plant in Panipat with an outlay of over Rs. 900 crores. The initiative at village Bohali with a proposed capacity of 100 kilolitres of ethanol per day will manage crop residue and prevent straw burning before the upcoming paddy season, an official release said.

NITI Aayog, Intel and TIFR collaborate to set up a Model International Center for Transformative AI (ICTAI)
NITI Aayog, Intel, and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) announced on 7th September that they are collaborating to set up a Model International Center for Transformative Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI) towards developing and deploying AI-led application-based research projects. This initiative is part of NITI Aayog’s ‘National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence’ Discussion Paper that focuses on establishing ICTAI in the country through private sector collaboration.
 

Important Current Affairs 11th September 2018               

                                                         (National News)
Apsara – U Reactor Becomes Operational at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay
 
Apsara, the first research reactor in Asia that worked nearly five decades before shutting down in 2009, is now operational as 'Apsara-U' on Trombay campus of Maharashtra.
"Nearly sixty-two years after Apsara came into existence, a swimming pool type research reactor "Apsara-upgraded", of higher capacity was born at Trombay on September 10," 
About as Apsara-U
According to Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Apsara is a light water swimming pool-type reactor with a maximum power output of one megawatt thermal (MWT) and is utilized for various experiments, including neutron activation analysis, radiation damage studies, forensic research, neutron radiography, and shielding experiments.
The reactor can also be used for research and production of radioisotopes for medical application and would also be extensively used for research in nuclear physics, material science and radiation shielding.
This development helped the Indian scientists and engineers to build complex facilities for healthcare, science education and research.

Launch of a web portal “Rail Sahyog”
 
The Minister of Railways and Coal, Shri Piyush Goyal launched a web portal www.railsahyog.in . The web portal will provide a platform for the Corporates and PSUs to contribute to creation of amenities at/near Railway Stations through Corporate Social Responsibility funds. 
Rail Sahyog:
This portal will provide an opportunity for Industry/ Companies/ Associations to collaborate with Railways. This portal will not only be beneficial for passengers but also for neighborhood of Railway vicinity.” Salient feature of this portal is its simplicity & transparency.

Union Agriculture Minister releases a profile booklet titled ‘NCDC- Assisting Cooperative. Always!’
 
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh released a booklet titled ‘NCDC-Assisting Cooperatives. Always!’ highlighting the role and activities assisted by National Cooperative Development Corporation in Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
NCDC is the most preferred financial institution in the world of cooperatives and aligning itself with the Mission of New India 2022, NCDC has embarked on Sahakar 22, a Mission for Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022.
National Cooperative Development Corporation  
NCDC is a statutory Corporation set up under an Act of Parliament on 13th March 1963.
 Aims and Objectives of NCDC
The objectives of NCDC are planning and promoting programmes for production, processing, marketing, storage, export and import of agricultural produce, foodstuffs, industrial goods, livestock and certain other notified commodities and services on cooperative principles and for matters concerned therewith or incidental thereto.

Notification for bringing the HIV/AIDS Act, 2017 in force
 
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a notification for bringing the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017 in force from 10th September, 2018. 
The Act, safeguards the rights of people living with HIV and affected by HIV. The provisions of the Act address HIV-related discrimination, strengthen the existing programme by bringing in legal accountability, and establish formal mechanisms for inquiring into complaints and redressing grievances.
What this Act seeks?
The Act seeks to prevent and control the spread of HIV and AIDS, prohibits discrimination against persons with HIV and AIDS. The Act lists various grounds on which discrimination against HIV positive persons and those living with them is prohibited. 

These include the denial, termination, discontinuation or unfair treatment with regard to:
(i)    Employment, 
(ii)    Educational establishments, 
(iii)    Health care services,
(iv)    Residing or renting property, 
(v)    Standing for public or private office, and 
(vi)    Provision of insurance (unless based on actuarial studies)

PM Narendra Modi announces remuneration hike for ASHA, Anganwadi workers
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 11, 2018 announced an increase in remuneration for those involved with the government’s Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) scheme and Anganwadi scheme. 
The announcement, which will be effective from next month, was made by the Prime Minister during his video bridge interaction with lakhs of ASHA, Anganwadi and auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) workers.
Significance

The hike in the remuneration has been a long-standing demand by ASHA and Anganwadi workers. They had also participated in the farmers’ protest in Delhi this month in demand of the same.

Key Highlights
The Prime Minister during his interaction announced that the Union Government would be doubling the routine incentives given to the ASHA workers. 
In addition, he announced that all ASHA workers and their helpers would be provided free insurance cover under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Prime Minister Suraksha Bima Yojana.
The prime minister also announced a significant increase in the honorarium given to the Anganwadi workers. 
With the development, those receiving Rs 3000 so far, would now receive Rs 4500 and those receiving Rs 2200 would now get Rs 3500. 
The honorarium for Anganwadi helpers has also been increased from Rs 1500 to Rs 2250.

The Anganwadi workers and helpers using techniques such as Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) would be getting additional incentives based on their performance, ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 500.

Prohibition and restriction of manufacture, sale and distribution of Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs)
 
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare  announced prohibiting the manufacture for sale or distribution for human use of 328 Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) drugs with immediate effect.
It has also restricted the manufacture, sale or distribution of six FDCs subject to certain conditions, the Ministry said in a statement. FDCs are two or more drugs combined in a fixed ratio into a single dosage form.
Background:
The Centre, in March 2016, had prohibited the manufacture for sale and distribution of 349 FDCs but this was contested by the affected manufacturers in High Courts and the Supreme Court.
Complying with the December 2017 Supreme Court judgment, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) examined the matter and, in its report to the Centre, recommended prohibition of the FDCs saying there was no therapeutic justification for the ingredients contained in them and that these FDCs may involve risk to human beings.
Earlier, an expert committee appointed by the Centre too had made similar observations.
Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs)
Combination products, also known as fixed dose drug combinations (FDCs), are combinations of two or more active drugs in a single dosage form. 

                                                       (International News)
TCIL, MEA sign MOU for pan Africa e-Network project
 
Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL) signed an agreement with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the implementation of e-VBAB (e-Vidya Bharati and e-Aarogya Bharati) Network Project for a total value of Rs. 865 Crores.
The e-VBAB Project is fully funded by MEA, GoI and is envisaged to be implemented in 9 months followed by 5 years of operations and maintenance. Indian Education (Vidya Bharati) and Indian Medical services for human wellbeing (Aarogya Bharati) under the flagship e-VBAB Network Project of MEA, is a step towards capacity building in the field of education and medical science for all the 54 African Nations.
The project aims to provide an opportunity for local employment and opens the door for access to education and medical expertise from India to African students, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff. It will also give an opportunity for Global acceptance of Indian University Education system and Indian medical Health services.
Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL)
TCIL, a pioneering Public Sector ICT company, under Department of Telecommunications, Govt. of India, have to their credit, successful execution of many large Telecom projects in India and abroad. They are well accepted in Africa, Middle East and South East Asia, for their skills in Telecom and IT. They have done number of infrastructure Projects of Fiber, ICT and Microwave in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone and Algeria.

India focus country in Izmir International Trade Show
 
The ‘Source India’ Pavilion was inaugurated by Sanjay Bhattacharyya, India’s Ambassador to Ankara, Turkey. 
The Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) led a75-member Indian delegation for the ongoing 87th Izmir International Trade Show in Turkey.
What is Source India?
SOURCE INDIA is a global trade show cum BSM (Buyer Seller Meet) designed by Department of Commerce, Government of India & Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) for promoting Indian Exports in Most Potential International Markets in most efficient and economical manner. Source India has a focused approach to reach potential buyers which help Indian businesses to penetrate in new markets in the world in a most effective way. 
The platform is based on intense in-house research, deep knowledge base, effective research and resource capabilities which helps businesses to find right products and sectors around the world. It is a great opportunity to meet, connect and build rapport with prospects and customers in a most economical way.

Important Current Affairs 11th September 2018

                                                                (National News)

Inaugurates “First Regional Workshop on RERA”
 
Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016 (Rera) has brought discipline, transparency and accountability in the real estate sector.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had got the legislation passed in Parliament to ensure fair practices for protecting the interests of buyers and imposing penalties on errant builders.
The  Maharashtra is one of the first states to implement the act, and established the Real Estate Regulatory Authority of Maharashtra.

Successful Air-to-Air Refuelling of LCA Tejas
 
In a significant achievement and a major step towards Final Operational Clearance (FOC) of LCA Tejas, the mid-air refuelling of ‘wet contact’ trial for LCA Tejas MK-1 was successfully carried out on 10th September from an Indian Air Force base. The trial was a part of the Air-to-Air refuelling flight tests conducted by IAF.
Before this ‘wet contact’ trial, the ‘dry contact trials’ were successfully conducted on September 04 & 06, 2018 where the Drogue (basket) extended from the IAF tanker aircraft by a fuel hose, was tracked and plugged into using the aircraft refuelling probe without taking fuel. IAF provided all required support to DRDO including the tanker aircraft for the successful test flight.
The Air-to-Air refuelling capability for LCA is a ‘force multiplier’ for the IAF, giving the aircraft the potential to stay airborne for much longer periods of time.

NITI Aayog, Intel and TIFR collaborate to set up a Model International Center for Transformative AI (ICTAI)

 
NITI Aayog, Intel, and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) announced on 7th September that they are collaborating to set up a Model International Center for Transformative Artificial Intelligence (ICTAI) towards developing and deploying AI-led application-based research projects. 
This initiative is part of NITI Aayog’s ‘National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence’ Discussion Paper that focuses on establishing ICTAI in the country through private sector collaboration.

Objective:
Based in Bengaluru, the Model ICTAI aims to conduct advanced research to incubate AI-led solutions in three important areas – healthcare, agriculture and smart mobility – by bringing together the expertise of Intel and TIFR.
It aims to experiment, discover and establish best practices in the domains of ICTAI governance, fundamental research, physical infrastructure, compute and service infrastructure needs, and talent acquisition.

Aadhar not mandatory for booking an International Parcel
 
The Department of Posts today clarified that it is mandatory to produce an Identity Proof acceptable for important transactions like booking an International Parcel or International EMS (Merchandise) for safety and security reasons. 
One of the accepted Identity Proof is Aadhaar, along with others like driving license, Passport, Voter ID etc which are also acceptable. 
Aadhaar, as per the prevailing norms in the country, is not a mandatory document to be produced at the time of booking. Moreover, all such documents are only required for office record and are NOT required to be pasted on the consignments.

Delhi Government launches doorstep delivery of 40 services
 
The Delhi government on September 10, 2018 launched a scheme that will enable doorstep delivery of 40 essential government services such as caste and marriage certificates, driving license and new water connections in the first phase. The services will be provided for an extra fee of Rs 50.
What comes under the schemes?
Under the scheme, the Delhi government will provide 40 services such as caste certificate, driving licence, at the doorstep of people. Eventually, more services will be added to the list.

In July, the government had approved administrative reforms proposal to hire a company, which will be an intermediary agency, to execute the project in the national capital.

The intermediary agency will set up call centres and hire 'mobile sahayaks’ (facilitators). The citizens will be able to call a centralised number to set up a home visit with a mobile sahayak.

                                                          (Sports News)

First Indian to win a medal in IAAF Continental Cup
 
Triple jumper Arpinder Singh has created history by becoming the first Indian to win a medal in the IAAF Continental Cup. At Ostrava in Czech Republic on 10th September, he clinched a bronze. 

The 25-year-old Arpinder was representing the Asia-Pacific team in the meet, held once every four years. 

No Indian has ever won a medal in the Continental Cup which was known as the IAAF World Cup before 2010. Two top athletes from the four regions of Europe, Americas, Africa and Asia-Pacific were taking part in each of the 36 events in men and women sections taken together. 

 IAAF Continental Cup

The IAAF Continental Cup (formerly known as the IAAF World Cup) is an international athletics competition which comprises track and field events. It is the only world cup contested by teams representing entire continents, rather than just those of individual countries. The event takes place every four years.

The founder of the original World Cup was the Italian IAAF former President Primo Nebiolo.
In 2018, the inaugural Athletics World Cup was held. This event is not related to the original IAAF World Cup or its IAAF Continental Cup successor, and the latter continues to be held.

                                                               (Day & Dates)

International Literacy Day 2018 observed globally
 
The 52nd International Literacy Day was celebrated across the world on September 8, 2018 with an aim to highlight improvements in world literacy rates, and reflect on the existing literacy challenges.
The day was commemorated by a two-day special event at UNESCO’s headquarters, Paris. It also saw the hosting of the 2018 UNESCO International Literacy Prize awards ceremony.

The Literacy Prizes consists of five prizes. They are International Reading Association Literacy Award, Noma Literacy Prize, UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize, The Malcolm Adiseshiah International Literacy Prize and UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy.

                                                       (International News)

Ocean Cleanup foundation deploys 2000 ft long device to clean Great Pacific Garbage Patch
 

The Ocean Cleanup foundation, an organisation founded by 24-year-old Dutch innovator Boyan Slat, on September 9, 2018 launched the world’s first ocean cleanup array from San Francisco, marking the start of the cleanup of Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean.

The cleanup system, “System 001”, headed to a location 240 nautical miles offshore for a two-week trial before moving towards the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which is 1200 nautical miles offshore, to start the cleanup. 

System 001 is being towed from the San Francisco Bay by the vessel Maersk Launcher. 

System 001: 

The cleanup array comprises floater, skirt and stabilizers.
System 001, named as ‘Wilson’, will be able to collect 50 tons of plastic in its first year.
The hard-walled pipe enables the floating component of the array.
It consists of a 2000 ft long U-shaped floating barrier with a three-meter (10 ft) skirt attached below. 
This dense 10-foot skirt below the floating part of the device is supposed to help gather floating debris.
The system is designed to be propelled by wind and waves, allowing it to passively catch and concentrate plastic debris in front of it. 

Indo-US joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas 2018’ 
 
The joint military training Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018 will be conducted between India and the United States in Himalayas at Chaubattia, Uttarakhand from September 16 to 29, 2018. 

As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, this joint military exercise would be held under the aegis of Headquarter Central Command.

Exercise Yudh Abhyas is a series of one of the longest running joint military training and a major ongoing bilateral defence cooperation endeavour between India and the US. 

This will be the 14th edition of the joint military exercise hosted alternately by both countries. The two-week exercise will witness participation of about 350 personnel of the US Army and similar strength of Garud Division of the Indian Army.

                                                          (Defense News)

Opening ceremony: INDO-MONGOLIA joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018
 
Indo-Mongolia joint exercise Nomadic Elephant-2018, commenced on 10th of September at Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) Five Hills Training Area, Ullanbaatar, Mongolia with a brief but impressive opening ceremony. 
The 12 days long joint exercise will be conducted from 10 Sep to 21 Sep 2018. 
Exercise Nomadic Elephant is an annual, bilateral exercise since 2006 which is designed to strengthen the partnership between Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces.
The Indian contingent is represented by a contingent of 17 PUNJAB Regiment while the Mongolian contingent is represented by Unit 084 of the Mongolian Armed Forces.

During the exercise both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered in urban warfare scenario. Experts from both sides will also hold detailed discussions to share their experience on varied topics for mutual benefits.

Important Current Affairs 10th September 2018

                                                        (International News)                                                          

Nepal Army to not participate in joint military exercise of BIMSTEC 
 
The Nepal Army will not participate in the first ever joint military exercise of BIMSTEC nations in India next week.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. BIMSTEC was set up in 1997, the theme includes counter-terrorism in semi-urban terrain and cordon and search, and each side will bring in some 30 soldiers.

Bengaluru airport set to use face recognition as ‘boarding pass’ next year

Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru is set to become the first airport in Asia next year to use face recognition as the boarding procedure for passengers to board flights and move across different sections of the airport.

Hari Marar, CEO of Bengaluru International Airport Ltd. (BIAL), which operates KIA, and Miguel Leitmann, CEO of Vision Box, a Portuguese software firm, signed an agreement to this effect in Lisbon on September 5 to introduce face recognition technology at the airport from 2019. The agreement was signed in the presence of Indian-origin Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa and India’s Ambassador to Portugal Nandini Singla.

4TH WORLD SUMMIT ON ACCREDITATION HELD IN NEW DELHI

Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the Fourth World Conference on Accreditation (WOSA-2018) in New Delhi. 

The theme of the event was "Challenges and Opportunities in Outcome Based Accreditation".

Important:

•    Higher education secretary is R. Subrahmanyam

•    Dr. Anil Sahasrabuddhe is the President of All India Technical Education Council and President of National Accreditation Board.

                                                                    (Sports)

Novak Djokovic beats Juan Martin del Potro to win title
 
In the US Open Tennis, Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Men's singles final. He defeated Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in straight sets. It was Djokovic's 14th Grand Slam title and the third US Open title.With this win, he has equalled Pete Sampras's mark of 14 Grand Slams. He is now just three Slams behind Rafael Nadal and six back from the record 20 held by Roger Federer. 

                                                               (National News)
Hima Das to be Assam sports ambassador, confirms CM
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has confirmed that Indian Athlete Hima Das will be named as the first sports ambassador of the state.

The announcement came after Hima Das recently became the first Indian woman to win gold at IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championships.

The 18-year-old made the country proud as she scripted history by clinching the top spot in the women's 400 m final race at the Championships which was held in France.

Snow Leopard Spotted In Himachal Pradesh Sanctuary

A snow leopard was spotted at a height of about 4,000 metres in Lippa-Asra wildlife sanctuary in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The rare sighting was captured by a camera-trap installed by the state wildlife department.
It was only last year that the snow leopard improved from 'endangered' to 'vulnerable' in terms of conservation status. The recent findings have ascertained that snow leopards inhabit new areas.