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Current Affairs for Competitive Exam
Table of Contents
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
CABINET APPROVALS ................................................................................................................................................. 5
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION ................................................................................................................................. 11
FESTIVALS ................................................................................................................................................................. 25
OTHER NEWS ............................................................................................................................................................ 27
STATE NEWS ................................................................................................................................................................. 39
GOVT SCHEMES ............................................................................................................................................................. 54
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ........................................................................................................................................... 60
VISITS ............................................................................................................................................................................. 67
INDIAN VISIT ............................................................................................................................................................. 67
FOREIGN VISIT .......................................................................................................................................................... 67
BANKING & FINANCE NEWS ........................................................................................................................................ 70
BANKING NEWS ........................................................................................................................................................ 70
RBI IN NEWS .............................................................................................................................................................. 70
BANKING TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................... 78
LOANS ISSUED BY BANKS ........................................................................................................................................ 79
AGREEMENTS & MoUs SIGNED................................................................................................................................ 81
OTHER BANK NEWS ................................................................................................................................................. 85
FINANCE NEWS ......................................................................................................................................................... 99
ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS ................................................................................................................................... 109
MoU’s & AGREEMENTS ............................................................................................................................................... 115
COMMITTEES & MEETINGS ....................................................................................................................................... 143
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE.......................................................................................................................... 154
INDEX ........................................................................................................................................................................... 164
RANKING .................................................................................................................................................................. 164
REPORTS .................................................................................................................................................................. 173
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 185
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 199
ACQUISITION & MERGERS ......................................................................................................................................... 222
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY........................................................................................................................................... 228
DEFENCE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 236
EXERCISE ................................................................................................................................................................. 236
TESTING ................................................................................................................................................................... 242

OTHER DEFENCE NEWS ......................................................................................................................................... 244
SPORTS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 250
OBITUARY .................................................................................................................................................................... 263
BOOKS & AUTHORS..................................................................................................................................................... 267
IMPORTANT DAYS ...................................................................................................................................................... 273
APPS & WEB PORTAL ................................................................................................................................................. 304
ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................................................... 307

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
CABINET APPROVALS
Cabinet Approvals on September 8, 2021
On September 8, 2021, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the following
proposals which were briefed by Union ministers Piyush Vedprakash Goyal, Ministry of Textiles and Anurag
Singh Thakur, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS).
Cabinet approves Rs 10,683 crore PLI scheme for textiles sector
The Union Cabinet extended the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to the textiles sector to cover and
promote textiles for MMF (man-made fibre) apparel, MMF fabrics and ten segments of technical textiles with an
outlay of Rs 10,683 crore over a span for 5 years. The objective behind this scheme is to help Indian companies
emerge as global champions.
• In this regard, an investment worth Rs 19,000 crore is expected in 5 years with a cumulative turnover of
over Rs 3 trillion.
• The progress of the scheme will be chaired by the Empowered Group of Secretaries, chaired by Cabinet
Secretary Rajiv Gauba.
What is Technical textile and MMFs?
It is a new-age material used for the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, airbags, bulletproof
vests, and can also be used in sectors such as aviation, defence, and infrastructure.
• While MMFs, such as viscose, polyester, and acrylic, are made from chemicals.
• According to the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO), MMF apparels currently account for
a fifth of India’s overall apparel exports.
• The global MMF market is around $200 billion.
Key Points:
i.This scheme will aid in creating employment for over 7.5 lakh people directly, several lakh jobs for supporting
activities along with the women participation.
ii.It will also enable high priority investment in aspirational districts and tier-3 and tier-4 towns.
iii.It will positively impact states like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana, Odisha.
iv.This scheme will offer two types of investment with different sets of incentives:
• A company willing to invest a minimum Rs 300 crore in a plant, machinery, equipment and civil works,
excluding land and administrative building cost, to produce MMFs and technical textiles, will be eligible to
participate in the first part of the scheme.
• A company willing to invest a minimum Rs 100 crore will be eligible to apply for participation under the
second part of scheme.
Background:
The above PLI scheme is a part of the overall announcement of the PLI scheme for 13 sectors made during the
Union Budget 2021-22, with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore.
Cabinet increases Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for Rabi crops for marketing season 2022-23
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices
(MSP) for all mandated Rabi crops for Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2022-23.
• This increase is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement to fix MSPs at a level of at least 1.5
times of the all-India weighted average cost of production, to ensure remunerative prices to the growers for
their produce.
Key Points:
i.The highest absolute increase in MSP in comparison to 2021-2022 is for Lentil (Masur) and Rapeseeds &
Mustard (Rs.400 per quintal each) followed by gram (Rs.130 per quintal).
• For safflower, there has been an increase of 114 per quintal, in comparison to last year.
ii.The expected returns to farmers over their cost of production are estimated to be highest in case of wheat and
rapeseed & mustard (100% each), followed by lentil (79%); gram (74%); barley (60%); safflower (50%).

MSPs for all Rabi crops for marketing season 2022-23 (In Rs./quintal)
Increase in
MSP for RMS MSP for RMS Cost* of production MSP Return over cost (in
Crops 2021-22 2022-23 2022-23 (Absolute) per cent)
Wheat 1975 2015 1008 40 100
Barley 1600 1635 1019 35 60
Gram 5100 5230 3004 130 74
Lentil
(Masur) 5100 5500 3079 400 79
Rapeseed &
Mustard 4650 5050 2523 400 100
Safflower 5327 5441 3627 114 50
Central Government schemes to boost Farmer’s Income
National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP): It is a centrally sponsored scheme worth Rs.11,040
crore to increase the domestic production of edible oils and reduce imports dependency. This will also benefit the
farmers by increasing their income and generation of additional employment.
Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan’ (PM-AASHA): Launched in 2018 it helps in providing
remunerative return to farmers for their produce.
• This is an Umbrella Scheme consists of three sub-schemes i.e. Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency
Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPSS) on a pilot basis.
Cabinet approves procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for IAF to replace Avro Aircraft
The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft from Airbus
Defence and Space S.A., Spain for the Indian Air Force (IAF) which will replace its ageing Avro aircraft with it.
• C-295MW is a transport aircraft of 5-10 Tonne capacity with contemporary technology and has a rear ramp
door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo.
Key Points:
i.It should be noted that 16 aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain within 48 months of signing
of the contract while 40 aircraft will be manufactured in India by TATA Consortium within ten years of signing of
the contract.
• This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private
company.
• Before completion of deliveries, ‘D’ Level servicing facility (MRO) for C-295MW aircraft will be setup in
India.
ii.All aircrafts will be installed with indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite.
How will aircraft manufacturing in India be beneficial?
i.This program will boost the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and Make in India initiative in the domain of
aerospace. It will involve several MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) and Private Sector to manufacture
parts of the aircraft. This offers them an opportunity to enter into the highly competitive aviation Industry.
• It will also act as a catalyst in employment generation of 600 highly skilled jobs directly, over 3000 indirect
jobs and an additional 3000 medium skill employment opportunities with more than 42.5 lakh man hours of
work within the aerospace and defence sector of India.
ii.During manufacturing in India, it is expected that all the suppliers of TATA Consortium will gain globally
recognized National Aerospace and Defence Contractors Accreditation Program (NADCAP) accreditation.
iii.This will also reduce import dependence.

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Cabinet Approval with Other Countries:
Cabinet approves agreement between India and Portugal for recruitment of Indian citizens
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of an agreement between India and Portugal on the recruitment of
Indian citizens to work in Portugal. In this regard, a Joint Committee will be set up for the implementation of the
same i.e. there will be a formal arrangement for recruitment of Indian workers.
• With this agreement, Indian migrants will get a new destination in the European Union (EU) as Portugal is a
member nation in the EU.
• It will also ensure the movement of workers happens smoothly with the maximum support from both sides.
About Portugal:
Capital– Lisbon
Currency– Euro
Cabinet approves MoU between India’s ICAI and Azerbaijan’s CAAR
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) & The Chamber of Auditors of the Republic of Azerbaijan (CAAR).
• This agreement will establish mutual cooperation in the areas of Member Management, Professional Ethics,
Finance, Technical Research, CPD (Continuing Professional Development), Professional Accountancy
Training, Audit Quality Monitoring, Advancement of Accounting Knowledge, Professional and Intellectual
Development.
Key Points:
i.Both ICAI and CAAR intend to strengthen cooperation through sharing of knowledge, and best practices in the
field of accountancy.
ii.These two entities will also cooperate in the fight against corruption and money laundering.
iii.They will also undertake a study on application of new innovative methods in the field of audit and accounting,
including application of blockchain, smart contract system, transition from traditional accounting to cloud
accounting.
iv.CAAR was established in accordance with the Law on Audit of 1994 as amended in 2004 to regulate the audit
profession in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
About Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI):
It is a statutory body established under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 for the regulation of the profession
of Chartered Accountants in India.
President– CA. Nihar N Jambusaria
Headquarter– New Delhi
Cabinet approves between Russia and India for cooperation in field of geosciences
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of MoU on cooperation in the field of Geosciences between the Joint
Stock Company Rosgeologia (State holding Company) (referred to as ROSGEO), a legal entity incorporated under
the laws of the Russian Federation and the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines, Government of
India.
• Through this MoU an umbrella framework will be developed for co-operation between GSI and ROSGEO.
What is in the MoU?
Both entities will cooperate in technological collaboration on exploration for deep-seated or concealed mineral
deposit; analysis and interpretation of the aero-geophysical data; Joint development of the Indian Geoscience Data
repository with the Russian state-of-the-art Information Technology; exchange of technology & knowledge in the
field of drilling, sampling and laboratory analysis to achieve data accuracy, and cost optimization; and training
and capacity building of scientific personnel etc.
Recent Related News:
i.In July 2021, the Union Cabinet approved a multilateral MoU signed between the International Financial Services
Centres Authority (IFSCA), International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), and International
Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS).
ii.The Government approved the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which amends the Limited
Liability Partnership Act (LLP), 2008. It is the 1st time that changes are being made to the LLP, 2008 since it came
into effect in 2009.

About Russia:
Capital– Moscow
Currency– Russian ruble
Cabinet Approval on September 15, 2021

On September 15, 2021, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the following
proposals:
Cabinet approves major Reforms in Telecom Sector
The Union Cabinet approved 9 structural reforms and 5 procedural reforms along with relief measures for the
Telecom Service Providers to escalate the penetration of broadband and telecom connectivity in India. The
information for the same was provided by Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnav.
• This decision has been taken to protect and generate employment opportunities, promote healthy
competition, protect interests of consumers, infuse liquidity, encourage investment and reduce regulatory
burden on Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).
• The measures will also infuse liquidity and create an enabling environment for investment in 5G networks.
Among the reforms there is four-year moratorium on payment of statutory dues by telecom companies as well as
allowing 100% foreign investment through the automatic route. Following are reforms done by Central
Government:
Structural Reforms:
i.Non-telecom revenue will be excluded on prospective basis from the definition of Adjusted Gross Revenue
(AGR).
ii.There is huge reduction in Bank Guarantees (BGs) requirements (80%) against License Fee (LF) and other
similar Levies.
• Now there is no requirement of multiple BGs in different Licenced Service Areas (LSAs) regions. One BG will
be enough.
iii.From October, 1 2021, Delayed payments of License Fee (LF)/Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) will attract
interest rate of SBI’s MCLR plus 2% instead of MCLR plus 4%.
• Also interest will be compounded annually instead of monthly.
• Penalty and interest on penalty is removed.
iv.For Auctions held henceforth, no BGs will be required to secure instalment payments.
v.In future Auctions, tenure of spectrum increased from 20 to 30 years.
vi.Surrender of spectrum will be permitted after 10 years for spectrum acquired in the future auctions.
vii.No Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) for spectrum acquired in future spectrum auctions.
viii.Spectrum sharing encouraged- additional SUC of 0.5% for spectrum sharing removed.
ix.To encourage investment, 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under automatic route permitted in Telecom
Sector.
Procedural Reforms
i.Spectrum auctions to be held in the last quarter of every financial year.
ii.The requirement of licenses under 1953 Customs Notification for wireless equipment are replaced with self-
declaration.
iii.Self- Know Your Customers (KYC) (App based) permitted. E-KYC rate revised to only One Rupee.
iv.Paper Customer Acquisition Forms (CAF) will be replaced by digital storage of data.
v.SACFA (Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation) clearance for telecom towers eased.
The Cabinet approved the following for all the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs):
i.Moratorium of upto four years in annual payments of dues arising out of the AGR judgement.
ii.Moratorium on due payments of spectrum purchased in past auctions (excluding the auction of 2021) for upto
four years.
Government has approved PLI Scheme for Auto Industry and Drone Industry to enhance India’s
manufacturing capabilities
The Union Cabinet has approved Production-linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile Industry and Drone
Industry with a budgetary outlay of Rs 26,058 crore.

• This scheme is on the lines of the overall announcement of PLI Schemes for 13 sectors made earlier during
the Union Budget 2021-22, with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore.
PLI Scheme for the auto sector
The PLI Scheme for auto sector is open to existing automotive companies as well as new investors. It has two
components viz Champion OEM Incentive Scheme and Component Champion Incentive Scheme.
• The Champion OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Incentive scheme is a ‘sales value linked’ scheme
applicable on Battery Electric Vehicles and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles of all segments.
• The Component Champion Incentive scheme is a ‘sales value linked’ scheme, applicable on Advanced
Automotive Technology components of vehicles, Completely Knocked Down (CKD)/ Semi Knocked Down
(SKD) kits, Vehicle aggregates of 2-Wheelers, 3-Wheelers, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and
tractors etc.
PLI Scheme for and Drone Components:
The total amount allocated for the PLI scheme for drones and drone components is Rs 120 crore spread over
three financial years starting in FY 2021-22. The incentive for a manufacturer of drones and drone components
will be 20% of the value addition.
• Notably, the Government has agreed to keep the PLI rate constant at 20% for all three years. This is
an exception given only to the drone industry.
• The eligibility norm for MSME and startups in terms of annual sales turnover is kept at Rs 2 cr (for drones)
and Rs 50 lakhs (for drone components).
• Eligibility norm for non-MSME companies in terms of annual sales turnover has been kept at Rs 4 crore (for
drones) and Rs 1 crore (for drone components).
Cabinet Approval with Other countries:
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Italy on Cooperation in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management
The cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA) and the Department of Civil Protection of the Presidency of the Council of
Ministers of Italy on Cooperation in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management.
• This MoU will help in strengthening the areas of preparedness, response and capacity building in the field of
Disaster Management.
i.The cabinet approved the MoU between Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India and the Department of
Medical Research (DMR), Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar. It aims to build on the health research
relationship in the topics of mutual research.
ii.The cabinet approved the signing of an MoU between the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public
Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India and the Public Service
Commission, Office of the President of the Gambia on Refurbishing Personnel Administration and Governance
Reforms.
About Italy:
Capital– Rome
Currency– Euro
Cabinet Approves Guarantee of upto Rs 30600 Crore to back Security Receipts to be issued by
NARCL
As part of resolution of bad loans, on September 16, 2021, the Union Cabinet approved a government guarantee of
up to Rs 30600 crore to back Security Receipts (SRs) for 5 years that will be issued by National Asset
Reconstruction Company (NARCL). The information for the same was provided by Union Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance while briefing media in New Delhi.
What is NARCL?
It has been incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 and has applied to the Reserve Bank of India for license
as an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC). It is basically a government backed bad bank in the name of ARC.

• In this, Public Sector banks (PSBs) will hold 51% stake, while FIs (Financial Institutions) or debt
management companies will hold 49%.
What will NARCL do?
It will pick up bad loans above a certain threshold from banks and in turn provide government guaranteed SRs to
banks as it takes on Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) from their books. NARCL will lend these bad loans to
prospective buyers of distressed debt. It will be responsible for valuing bad loans to determine at what price they
would be sold.
• It will acquire stressed assets of about 2 Lakh crore in phases through 15% Cash and 85% in SRs. Of this Rs
90,000 crore will be transferred in the first phase.
• The above Rs 30,600 crore will be utilized towards such SRs.
• All bad loans brought to the NARCL will have to be resolved within 5 years.
Need for NARCL:
Though there exist 28 ARCs but they all cater to the stressed assets especially for smaller value loans. For large
value NPAs, an alternative was required. That is why it has been set up.
What is India Debt Resolution Company Ltd?
Along with NARCL, the government will also set up the India Debt Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL). The IDRCL is
a service company or an operational entity, which will manage assets and loop in market professionals and
turnaround experts.
• PSBs and Public FIs will hold a maximum of 49% stake and the rest will be with private sector lenders.
• Banks’ gross non-performing assets (GNPAs) are likely to exceed ₹10 lakh crore by March 2022, according to
a recent Assocham-Crisil joint study.
• NPAs are expected to rise to 8.5-9% by March 2022.Existing level of NPAs in banks – 9.54% – Public sector
bank; 4.78% in Private sector bank; 2.43% in Foreign banks; 7.48% – Scheduled commercial bank.
Key Points:
i.In 2015, an asset quality review of banks had happened which revealed a high incidence of Non-Performing
Assets (NPAs).
ii.In 2018, just two out of 21 public sector banks were profitable. But in 2021, only two banks reported losses.
iii.The Central Government has 4R strategy for the banking sector viz. recognition, resolution, recapitalisation
and reforms.
Background:
In 2020, Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) proposed to create a bad bank for non-performing assets (NPAs).
Following this, the finance minister in the 2021-22 Union Budget proposed the setting up of an ARC, along with an
Asset Management Company (AMC), to take over the stressed debt of banks.
i.President of India Ram Nath Kovind approved the ‘Government of India (Allocation of Business) Three Hundred
and Sixty First Amendment Rules, 2021’, which brings the ‘Department of Public Enterprises (Lok Udyam Vibhag)’
which was part of the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises under the Ministry of Finance.
ii.The Ministry of Finance retained the Interest Rate of Small Savings Scheme for the 2nd quarter(Q2) for the
Financial Year 2021-22 (FY22) same as Q1 FY22 due to COVID-19.
About Ministry of Finance:
Nirmala Sitharaman Constituency– Karnataka
Ministers of State (MoS) – Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, and Pankaj Chaudhary
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION

PM Released Special Commemorative Coin on 125th Birth Anniversary of Srila A. C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi virtually released a special issue of a Rs 125 commemorative coin on the
occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder Acarya of the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness(ISKCON) which is popularly known as the Hare Krishna
Movement.

• He was born on 1st September 1896 in Calcutta, British India.
• A booklet on the major contributions and achievements of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is also featured
with each coin in a commemorative box.
Coinage Rules:
On 19th July 2021, the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance issued the Coinage (Issue of
Commemorative Coin to commemorate the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada) Rules, 2021 to mint coins denominations of Rs 125.
Note:
The commemorative coins of India can be purchased from the mint or from online platforms of the mints or
Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL).
Specifications of the coin:
• Composition: 50% silver and 40% copper.
• Weight: 35 Grams
• Diameter: 44 mm
• Obverse: Lion Capital of Ashoka
• Reverse: Image of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• Cost of the coin: Rs 4600 plus shipping charges.
About A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada:
i.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a leader in the Gaudiya Vaishnava community, a monotheistic tradition
within the broader Hindu culture.
ii.He established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in 1966.
iii.He has authored more than 70 volumes on the Krishna tradition and his writing has been translated into more
than 76 languages.
iv.His well-known works include Bhagavad-gita As It Is; the 30-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the 17-volume
Sri Caitanya-caritamrita.
About Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL):
SPMCIL is a wholly-owned Schedule ‘A’ Miniratna Category-I company of the Government of India.
Chairman & Managing Director– Tripti Patra Ghosh
Headquarters– Delhi
Dr. Munjapara Mahendrabhai Launches “Ayush Aapke Dwar” Campaign at Ayush Ministry
Dr. Munjapara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State, Ministry of Ayush, launched the “Ayush Aapke Dwar” Campaign
from Ayush Bhawan by distributing medicinal plants to staff.
The Ministry of AYUSH launched the scheme from more than 45 locations across 21 states of India by distributing
around 2 lakh medicinal plant saplings.
Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of AYUSH, launched this campaign from Mumbai.
• The campaign aims to distribute medicinal plant sapling to 75 lakh households across India in 1 year.
• The medicinal plants include Tejpatta, Stevia, Ashoka, Jatamansi, Giloy/Guduchi, Ashwagandha, Kumari,
Shatavari, Lemongrass, Guggulu, Tulsi, Sarpagandha, Kalmegh, Brahmi and Amla.
PM Modi launched various initiatives in education sector at the inaugural conclave of Shikshak
Parv
The inaugural conclave of Shikshak Parv 2021 was addressed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi through
video conferencing on 7 September, during which PM Modi has launched various schemes in the education sector
under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav(75th Anniversary of Indian Independence) such as Indian Sign Language
Dictionary, Vidyanjali 2.0, NISHTHA 3.0, Talking Books and School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework
(SQAAF).
Shikshak Parv 2021
It is being celebrated from September 5 to 17, 2021 by the Ministry of Education in order to recognise the
contributions of teachers in the formulation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

• The theme of the ‘Shikshak Parv-2021’ is “Quality and Sustainable Schools: Learnings from Schools in
India”.
Schemes Launched during inaugural conclave:
1.Indian Sign Language Dictionary
• The dictionary is launched by Indian Sign Language Research and Training centre of DPwD and has
10,000 words in it.
• The audio and text embedded video is for easy access of children and persons with hearing impairments.
• It was developed based on UDL (Universal Design of Learning)
2.Vidyanjali 2.0
• Vidyanjali is a portal initiated by the Ministry of Education, Government of India for facilitating education
volunteers, donors or CSR contributors for school development.
• It is a platform for the country’s determination of ‘Sabka Prayas’ with ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka
Vishwas’.
3.NISHTHA 3.0 for NIPUN Bharat
NCERT in collaboration with States / UTs and autonomous bodies under Ministry of Education(MoE), Ministry of
Defence (MoD) and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) (CBSE, KVS, NVS, CTSA, AEES, Sainik School, CICSE etc) have
initiated the NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement) online
Integrated Teacher Training programme for different stages of school education.
• NISHTHA 1.0 for Elementary level (Class I-VIII)
• NISHTHA 2.0 for Secondary level (Class IX-XII)
• NISHTHA 3.0 for NIPUN Bharat (ECCE to Class V)
4.Talking Books (audiobooks for the visually impaired)
• The country is making technology like Talking Books and Audiobooks a part of education.
5.School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF) of CBSE
It addresses the deficiency of the absence of a common scientific framework for dimensions like curricula,
pedagogy, assessment, infrastructure, inclusive practices and governance process.
Key Points from PM’s Address
• National Digital Architecture i.e. N-DEAR will play a major role in eradicating inequality in education and its
modernization and also will act as a ‘super-connect’ between various academic activities like the UPI
interface in the banking sector.
• PM Modi has asked the Olympians and Paralympians to visit at least 75 schools (to mark Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav) and meet the students in order to encourage them to pursue sports in their future.
About Ministry of Education(MoE):
Union Minister– Dharmendra Pradhan (Rajya Sabha- Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State– Annpurna Devi (Kodarma- Jharkhand); Subhas Sarkar (Bankura- West Bengal); Rajkumar
Ranjan Singh (Inner Manipur- Manipur)
MeitY Launched PMGDISHA Drive for 100% Digital Literacy in Digital Villages
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology(MeitY) launched
Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) Drive under the PMGDISHA Scheme and
announced a PMGDISHA Campaign for 100% digital literacy in digital villages under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav’ celebrations.
• The launch event was organised by Common Services Centers (CSC) e-Governance Services India Limited, a
Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV) under MeitY.
PMGDISHA Scheme:
PMGDISHA Scheme is a flagship Digital Literacy Programme introduced by the Government of India as a part of
the Digital India programme in 2017.
Aims:
To make 6 crore people in rural areas, across the States and Union territories(UT), digitally literate, reaching
more than 40% of rural households by covering one person from every eligible household by March 2020.

• The scheme will be implemented by the CSC SPV under the overall supervision of MeitY in collaboration
with state governments and UT Administrations.
PMGDISHA drive:
i.Under this PMGDISHA drive, a 3-day certification drive for rural citizens especially women and disadvantaged
communities will be organised from September 8th to 10th.
ii.A certification drive for the PMGDISHA scheme will be conducted from September 11th to 13th September.
About Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology(MeitY):
Union Minister– Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha- Odisha)
Minister of State– Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Rajya Sabha- Karnataka)
MoHUA Partnered With MeitY To Launch ‘Main Bhi Digital 3.0’ Campaign
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in association with the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) launched the “Main Bhi Digital 3.0” -A special Campaign for Digital Onboarding and
Training for street vendors under Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme
on the pitot based in 223 cities in the country.
• It was collectively launched by Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra and Electronics
and IT Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney virtually.
• The drive is in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “SabkaSaathSabkaVikas”
Participating agency-
BharatPe, Mswipe, PhonePe, Paytm, Aceware are participating in this drive to issue UPI IDs, QR codes and provide
digital training.
Key points
i.Lending Institutions (LI) will provide QR codes and training support will be provided to the beneficiaries for
digital receipt and payment transactions.
ii.So far, 45.5 lakh applications have been received. Out of these, 27.2 lakh loans have been sanctioned and 24.6
lakh loans have been disbursed. The amount disbursed so far is ₹2,444 Cr.
iii.More than 70 thousand 448 street vendors have repaid their first loan tranche. Out of 22.41 lakh digitally on-
boarded street vendors, 7.24 lakh street vendors are digitally active and have recorded 5.92 Crore number of
digital transactions.
About PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)
It was launched by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in 2020. It empowers Street Vendors for
their holistic development and economic upliftment. It facilitates capital loan upto Rs 10,000 with
interest subsidy of 7% without paying any collateral.
• It provides the facility for street vendors to avail a loan of ₹20,000 and ₹50,000 in the second and third
tranches respectively on timely repayment of the loan.
• To encourage digital transactions a cash back up to ₹1,200 on digital transactions at ₹100 per month is
provided to the street vendors under the scheme.
Launch Date- 1st June 2020
MoS Jal Shakti Prahlad Singh Patel launched Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021
Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State(MoS), Ministry of Jal Shakti presided over the virtual launch of Swachh
Survekshan Grameen(SSG) 2021 under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) (SBM(G)) Phase- II during the event
organised by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS).
The SBM(G) Phase II is aimed to achieve the goal of comprehensive cleanliness or Sampoorna Swachhata by
addressing Open Defecation Free (ODF) Sustainability and SLWM issues.
Release of SSG 2021 Protocol, Dashboard and Mobile app:
Prahlad Singh Patel MoS, Jal Shakti ministry has also released the SSG 2021 Protocol document; SSG 2021
Dashboard and the mobile App for Citizens feedback.
• The SSG 2021 protocol guides the ranking of Districts on the basis of their performance on key qualitative
and quantitative parameters.

• The SSG 2021 Mobile app will be made available in major local Indian Languages.
• The SSG 2021 Dashboard is a comprehensive dashboard with a comparison module developed for self-
reporting by districts on 16 indicators.
Key People:
Pankaj Kumar, Secretary, JalShakti Ministry, Arun Baroka, Additional Secretary, DDWS, other DDWS officials
participated in the event.
SSG 2021:
i.DDWS will carry out SSD 2021 across India to expedite Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus interventions and
improve the ODF Sustainability as well as Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) activities across the
villages in the country.
ii.This is one of India’s largest surveys with around 17475 villages, that provides publicity to the programme and
ODF Plus goals and enhance the sanitation, overall cleanliness and waste management of the districts and states.
iii.DDWS has commissioned SSG in 2018 and 2019 to measure the success of the programme.
Click here to more on SSG 2021
The Ministry of Jal Shakti is set to deploy sensor-based IoT (Internet of Things) devices to monitor the
implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in more than six lakh villages. With this, it aims to monitor the rural
drinking water supply systems in villages.
For this, National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) partnered with Tata Community Initiatives Trust (TCIT) & Tata Trust
to complete pilot projects in villages of 5 states – Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra & Himachal
Pradesh (Pilot projects went live in September 2020).
About Ministry of Jal Shakti:
Union Minister- Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Constituency- Jodhpur, Rajasthan)
Minister of State- Prahlad Singh Patel (Constituency- Damoh, Madhya Pradesh); Bishweswar Tudu
(Constituency- Mayurbhanj, Odisha)
India & Denmark Launch ‘Centre of Excellence on Offshore Wind’ as part of Green Strategic
Partnership
Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy R. K. Singh & Danish Minister for Climate, Energy, and
Utilities Dan Jorgensen jointly launched ‘Centre of Excellence on Offshore Wind’ as part of the Green
Strategic Partnership during their meeting in New Delhi.
Target- India has set a target of 450 Gigawatt(GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030.India’s whole
renewable energy portfolio is already at 146 GW.
Key Points:
i.Both agreed on further engaging in renewable energy, particularly offshore wind and green hydrogen.
ii.The center initially will focus on four working groups a) spatial planning; b) financial framework conditions; c)
supply chain infrastructure; and d) standards and testing.
iii.Focus of India- Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep green in energy including transport.
Note- India is the only G-20 country whose actions are in consonance with the Paris Climate agreement with
regard to global rise in temperature.
Background – The two countries already have an agreement on ‘Strategic Sector Cooperation in the field of
Renewable Energy with a focus on Offshore Wind Energy’.Click here to read about the India – Denmark Green
Strategic Partnership.
PM Modi Inaugurated Sardardham Bhavan in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister(PM) of India inaugurated the Sardardham Bhavan at Ahmedabad, Gujarat
virtually. It was built at a cost of Rs.200 crore by Vishwa Patidar Samaj, a business, social and education hub for
the Patidar community.
• He also performed the Bhoomi puja of Sardardham Phase II Kanya Chhatralaya(girl’s hostel), a hostel facility
for around 2000 girls irrespective of their economic criteria.

• It will be built at the cost of another Rs 200 crore.
Sardardham Bhavan(Ahmedabad):
i.Sardardham Bhavan is built over an area of 11,672 square feet to boost the residential facility for students with
notable modern facilities.
Sardardham Project:
i.Sardardham is working towards the educational and social transformation and upliftment of weaker sections of
society.
ii.It is also working towards providing employment opportunities to the youths and helping the aspiring and
patriotic students by providing the facility of training, boarding and lodging.
Modi Announced Subramania Bharati chair at BHU for Tamil Studies:
i.PM Modi announced the setting up of the Subramania Bharati chair in the memory of Legendary Tamil Poet
Subramania Bharati at the Banaras Hindu University(BHU) for Tamil Studies.
ii.The chair has been established on the occasion of the 100th death anniversary of Subramania Bharati(11th
September 2021).
Union minister Nitin Gadkari launched ‘iRASTE’ Road Safety Project to Reduce Road Accidents
The Union Minister for Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari launched ‘ iRaste- a two year pilot project in Nagpur,
Maharashtra. It is a collaborative project, developed by Intel India, International Institute of Information
Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) – Central Road Research
Institute (CRRI), Mahindra and Mahindra and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).It stands for Intelligent
Solutions for Road Safety through Technology and Engineering.
Objective– To enhance road safety and reduce road accidents in Nagpur.
iRASTE
It utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to provide better results.
The initiative will bring down 50 percent of road accidents. Later it will be extended to other cities as well.
Key focus
It focuses on three important areas- vehicle safety, mobility analysis and road safety Infrastructure.
Mechanism
i.The NMC vehicles would be equipped with Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS). The system will give
alerts to drivers and help in improving performance. It also consists of a Collision Avoidance System (CAS) .
ii.A mobility analysis will be derived that will monitor the road networks and predict risk assessments. By
defining Grey and Black spot areas that are high risk or accident prone.
iii.Technical guidance is provided by CSIR- CRRI. It has completed a road safety audit of around 9000 km.
iv.While Intel India will provide ADAS technology, IIIT Hyderabad will address population scale road safety
through INAI (Intel AI) Center for Advanced AI research. Mahindra & Mahindra will conduct road safety, public
awareness programmes and driver training.
Additional information–
Satish Paresh is appointed as the President of International Road Federation (IRF). Previously, he was working
as the Managing Director of Ashoka Buildcon. He succeeded Subhmay Gangopadhyay, the former Director of
CRRI.
About International Road Federation (IRF)
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
NITI Aayog’s AIM in collaboration with ISRO & CBSE launches ATL Space Challenge 2021 for
Indian school students
National Institution for Transforming India (NITI )Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), in collaboration with
the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) launched the
Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) ‘Space Challenge 2021’ for all school students across the country.To celebrate the
contribution of space science and technology, the ATL has aligned with the World Space Week 2021(4-10
October) at global level.

Objective
Enable school students to create innovations for space technology.
Theme-
ATL Space Challenge 2021 aligns with this year’s theme of celebrating 75 years of India’s independence “Azadi
Ka Amrit Mahotsav”
Participants
It is being conducted for all the school students, mentors and teachers across the country. Those who do not have
ATL labs are also associated with the challenge. The challenge will allow the students from class 6-12 to
innovate and enable them to solve digital space technology problems.
Key Points
i.Students can take opportunity in creating solutions for these technologies such as Explore space, Reach Space,
Inhabit space, Leverage space etc.
ii.The application will be submitted on the AIM online portal. Each unique solution must be submitted under one
theme only.
About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog to promote a culture of
innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
Initiatives of AIM
1. Atal Tinkering Lab(ATL)
2. Atal Incubation Center(ALC)
3. Mentor India
4. Atal New India Challenge
5. Atal Community Innovation Centre
6. Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE – Atal New India Challenge (ANIC) Program
Mission Director– Chintan Vaishnav
Giriraj Singh Launches ‘SVAMITVA dashboard’ to monitor implementation of SVAMITVA Scheme

On 14th September 2021, Giriraj Singh, Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development launched a
dashboard (https://svamitva.nic.in/) during a national level meet – “SVAMITVA Scheme: A Stepping-Stone
Towards Upliftment of Rural Economy” in New Delhi.
• The dashboard is set to monitor the implementation of SVAMITVA Scheme, which is targeted to be
implemented across India by 2024.
• The dashboard will be used for faster implementation of SVAMITVA Scheme, thereby providing property
cards to inhabited lands across rural India.
• Currently, at least five villages per drone team per day are used for framing land records.
• The SVAMITVA scheme is aimed to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India
leveraging property as a financial asset by the citizens with accurate land records for rural planning. The
project is also expected to help in determination of property tax; creation of survey infrastructure and GIS
map that can be leveraged by any other department for their use and reduce property disputes and legal
cases.
Benefits of SVAMITVA Cards:
• Increased Transparency of Land Records in rural India.
• Villagers can avail loans from banks using the Property cards.
About SVAMITVA Scheme:
i.On National Panchayati Raj Day, 24th April 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched “Survey of Villages
Abadi & Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas” (SVAMITVA) Scheme.
ii.The Scheme was established under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Objective – To provide Property cards to legal land owners of the rural inhabited areas, by mapping the lands
using drone technology.

About Ministry of Panchayati Raj:
Union Minister – Giriraj Singh (Constituency – Begusarai, Bihar)
Minister of State – Kapil Moreshwar Patil (Constituency – Bhiwandi, Maharashtra)
NITI Aayog launches “Shoonya” – a Campaign to promote Zero-Pollution Delivery Vehicles

On 15th September 2021, NITI Aayog in partnership with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and RMI India launched
a campaign named “Shoonya” – an initiative to promote the usage of Zero-pollution delivery vehicles among e-
commerce companies, fleet aggregators, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and logistics companies.
Aim – To create consumer awareness on the benefits of using pollution free Electric Vehicles (EV) in delivery of
consumables.
i.Over 30 logistic and consumables companies participated in the meeting headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh
Kant, where the Campaign was launched.
ii.They decided to implement an Online Tracking platform that shares the EV’s data including vehicle kilometers
electrified, carbon savings, criteria pollutant savings and other benefits from clean delivery vehicles to customers.
iii.Around 10% of the freight transportation related CO2 emission in India is caused by Urban Freight vehicles,
which is expected to grow by 114% by 2030.
About NITI Aayog:
Establishment – January 1, 2015
Headquarters – New Delhi
CEO– Amitabh Kant
About Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) India:
Establishment – 2019
About Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI):
Headquarters – Basalt, Colorado
Manager – Lynn Daniels
VIL Partners with APSDMA & Celltick to launch India’s 1st Cell Broadcast Based Public Warning
System
Vodafone Idea Limited(VIL), India’s leading telecom service provider, has partnered with the Andhra Pradesh
State Disaster Management Agency(APSDMA) and Celltick, the world’s largest cell broadcast-based products
provider to Launch India’s 1st cell broadcasting Public Warning System (PWS).
• Andhra Pradesh(AP) became the 1st Indian state to implement Celltick’s state-of-the-art cell broadcasting
PWS .It used to support for its state’s CAP-compliant Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)
• Countries like the USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, Israel, UAE, Australia have deployed such kind of systems.
Background:
The world bank aided project for commissioning the state of the art Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
(IPAWS) was awarded to the consortium led by Celltick following the International Competitive Bidding (ICB)
process
Features of cell broadcasting Public Warning System (PWS):
i.This Cell Broadcast based emergency mass alerting system will provide real-time geo-targeted warning alerts
securely in over ten Indian languages during any kind of natural or man-made disasters to subscribers of
Vodafone Idea(Vi) in AP.
ii.Celltick’s state-of-the-art Cell Broadcast Entity (CBE) and its Cell Broadcast Center (CBC) deployed in the Vi
network, will deliver emergency warning alerts on Vi’s 4G, 3G and 2G networks in Andhra Pradesh, and on 5G in
future.
iii.The CBC platform enables the authorities to use the Vi Networks by subscribers of Vi in AP.

iv.Cell Broadcast based Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) which is immune to traffic loads and network
jams, has the capability to deliver emergency messages to the people during crucial hours of disasters, without
the mobile numbers of citizens in the affected area.
v.Celltick’s CB system supports global standards including EU-Alert, EMTEL, ETWS, EENA, ATIS, amongst others.
Andhra Pradesh government plans to launch Clean Andhra Pradesh (CLAP) Jagananna Swachha Sankalpam
programme on July 8,2021 to commemorate the birth anniversary of former late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekar
Reddy.
• Under the CLAP program, the Municipal Administration division will work along with the Panchayat Raj
division for sanitation in villages and cities and at first, a 100-days State-wide sanitation drive was set to be
initiated.
About Vodafone Idea Limited(VIL):
Vodafone Idea Limited is an Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group partnership.
MD&CEO-Ravinder Takkar
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Celltick:
Celltick is a global leader of Public Warning Systems (PWS), Mass Notification Systems, and the world’s largest
CBC (Cell Broadcast Center) provider.
CEO– Ronen Daniel
Headquarters- Delaware, United States of America
PM Narendra Modi lays Foundation Stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University in Aligarh
Prime Minister (PM)Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University in
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh will establish the university in the memory of Jat social reformer Raja
Mahendra Pratap Singh.
Highlights
• The University will have the department of modern defence studies, defence manufacturing- related
technologies and manpower development.
• It will be spread over an area of 92 acres at Lodha village and Musepur Kareem Karouli village of Kol tehsil in
Aligarh, it will provide affiliation to 395 colleges of the Aligarh division.
About Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh
i.Raja Mehendra Pratap Singh was born in a socio-economically influential Jat family of Mursan in Hathras, Uttar
Pradesh 1886.
ii.He was a Jat freedom fighter, social reformist, journalist and writer. He served as the President in
the Provincial government of India, the Indian government that served in exile during World War I.
iii.In 1979, the Government of India issued a postage stamp in his honour. He is popularly known as Aryan
Peshwa.
iv.Singh was known as an unofficial envoy of Afghanistan.
Sansad TV Launched by Vice President, PM and Speaker of Lok Sabha
Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha
Speaker Om Birla jointly launched ‘Sansad’ TV.The launch of Sansad TV coincides with International Day of
Democracy- 15th September .
• The programming of this TV will primarily be in four categories – functioning of Parliament and democratic
institutions, governance and implementation of schemes, policies, history, and culture of India and issues,
interests, concerns of contemporary nature.
BHEL launches India’s 1st High Ash Coal to Methanol conversion plant in Hyderabad
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has developed India’s 1st High ash Indian Coal to
Methanol conversion plant in Hyderabad, Telangana under plot basis.The plant is developed using indigenous
technology, to promote the adoption of clean technology. Methanol produced through the plant will be blended

with crude oil to reduce emission through transportation fuel.
Key points
i.The project has been initiated by NITI Aayog and funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST)
under Clean Energy Research Initiative.
ii.Generally, low ash coals are used for methanol conversion due to challenges faced in the amount of heat
required for high ash coals.
iii.BHEL has developed the fluidized bed gasification technology for converting high ash Indian coals to methanol
with between 98 and 99.5 percent.
iv.Hyderabad’s plant is a pilot project that has a methanol generation capacity of 0.25 metric tons/day.It will
create 0.25 TPD Methanol from high ash Indian coal using a 1.2 TPD Fluidized bed gasifier.
About Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL):
Chairman & Managing Director – Nalin Shinghal
Established – 1964
Headquarter – New Delhi
Devusinh Chauhan Launched Commemorative Stamp on 515th Birth Anniversary of Rao Jaimal
Rathore
Devusinh Chauhan, Union Minister of State (MoS), Ministry of Communications launched a commemorative
postal stamp to honour Rao Jaimal Rathore on his 515th birth anniversary.
This commemorative stamp was launched in the run-up to the celebration of 75th Azadi ka Amrit Mohatsav in
Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir(J&K).
Rao Jaimal Rathore, a Rajput warrior general of Chittorgarh, fought against the Mughal army during its siege from
1567 to 1568.
IRCTC Launched India’s 1st Indigenous Luxury Cruise Liner

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) started India’s first indigenous luxury cruise liner on
18th September 2021.
IRCTC has partnered with Cordelia Cruises, operated by Waterways Leisure Tourism Private Limited to
promote and market India’s 1st luxury cruise.
• The cruise will sail to national and international destinations like Goa Diu, Lakshadweep, Kochi and Sri
Lanka.
PM Modi Inaugurated 2 New Defence Office Complexes in New Delhi

Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated two state-of-the-art and energy-efficient Defence Offices
Complexes at Kasturba Gandhi Marg and Africa Avenue in New Delhi.
The new complexes were constructed using new and sustainable construction technology known as LGSF (Light
gauge steel frame).
The complexes were constructed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs with resources allocated by the
Defence Ministry and have an office space of 9.60 Lakh square feet.
• The new complexes will accommodate around 7,000 officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Armed
Forces, including the Army, Navy and Air.
• The buildings will also provide modern, secure and functional working spaces.
MyGov Launches Planetarium Innovation Challenge for Start-ups, Tech Entrepreneurs

In September 2021, MyGov India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY),
launched the ‘Planetarium Innovation Challenge’ for Indian start-ups and tech entrepreneurs.
• Objective: To enable the tech firms and startups in India to build an indigenous planetarium system software
using the latest technologies (Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Merged Reality).
• The winners could get an opportunity to know the latest advancements under Planetarium along with cash
prizes.

• MyGov was launched on 26th July 2014 as a Citizen Engagement Platform which collaborates with multiple
Government bodies/ Ministries to engage with citizens for policy formulation.
National Single Window System for Investors and Businesses launched by Piyush Goyal
On September 22, 2021, Union Minister, Piyush Vedprakash Goyal, Ministry of Commerce & Industry launched the
National Single Window System (NSWS), an online portal to enable global and domestic investors, entrepreneurs,
and businesses to identify and obtain approvals and clearances needed in India. It is an effort toward ease of
doing business.
• This portal is an integration of the existing clearance systems of the Centre and states.
• It has been developed by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) along
with Invest India.
Key Points:
i.Currently, the portal hosts approvals across 18 Central Departments & 9 States, another 14 Central departments
& 5 states will be added by December 2021.
ii.NSWS provide the following services:
• Know-Your-Approval (KYA): It generates a list of approvals required by any business to commence
operations.
• Common Registration Form: It ensures a single point of submission of information and documents across
Ministries and States
• State registration Form: enables single click access to respective State Single Window System.
• Applicant dashboard: It provides a single online interface to apply, track and respond to the queries across
ministries and States.
• Document repository: It is an online centralized storage service.
• E-Communication module: It enables online response to queries and clarification requests related to
applications by Ministries and States.
iii.Currently, extensive testing by Ministries/States is going on and will continue for next 3 months to optimize
the platform.
Invest India was awarded the World’s Most Innovative Investment Promotion Agency for 2021 by the OCO Global.
It has been continuously identifying innovative areas of investment and bringing in sustainable investors to India,
despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic
About Invest India:
It is a public-private venture with 49% government’s stake and 51% shareholding is equally held by industry
associations- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) and the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).
Establishment– 2009
Managing Director & CEO– Deepak Bagla
US, India launch task forces on Hydrogen, Biofuels to Decarbonize Energy Sector
As a part of Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP), the United States (US) department of energy along with its
Indian counterpart launched a new public-private Hydrogen Task Force and Biofuels Task Force to expand the
use of clean energy technologies for decarbonization of the energy sector.
Click Here to Read US-India SCEP 2021
US Support to India:
i.The US is committed to enhance Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas
emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030. It is also supporting India for the deployment of 450 GW
(GigaWatt) of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
ii.The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) launched the US-India Climate Technologies Action
Group (CTAG) which will integrate private and public-sector inputs on climate action initiatives.

iii.Over the last five years, USAID (United States Agency for International Development) contributed to the
deployment of 5GW of renewable energy across India, which reduced 30 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions
in 2020.
iv.It will also build 6 Westinghouse Electric Company AP-1000 nuclear reactors in Kovvada (Andhra Pradesh)
which will provide clean, and reliable power.
v.US firm First Solar will invest 684 million dollars in a fully integrated solar module manufacturing facility in
southern India.
• US firm 24M Technologies, Inc. also signed license and services agreement with Chennai-based Lucas TVS
Ltd. to construct one of the first Giga factories in India using battery storage platform technology. The first
plant will be set up near Chennai , Tamil Nadu.
On June 23-24, 2021, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy participated in the two days Passage Exercise
(PASSEX) with the US Navy during its asset transit through Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The exercise was carried
out south of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
About United States (US):
Capital– Washington, D.C.
Currency– United States Dollar
President– Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.
PM Modi Launches Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to Promote Digital Health Infrastructure
The Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi launched ‘Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission’ (ABDM) via video
conference.The program was organized on World Tourism Day (27th September). It was launched in the
presence of Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar,
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.
Objective – To develop the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country.
• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will provide a digital health ID to people which will contain their health
records.This mission was launched under the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM).
• Currently, over 1 lakh unique Health IDs have been created under the NDHM this project is being
implemented in the pilot phase across six states and Union Territories on a pilot basis on 15th August, 2020.
• The nationwide rollout of the project coincides with the National Health Authority (NHA) celebrating
the 3rd anniversary of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). Click here to
know more
About Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM):
i.It will help connect digital health solutions of hospitals across the country. All Indians will get a digital health
ID under this scheme. Every citizen’s health record will now be digitally secure.
ii.The data can be viewed with the help of a mobile application, a Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) and
Healthcare Facilities Registries (HFR) that will act as a repository of all healthcare providers across both modern
and traditional systems of medicine.
iii.The health ID will be used as a health account. ABDM will provide reliable data, leading to better treatment
and savings for patients too.
iv.It is based on the principle of bringing from ration to administration (Ration to Prashasan) to the citizens in a
fast and transparent manner.
Digital Health Infrastructure of India
ABDM will be developed by adopting India Enterprise Architecture Framework (IndEA) – The design of the
building blocks of ABDM will adapt and conform to IndEA by default. All the design and development efforts will
adopt the Agile IndEA Framework notified by MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology).
Recent news
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) launched the revamped, digitized
version of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Umbrella schemes of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN), and
Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant (HMDG) on National Health Authority’s (NHA) IT platform.

About National Digital Health Mission (NDHM)
Launched – August 15, 2020.
i.The NDHM is implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare.
ii.The NDHM is a complete digital health ecosystem. The digital platform will be launched with four key features
— health ID, personal health records, Digi Doctor and health facility registry.
iii.The National Health Authority (NHA), is also the implementing agency for Ayushman Bharat).
World’s highest EV charging station inaugurated at Kaza, Himachal Pradesh

The world’s highest Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station was inaugurated at 500 feet in Kaza, in the Spiti Valley,
Lahaul and Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh. The charging station will support all EV Scooters and cars.
• The EV charging facility was installed by goEgo Network, a Pune-based EV Charging infra startup.
• Bharat AC and Dual Socket Type 2 Chargers, installed by goEgo in Western Himalayas have ‘Make in India’
certification and compliance with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and Open Charge
Alliance(OCA) Certification.
• goEgo collaborated with TVS Motor Company to promote EV infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh.
Hardeep Singh Puri launched 7th consecutive edition of Swachh Survekshan 2022
On September 27, 2021, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
launched the 7th consecutive edition of Swachh Survekshan (SS)-2022 themed on ‘People First’ from New Delhi.
• SS 2022 has incorporated specific indicators focusing on frontline workers like improvement in their
working conditions and livelihood opportunities.
• Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban will organize a series of citizen centric activities under the overarching theme
of Jan Bhagidari.The survey, flavoured with the Azaadi@75 spirit.
Other releases:
i.Launch of revamped version of the Swachhata App, the digital sanitation grievance redressal platform by
MoHUA introduced in 2016.
ii.MoHUA also released a coffee table book titled ‘A Change of Heart’ featureing inspirational stories of
individuals and communities related to urban India’s cleanliness drive.
iii.A short film, ‘Swachhata Se Samriddhi’ showcasing the milestones of the last seven years in the Swachhata
journey was also released.
Key Points:
i.In SS2022, two population categories under 15K and between 15-25K are introduced for smaller cities.
ii.District rankings are also introduced for the first time.
iii.The scope of the survey has been expanded to cover 100% wards for sampling, as compared to 40% in
previous years.
iv.Introduced by MoHUA in 2016 to rank cities on cleanliness parameters in 73 cities, SS has become the world’s
largest urban cleanliness survey covering over 4,000 ULBs (Urban Local Bodies). It is conducted by Swachh
Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U).
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju Inaugurated India’s 1st Sports Arbitration Centre in Gujarat
In September 2021, the Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurated India’s 1st ‘Sports Arbitration Centre of
India’ (SACI) in Gujarat. The SACI will serve as an independent body to redress the disputes in the sports sector
and expand the country’s sports sector.
• The Ministry of Law and Justice will provide all the legal backing to the SACI.
• The SACI will be promoted by Ahmedabad-based SE TransStadia Pvt Ltd. They will provide the centre and
process, which will be governed by the international laws of sports.
• Under SACI, known independent arbitrators will be listed out by TransStadia and those arbitrators will settle
the sports issues and they will be paid directly by the disputing parties.

About Ministry of Law and Justice:
Union Minister – Kiren Rijiju (Constituency – Arunachal West, Arunachal Pradesh)
Ministry of State – S. P. Singh Baghel (Constituency – Agra, Uttar Pradesh)
Ministry of Tourism Launched ‘NIDHI 2.0’ & ‘India Tourism Statistics – At A Glance, 2021’
The Ministry of Tourism(MoT), Government of India launched NIDHI 2.0 (National Integrated Database of
Hospitality Industry) and ‘India Tourism Statistics – At a Glance, 2021’ during the event organised on the
occasion of United Nations(UN)’s World Tourism Day 2021 in New Delhi.
• During the event, MoT, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and The Responsible Tourism
Society of India (RTSOI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote sustainability
initiatives in the tourism sector.
Key People:
Om Birla, Speaker of Lok Sabha(chief Guest), G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Ajay Bhatt and Shripad
Yesso Naik, Minister of State(MoS), MoT, participated in the event.
NIDHI:
i.TheNational Integrated Database of Hospitality Industry or NIDHI is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism.
ii.NIDHI is a platform for Hospitality organisations to ideate, share best practices and connect with the
Government for ease of doing business.
iii.As of 2021, 44024 units are registered on NIDHI which was activated in June 2020.
Aim:
To provide a register of hospitality accommodation across the country which is essential for the development of
tourism of India.
National Action Plan for dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030

On September 28, 2021 i.e. on the occasion of World Rabies Day, the Central Government has launched a National
Action Plan for dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030 (NAPRE) for the elimination of dog mediated rabies
by 2030.
• It was unveiled by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW)
and Parshottam Rupala, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAHD)
• The action for the same has been drafted by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in
consultation with FAHD.
Key Points:
i.The Union Ministers also launched the Joint Inter-Ministerial Declaration Support Statement for the elimination
of dog mediated rabies from India by 2030 through the One Health Approach.
ii.Notably 33% of global rabies deaths are recorded in India.
iii.Rabies is a deadly zoonotic disease which spreads to people from the saliva of infected animals like dogs and
other mammals. It causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
Other Participants:
Ministers of State (MoS) Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, MoH&FW; and Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, MoFAHD, among
others
Narendra Modi launches 35 crop varieties with special traits to address Climate Change,
malnutrition
On September 28, 2021, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi launched 35 crop varieties which are climate
resilient and higher nutrient-content.
• These have been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to address climate
change and malnutrition.
Key Points:
i.The 35 varieties include a drought tolerant variety of chickpea, wilt and sterility mosaic resistant pigeonpea,
early maturing variety of soybean, disease resistant varieties of rice and biofortified varieties of wheat, pearl

millet, maize and chickpea, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean and faba bean.
ii.PM also dedicated to the nation the newly constructed campus of the National Institute of Biotic Stress
Management in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and distributed the Green Campus Award to agricultural universities.
FESTIVALS
1st Ladakh Nomadic Festival Inaugurated at Korzok Phu by LG RK Mathur
Lieutenant Governor(LG) Radha Krishna (RK) Mathur inaugurated a 2 day ‘ Ladakh Nomadic Festival’ in
the region of Changthang at Korzok Phu, Ladakh.The event was organised by Ladakh Cultural Academy in
association with the Department of Tourism.
• The first ever LADAKH NOMADIC FESTIVAL was celebrated at Korzok Phoo, Tso Moriri or Lake Moriri or
“Mountain Lake” at Ladakh from 30-31 August 2021.
Aim
• To promote the lifestyle, tourism and culture of nomads of the eastern most Changthang plateau of Ladakh.
• It also aims to celebrate the life and glory of Changpa Heroes like ra-zhees (shepherds), yak-zhees, bar-zhees
and lta-zhees.
Highlights
• He admired the exquisite product – Pashmina,for which Changthang people are known around the world.
• LG also visited Korzyk monastery and geothermal project site at Puga.
About Ladakh
Governor- R K Mathur
National park-Hemis National Park
Wildlife Sanctuary– Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary ,Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, Kanji Wildlife Sanctuary
Solung Festival of Arunachal Pradesh Begins

On September 1, 2021, the popular festival of the Adi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh namely ‘Solung’ has began. Its
celebrations will continue till 5 days. It is a harvest festival performed after sowing of seeds and transplantation,
to seek for good crops.
• People perform various rituals and also present gifts of meat and Apong (rice beer) with each other
representing family and social relationships.
Days of Solung festival:
i.First day is called Solung-Gidi Dogin or the day of preparations.
ii.Second and the main day of the celebration is called Doreph-Long (the day of animal sacrifice)
iii.Third day is Binnayat Binam or worshipping the goddess of plenty and prosperity. iv.Fourth day is Yaktor of
Ekoph when the villagers prepare bows and arrows and other weapons of war.
v.On the fifth day, the Miri (religious leader or priest) is given a ceremonial send-off when womenfolk sing
Ponung songs and dances.
Additional Info:
There are three main parts in the celebration of this festival. They are:
i. Sopi—Yekpi ( also called Limir-Libom), the first part and the sacrificial day;
ii.Binnyat, the second part, the ritual offering to goddess of crops, Kine Nane, and
iii.Ekop (also called Taktor), the ritual made for protection against harms by evil spirits by appeasing to Gumin-
Soyin, the household guardian, and Doying Bote, god of wisdom and human welfare. Ardo-Bado is the sacrificial
and inaugural day in Solung celebration.
About Arunachal Pradesh:
Governor– Brigadier BD Mishra (retd)
Wildlife sanctuaries– Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary, and Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiger Reserves– Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Pakhui Tiger Reserve, and Kamlang Tiger Reserve

Bail Pola Festival 2021 – September 6
Bail Pola festival or the Festival of cattle, is a thanksgiving festival celebrated by the farmers to recognise and
acknowledge the importance of oxen and bulls in agriculture and farming activities. The Bail Pola is also
celebrated as Pola Amavasya in parts of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. ‘Bail’ in Marathi means ‘Bull’
The Bail Pola is annually celebrated on Pithori Amavasya or Amavasya in Shravan month which falls between late
August and early September.
• Bail Pola festival 2021 is celebrated on 6th September 2021.
• Bail Pola Festival 2020 was celebrated on 18th August 2020.
Significance:
The Bail Pola festival is celebrated by the farmers across the states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka after the monsoon sowing and fieldwork.
Agrarian festival ‘Nuakhai’ being celebrated in Odisha

Nuakhai, the harvest festival of Odisha is celebrated on Bhadraba Shuklapakhya Panchami tithi, the next day of
Ganesh Chaturthi i.e., September, 11, 2021. It marks the consumption of the first harvested crops.
• It is celebrated by worshiping the Goddess Samaleshwari, the presiding deity of Western Odisha.
• The name is derived from ‘nua’ which means new and ‘khai’ means food. The festival is also called Nuakhai
Parab or Nuakhai Bhetghat.
• It is a festival promoting mutual harmony and brotherhood.
Nuakhai is commonly celebrated in Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Bolangir, Sundergarh, Sonepur, Kalahandi,
Nuapada, Boudh, and the Athmallik Sub-division of Angul.
About Odisha:
Capital- Bhubaneswar
Governor- Ganeshi Lal
Chief Minister- Naveen Patnaik
Dance forms- Ghumura Dance, Chhau dance, odissi.
UT of Ladakh organised 1st Edition of The Himalayan Film Festival at Leh

Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, inaugurated the first edition
of the Himalayan Film Festival (24th to 28th September 2021) organised by the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh
in collaboration with the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting(MIB).
• The 5-day film festival at the Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra, Leh is organised as a part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav’.
• The event is hosted by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh.
1st edition of the Himalayan Film Festival:
i.The film festival will screen movies from the 12 Himalayan states and Union Territories (Ladakh, Jammu &
Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal
Pradesh and Nagaland) on the main screen at Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra, Picture Time mini theatre, and in the
amphitheatre.
ii.The film festival began with the screening of Shershaah and The Shepherdess of Glacier will be screened at the
closing ceremony.
Additional info:
As a part of the film festival masterclasses and conversation sessions with film personalities like Vidhu Vinod
Chopra, Anupama Chopra, S Nallamuthu, Nila Madhab Panda has also been organised.
‘Nata-Sankirtana’ 3-day Dance & Music Festival at Imphal, Manipur

The Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy(JNMDA), Imphal, Manipur has organised the ‘Nata-Sankirtana’,
a 3-day dance and music festival from 28th to 30th September 2021. The Nata-Sankirtana is one of the annual
features of the JNMDA, to promote Nata Sankirtana among the young generation.
• Sankirtana is the ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur.

• In 2013, Sankirtana, the unique cultural heritage of Manipur was inscribed on the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO)‘s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity.
About Nata-Sankirtana:
i.The Nata-Sankirtana was introduced during the reign of Bhagyachandra, who ruled Manipur during 1759-1761
and 1763-1798.
ii.He was also known as Ching-Thang Khomba to the hill peoples, Jai Singh to the British and the Assamese and
Karta to the Vaishnavs.
iii.Nata Sankirtana is a hymn of Lord Krishna in classical ragas produced with various indigenous rhythms.
iv.It is performed to mark various occasions of a person’s life.
About Manipur:
Chief Minister– Nongthombam Biren Singh
Capital– Imphal
Stadium– Imphal indoor stadium; Yawa indoor stadium
OTHER NEWS
CBDT Notified IT Rules for Taxable Interest on PF Account Beyond 2.5 lakh, 5 lakh
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) notified new rules regarding the taxation on the ‘interest income’
which is earned through the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions, beyond Rs 2.5 lakh a year and Rs 5
lakh a year.
• ₹2.5 lakh annual contribution limit shall apply for EPF members, while in General or Statutory Provident
Fund (GPF) or other Provident Fund (PFs) where there is no contribution from the employer, the threshold
has been set at ₹5 lakh.
• The government has made amendments over the Income-tax (IT) named IT (25th Amendment) Rules, 2021
to include the new IT rule (Rule 9D) over PF income.
• The government had in the Finance Act of 2021 introduced a new provision that makes interest accrued in
the PF account on contribution above ₹2.5 lakh a year taxable.
• The new income tax Rules on PF income will be applicable for contributions made from FY22 onwards (i.e.
from April 2021).
• The government has removed the benefit of exemption from taxation which was earlier available for an
interest income earned by the taxpayers on their PF contribution.
Key Points:
i.Background: In the Budget 2022, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had proposed the taxability of interest
on PFs, where the specified limit exceeds.
ii.Objective: To cut down the fixed tax-free income generating avenues for high net worth individuals (HNIs).
• The HNIs account for about 0.27 percent of the 4.5 crores of EPF account holders.
iii.Separate Account:
• To be in line with the new rules, the government has decided to split the existing PF accounts into 2 separate
accounts viz taxable and non-taxable.
• The separate Taxable PF account would be used to calculate the amount of interest that is to be taxed on PF
income arising out of employee contributions exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh a year.
• From FY22, interest will be calculated separately on both EPF accounts.
• All the contributions made by an individual till March 31, 2021, will be considered non-taxable
contributions.
The Labour Ministry has notified the changes in the investment pattern of the Employees Provident Fund
Organisation(EPFO), which allowed it to make an investment of up to 5 percent of its investible surplus in
Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs).

About Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT):
Chairperson – J.B. Mohapatra
1,500 Artisans Benefitted by Training in 63 Samarth Training Centres: Textiles Ministry

As per the data of the Ministry of Textiles, more than 1,500 artisans have been benefited by training in
63 Samarth Training Centres.
• The Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS) was named SAMARTH.
• The scheme is being implemented by the textile ministry to provide demand-driven, placement oriented
skilling programmes to handicrafts artisans to create employment in textile and related sectors.
• SAMARTH was formed to train 10 lakh persons in 3 years (2017-20) with an estimated budget of 1300 crore.
Union Minority Affairs Ministry Organizes “Mera Watan, Mera Chaman” “Mushaira” &“Kavi
Sammelan” in New Delhi
Union Minority Affairs Ministry organised “Mera Watan, Mera Chaman”, “Mushaira”and “Kavi
Sammelan” in New Delhi as a part of “Amrit Mahotsav” of 75 years of India’s Independence.The Programmes
were launched by Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
• It will continue across the country till 2023.
• During this launch, renowned poets presented their poetry and couplets on the “celebrations of 75 years of
India’s Independence” while remembering the sacrifices made by the great freedom fighters.
• These events reiterate and revitalize our nationalistic commitment to spread the message of peace and social
harmony, “New and Self-reliant India” &strengthen the fabric of “Unity in Diversity”.
GSITI, Hyderabad Launched Website to Offer Earth Science Courses

The Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI), Hyderabad, launched its 24×7 Website to offer round
the clock accessibility to various online courses on earth sciences to its stakeholders.
• This is in line with the Digital India Campaign of the Government of India.
• The beta version of the website is designed to cater to the training needs of the geoscience fraternity.
• The site hosts more than 33 recorded training courses and awards completion certificates.
ECI organises 2-day SVEEP Consultation Workshop

In August 2021, the Election Commission of India (ECI) organised a 2-day long SVEEP (Systematic Voters’
Education and Electoral Participation) Consultation Workshop to plan voter & booth centric strategies and also to
guide new voters on ethical voting. Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, participated in the event that
reviewed State SVEEP Plans and conducted comprehensive strategies for the upcoming elections.
Defence Ministry announces ‘Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services (DFPDS) 2021’
On 7th September 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the ‘Delegation of Financial Powers to
Defence Services (DFPDS) 2021’, providing enhanced Revenue Procurement provisions to Indian defence forces
to strengthen India’s security infrastructure.
i.To formulate quicker decision making at all levels, the DFPDS 2021 has empowered Field Commanding officers
with higher financial procurement powers.
ii.DFPDS 2021 will promote ease of doing business with its greater decentralized system, and also targets to
overcome the procedural delays in arms procurement.
Procedural Changes in DFPDS 2021:
i.Competent Financial Authorities (CFA) were provided with twice of the usual financial assistance, in certain field
formations the enhancement ranges from 5 to 10 times.
• Vice Chiefs of the Services, got an enhancement of 10% of their usual financial power, with an overall ceiling
of Rs. 500 crores.

• Schedules related to Indigenisation/Research & Development, saw a 3-time financial enhancement
compared to the current levels.
ii.Financial powers of Chief of Integrated Defence Staffs to the Chairman of Chief of Staff Committee as CFA were
enhanced to that of Vice Chief of the Service.
iii.Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Master General Sustenance, ADG (Procurement)/DG Air Operations/DG Naval
Operations etc. were added to the CFAs list.
iv.Field formations below Command level for the Defence Services has been incorporated in the Emergency
Powers Schedule
Indian Air Force & Navy:
i.Indian Air Force received a new Schedule for Hiring of Aircraft & associated equipment, which includes hiring of
Air-to-Air refuellers.
ii.Command level officers of the Indian Navy were equipped with powers for replenishment of disaster
management equipment and materials for immediate response to natural disasters and humanitarian assistance
and disaster relief (HADR) operations.
iii.All the special financial powers introduced to the Indian Army under “Army Commanders Special Financial
Powers” were introduced to the Navy & Air force.
The DFPDS 2021 consists of guidelines on Schedules of Financial Powers for,
• Army Schedules of Powers-2021 (ASP-2021)
• Navy Schedules of Powers-2021 (NSP-2021)
• Air Force Schedules of Powers-2021 (AFSP- 2021)
• IDS Schedules of Powers-2021 (ISP-2021)
The last enhancement at all levels of defence serves were done in 2016.
Clarifications or interpretation of provisions will be addressed by an Empowered Committee headed by
AS&FA, Ministry of Defence with representatives of Department of Defence (DoD)/Department of Military Affairs
(DMA).
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved INR 498.8 Crore budgetary support to Innovations for Defence
Excellence-Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) for the next 5 years for boosting Defence Innovation in
India.
About Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State – Ajay Bhatt (Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
MoC constitutes Task Force Under Vinod Kumar Tiwari & Expert Committee Under R.K Malhotra
for Coal-based Hydrogen Production
The Ministry of Coal(MoC) constituted a Task Force under the Chairmanship of Vinod Kumar Tiwari, Additional
Secretary of the Ministry of Coal and the Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of R.K
Malhotra, Director General of the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry.
Objective– Contribution in Hydrogen Economy in a clean manner.
Task Force :
6 Member Task Force was constituted under the Chairmanship of Shri Vinod Kumar Tiwari.The 5 members of the
Task Force are, Shri R.K. Malhotra, Director General (FIPI); Project Adviser, MoC; JS level officers from MNRE,
P&NG, Steel, Chemical and Fertiliser; Director level officer from CIL, NLCIL, IOCL, CMPDI, SAIL; Director
(Tech.) MoC/CM Shri Peeyush Kumar – Member Secretary.
Roles & Functions:
• Monitoring of activities towards achieving coal based Hydrogen production and usage.
• Setting up sub committees to achieve the objective.
• To coordinate with the Coal Gasification Mission and NITI Aayog.

Expert Committee:
6 Members Expert Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of R.K Malhotra.The other 5 members of
the committee are,
1. Dr.Mukesh Kumar, Director, Steel Research Technology Mission of India
2. Prof K.K. Pant, IIT Delhi
3. DrAnjan Ray, Indian Institute of Petroleum CSIR, Dehradun
4. Director, Engineers India Limited
5. Director(T) MoC/ Shri Peeyush Kumar, CM: Member Secretary
Roles and function
1. Identifying experts in India and co-opting as members
2. Desk based review of progress in hydrogen technology and also review ongoing research projects in
Hydrogen technology
3. Coordinate with various national/international technology institutions in hydrogen
4. Prepare a road map for coal based Hydrogen production and usage including economic viability,
environmental sustainability and policy enablers required
5. Identifying activities for implementation of coal based hydrogen production and usage.
Key points
• Long term objectives included achieving coal-based hydrogen production and usage and coordination with
the Coal Gasification Mission and NITI Aayog.
● The main work includes to improve the research and development projects in Hydrogen Technology and
prepare a framework for coal based Hydrogen production and provide assistance to the task force and therefore
provide a boost to projects of National Hydrogen Energy Mission(NHM).
About the National Hydrogen Energy Mission:
i.Focus on generation of hydrogen from green power resources.
ii.To link India’s growing renewable capacity with the hydrogen economy.
iii.India’s ambitious goal of 175 GW by 2022 got an impetus in the 2021-22 budget which allocated Rs. 1500 crore
for renewable energy development and NHAM.
(Note – Currently almost 100 per cent of hydrogen produced in India is through natural gas.)
Ayana Renewable power signed MoU with Greenstat Hydrogen India:
A Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) was signed between Ayana Renewable Power, majority of the
holdings controlled by National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Greenstat Hydrogen India, a
Norwegian organization. The aim is to collaborate building projects for green hydrogen. This initiative would
support the National Hydrogen Mission and decarbonise the environment.
Ayana Renewable Power
Managing Director and CEO-Shivanand Nimbargi
Headquarter – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Govt sets up three BARs to help with tax matters

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has set up three Boards for Advance Rulings (BAR) which will offer
help on tax implications of transactions, which in turn will help avoid income tax disputes.
• This will replace Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR), which was set up in 1993, w.e.f. September 1, 2021.
This decision to replace was taken to fast-track disposal of cases.
• Out of the three BARs, two will be in Delhi and one in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Each BAR will consist of two members not below the rank of a Chief Commissioner.
France’s Naval Group and India’s GRSE Made Collaborations to Offer Surface Ships
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd., (GRSE), a Mini Ratna Category 1 Defence PSU leading warship
building company of India, and Naval Group, European Naval Defence Industry from France signed MoU in the
field of offering high-end surface ships which based on the sea-proven “Gowind” design and to fulfil the
requirements of India and international naval forces.

• The agreement emphasizes the potential of strategic relations between France and India in the Indo-Pacific
region.
About Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE)
GRSE is a shipbuilding company in India under the Ministry of Defence, primarily catering to the shipbuilding
requirements of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard.
Headquarters – Kolkata, India
Chairman and MD – Rear Admiral V K Saxena, IN (Retd.)
India’s first Indigenously Designed High Ash Coal Gasification Based Methanol Production Plant
at BHEL R&D Centre, Hyderabad
India’s 1st Indigenously Designed High Ash Coal Gasification Based Methanol Production Plant was
inaugurated in Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), R&D centre at Hyderabad, Telangana.The Plant was
designed with support from the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog to produce 0.25 ton per
day(TPD) methanol. The project was supported by the Department of Science and Technology with a Rs 10 crore
grant.
About the Plant:
i.The Plant will create 0.25 TPD Methanol from high ash Indian coal using a 1.2 TPD Fluidized bed gasifier.
ii.The methanol purity of the crude methanol produced is between 98 and 99.5 percent.
Reason for the Development:
i.Inorder to reduce the dependency on importing foreign oil & to meet the needs of India,BHEL produce the
Methanol or Di Methyl Ether (DME) which can be used as an alternative liquid fuel for transportation and to
power ship engines.
ii.This will also lower Green House Gas emission.
Future Enhancements:
BHEL is working on Blue Hydrogen, Hydrogen CNG (H-CNG) and Green Hydrogen… we are blending hydrogen
with compressed natural gas for use as a transportation fuel as well as an industrial input to refineries.
About Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Dr. Nalin Shinghal
Headquarter – New Delhi, Delhi
Medicines from the Sky project: Telangana became 1st Indian State to launch BVLoS drones to
send medicines
On September 11, 2021, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ministry of Civil Aviation launched ‘Medicines
from the Sky (MFTS)’ in Vikarabad district of Telangana to send medicines to primary healthcare centres using
drones. With this Telangana became the first Indian state to use drones for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLoS) to
deliver the payload.
• MFTS is an initiative of the Government of Telangana led by the emerging technologies wing of Telangana’s
IT Department in association with World Economic Forum (WEF), NITI (National Institution for
Transforming India) Aayog, and HealthNet Global (Apollo Hospitals).
• It should be noted that during the Wings 2020 event in Hyderabad, the Telangana government partnered
with the WEF for the MFTS programme.
Maiden Delivery:
The first delivery was carried out by a Delhi-based drone delivery tech firm Skye Air Mobility for its Consortium
partner Blue Dart Express. It delivered a 5-kg box of vaccines from Vikarabad District hospital to a community
health centre which was three kilometres away in ten minutes.
How will it be useful?
Through this project, life-saving drugs, vaccines and blood could easily be transported to places in need, remote
and rural areas by beating traffic and other hurdles.

Key Points:
i.Eight consortia are a part of the project. Three of the eight selected consortia are Bluedart Med Express
Consortium (with Skye Air Mobility), Hepicopter Consortium (Marut Drones), and CurisFly Consortium
(TechEagle Innovations).
• They have launched their test flights.
ii.This project is a result of liberalised new Drone Rules which have made it easier for entrepreneurs. Under this,
the number of forms has been cut from 25 to 5. The types of fee have been reduced from 72 to 7.
iii.The Medicine from the Sky project would be ramped up in six other states in the next six to 12 months.
During the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) of UNESCO (United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization), India’s nomination of Kakatiya Rudreswara Temple (also known as the
Ramappa Temple) at Palampet, Mulugu district, Warangal, Telangana was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage
list. It will be India’s 39th World Heritage Site & the 1st World Heritage Site from Telangana.
About Ministry of Civil Aviation:
Jyotiraditya Scindia Constituency– Madhya Pradesh
Minister of State (MoS)– General Vijay Kumar Singh (Retd.) (Constituency- Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh)
India leases Dornier aircraft to Mauritius to enhance maritime security

India handed over Indian Navy’s Dornier aircraft to Mauritius on lease as part of Vision SAGAR (Security and
Growth for All in the Region) for enhanced maritime security of the Indian Ocean region (IOR), on September 13.
• India and Mauritius exchanged the contract for the purchase of a new Dornier aircraft under Line of Credit
(LOC).
Through Vision SAGAR
India unveiled Vision SAGAR in 2015.
1. India seeks to increase its relation. with maritime neighbours to deepen economic, security cooperation
and build their maritime security capabilities.
2. India promises to cooperate on information exchange, coastal surveillance and building infrastructure.
Note – Another `Mission Sagar’ Launched on 10 May, was India’s initiative to deliver Covid-19 related assistance
to the countries in the Indian Ocean Littoral states.
About Mauritius
Mauritius is an island nation located in Indian Ocean
Capital: Port Louis
Currency: Mauritian rupee
Prime Minister: Pravind Jugnauth
Female Candidates allowed to attend NDA Exams

Indian Armed Forces allowed the entry of female candidates into the armed forces through National Defence
Academy (NDA) after the intervention of the Supreme Court(SC) of India. Previously, a Supreme Court bench of
justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy, questioned the gender bias followed in the recruitment of
candidates for the Indian Armed Forces.
i.The NDA Exams that was set to be held on 5th September was postponed to 14th November after the
intervention of the Supreme Court, and now female candidates were allowed to appear in the examination.
ii.Previously, In February 2020, Female candidates serving in Short Service Commission (SSC) were permitted for
Permanent Commission after similar intervention by the Supreme Court.
Note – During 2021 Republic Day, Bhawana Kanth & Swati Rathore became the 1st women pilots to participate in
the Republic Day parade.
Selection through NDA:
NDA annually recruits candidates to the Indian armed forces, through examinations conducted by the Union
Public Service Commission (UPSC).

• Currently, Only Male candidates who have cleared Class 12 or equivalent & in the age group of 16-and-a-half
and 19 were eligible to apply.
• On Clearing the exam, candidates will be trained in NDA for getting posted in Indian Army, Navy or Air Force
wings of NDA.
About National Defence Academy (NDA):
Headquartered – Pune, Maharashtra
President of India is the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces
About Supreme Court of India:
Established – 26 January 1950
The Supreme Court of India is a Constitutional body, established under the provisions of Article 124
Total Strength of Judges – 34 (including Chief Justice of India(CJI) but Currently there are 33 judges including CJI
in SC)
BLS International partners with NHA to process Ayushman Bharat cards

On 14th September 2021, BLS International, an IT Service Management company, was authorised by the National
Health Authority (NHA) for digital processing of ‘Ayushman Bharat cards’ under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya
Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
• The cards will enable beneficiaries for cashless & paperless access to health services in Hospitals covered
under AB-PMJAY.
• Under AB-PMJAY, Indian government provides a health insurance cover of upto Rs 5 lakhs per family per
annum.
BHEL Commissioned India’s Largest Floating Solar PV Plant NTPC Simhadri in AP

India’s largest Floating Solar PV plant at NTPC Simhadri, Andhra Pradesh (AP), executed by Bharat Heavy
Electricals Limited (BHEL), has become commercially operationalized by NTPC Limited.
• BHEL has commissioned the Floating Solar PV plant with unique state of the art design.
• The 25MW floating Solar power plant covering an area of 100 acres is set up under the Flexibilisation
scheme notified by the Indian Government in 2018.
Manipur’s Sirarakhong Chilli & Tamenglong Orange get GI tag

Manipur’s Sirarakhong Chilli (Hathei Chilly) and Tamenglong Orange have received the Geographical Index (GI)
tag.
• The Chief Minister of Manipur, Nongthombam Biren Singh, announced it during the inaugural ceremony of
the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) Mela, 2021, organised by the State Forest Department.
• Sirarakhong Chilli (Hathei Chilly) found in Manipur’s Ukrul district and Tamenglong orange, widely grown
across the Zeliangrong Naga – dominated district.
About GI Tag
i.A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that
are due to that origin.
ii.GI are part of the intellectual property rights that comes under the Paris Convention for the Protection of
Industrial Property.
iii.In India, GI registration is done by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act of
1999.
Objective
i.GI Tag helps the genuine producers to avail optimum price for their premium goods even in the competitive
market
About Manipur
Governor: La Ganesan

Festivals
i.Heikru Hitongba – a boat race festival celebrated in September
ii.Ningol Chak-kouba – It is a social festival celebrated on the second day of the new moon in the month of
Hiyangei (November)
iii.Chumpha- festival of the Rangkhul Nagas celebrated after harvest in December
Stadium
i.Khuman Lampak Main Stadium- an outdoor stadium located in Imphal
ii.Cycle velodrome- an outdoor cycling stadium located in Imphal
iii.Imphal indoor stadium- A multipurpose indoor stadium located in Imphal
iv.Yawa indoor stadium- An indoor stadium located in Imphal
BYJU’S Partners with NITI Aayog To Provide Learning Material to School Students; BYJU’S
acquires K-12 coding company Tynker
NITI(National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amitabh
Kant launched an initiative in collaboration with edutech company BYJU’S to provide free access to the company’s
“Premium Learning’’ resources to students of class 6-12 in government schools across 112 ‘Aspirational
Districts’ .
Highlights
i.It comprises two components, which include BYJU’S Career Plus Programme, under which Aakash Institute
and BYJU’S are offering free classes to over 3000 meritorious students of class 11 and 12, for engineering and
medical entrance examinations.
ii.Another component is a voluntary initiative i.e Free coaching classes will be provided to children of Classes 6-
12 via Byju’s Learning App for three years.
BYJU’s acquires K-12 coding company Tynker
BYJU’S has acquired 100 percent share in US(United States) based K-12 coding company
Tynker.The objective is to provide every child a strong foundation in computer science, programming and
critical thinking skills.
Aspirational District Programme (ADP)
• The 115 districts were identified from 28 states, at least one from each state.
• The objective of the program is to monitor the real-time progress of aspirational districts.
• ADP is based on 49 indicators from the 5 identified thematic areas, which focuses closely on improving
people’s Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill
Development, and Basic Infrastructure.
About NITI Aayog
Established- 2015
Chairperson– Prime Minister of India ( Currently- Narendra Modi)
Headquarters– New Delhi
About BYJU’s
Founder and Chief – Byju Raveendran
India to Have World’s longest Expressway by March 2023

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways announced that India is set to have the world’s
longest expressway – Delhi-Mumbai Express Highway by March 2023.
The 1,380 km long Expressway, developed at a cost of Rs.98000 Crore will reduce the travel time between Delhi
and Mumbai to 12 to 13 hours.
• The first phase from Delhi-Jaipur (Dausa)-Lalsot and Vadodara-Ankleshwar is expected to be open to traffic
by March 2022. The expressway is expected to be completed by March 2023.
• This will be India’s first expressway to have helipads and fully equipped trauma centres at every 100 km.

Kovalam, Eden beaches get Blue Flag tag
Two more new Indian beaches– Kovalam in Tamil Nadu and Eden in Puducherry received Blue Flag Certification
from Foundation for Environment Education in Denmark (FEE).
• It also issued re-certification for 8 nominated beaches Shivrajpur-Gujarat, Ghoghla-Diu, Kasarkod and
Padubidri-Karnataka, Kappad-Kerala, Rushikonda- Andhra Pradesh, Golden-Odisha and Radhanagar-
Andaman and Nicobar, which were awarded the Blue Flag certificate in 2020.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) undertook Beach Environment &
Aesthetics Management Services (BEAMS) under its integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) for the
sustainable development of the coastal regions of India
• With a prime objective to protect, conserve the pristine coastal and marine ecosystems.
Achievements of BEAMS
i. It restored and nourished sand dune in 95,000 Sqm (approx.) with native plantation.
ii.It reduced marine litter by 85 % and marine plastic by 78%
iii.It helped to improve cleanliness level from “C” (poor) to “A++ (outstanding).
iv.It helped recycle 1,100 ML/year of municipal water.
v.It increased the footfall for recreation activities by approx. 80% leading to economic development.
The Ministry is further committed to develop and deliver 100 more beaches under its ICZM initiative in the
ensuing 5 years.
About Blue Flag Certificate
i.The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable
boating tourism operators.
ii.It is issued by Foundation for Environment Education in Denmark (FEE) and international jury comprising of
members from IUCN, UNWTO, UNEP and UNESCO etc.
iii.It started in 1987 and in 2001 European Blue Flag became International Blue Flag .
Tata Steel commissions India’s 1st CO2 Capture and Utilisation plant in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
The Indian Multinational Company, Tata Steel Limited becomes India’s first steel company to commission a 5
tonnes per day (TPD) Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) plant at its Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) Works with the
technological support from Carbon Clean.
• It was inaugurated by Thachat Viswanath (TV) Narendran, CEO (Chief Executive Officer) & MD (Managing
Director) of Tata Steel, in the presence of Aniruddha Sharma, CEO, Carbon Clean, and other dignitaries.
• Carbon Clean is a global leader in low-cost Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology.
How does CCU Technology work?
This facility extracts the CO2 directly from the Blast Furnace gas through amine-based technology. Then the
depleted CO2 is sent back to the gas network with increased calorific value.
• This development is an effort to tackle climate change and global warming.
Steps taken by Tata Steel for Sustainable steel production:
i.Its first Steel Recycling plant at Rohtak in Haryana enables lower CO2 emissions, resource consumption and
energy utilisation.
ii.In September 2020, Tata Steel partnered with the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) to work in
the field of Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS).
iii.Tata Steel India and Tata Steel Europe are acknowledged by the World Steel Association (worldsteel) as Steel
Sustainability Champions for four years consecutively.
MeitY Organised “Connecting all Indians” a Workshop to Make India One of World’s Largest
Connected Countries
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has organised a strategy workshop
titled “Connecting all Indians” to make India one of the largest connected countries in the world.
• The workshop was chaired by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State, MeitY.

• BharatNet, the world’s largest fiber-based rural broadband connectivity project was also reviewed during
the workshop.
• The workshop invited both public and private stakeholders which includes, internet service providers(Jio,
Airtel), officials of MeitY and the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications to discuss
the roadmap to enhance internet access in uncovered villages and towns across India.
Rajasthan’s Sojat Mehndi, Assam’s Judima, Nagaland’s Cucumber bagged GI tag

Sojat Mehndi from Rajasthan, known for its medicinal values has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
From the North East States, the traditional brew of Dimasa community, Judima from Assam and Naga Cucumber
from Nagaland known for its high potassium content also bagged GI tags.
Note –Darjeeling tea became the first Indian product to receive a GI tag in 2004-05.
About GI Tag
i.A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that
are due to that origin.
ii.GI are part of the intellectual property rights that comes under the Paris Convention for the Protection of
Industrial Proper.
iii.In India, GI registration is done by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act of
1999.
iv.Registrations for geographical indications will remain valid unless the registration is cancelled. Geographical
indications registered as collective and certification marks are generally protected for renewable ten-year
periods.
Objective – GI Tag helps the genuine producers to avail optimum price for their premium goods even in the
competitive market.
Rajasthan’s Sojat Mehndi
i.It originates from mehndi leaves grown in Sojat.
ii.They are cultivated naturally by rainwater for getting high lawsone content in leaves.
iii.Sojat tehsil of the Pali district in Rajasthan has several natural factors which are favourable for the crop, such
as geological structure, topography, drainage system, climate, and soil.
iv.Fragrant oil is also extracted by drying the leaves and all parts of the plant have medicinal value.
About Rajasthan
Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot
Tiger Reserves: Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar, Mukundara Tiger Reserve in Kota and Ranthambore Tiger
Reserve in Sawai Madhopur.
Assam’s rice wine, Judima
The traditional drink of Dimasa community, Judima, the wine brewed by them in Assam, was awarded the
geographical indication (GI) tag.
• The wine made from rice and a certain herb, is the first beverage from the north-east to earn this label.
• Judima is part and parcel of the social and cultural lives of people of Dimasa community in Dimaso district in
Assam.
About Assam
Chief Minister: Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma
Wildlife Sanctuaries: Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia and Borail Wildlife Sanctuary
in Silchar.
Nagaland’s Cucumber
The Nagaland’s Cucumber which are juicy, soft and sweet taste and grown organically, was granted the
Geographical Indication (GI). It is known for its sweetness and distinctive green colour, and they contain low
calories and high Potassium.
• They are traditionally cultivated by Naga farmers in their Jhum fields as a mixed crop mainly during the
Kharif season (April –May).
• Some tribes like Konyak are found to grow cucumber all throughout the year by seed to seed method
depending upon the soil type.

About Nagaland
Chief Minister: Neiphiu Rio
Zoological Park: Nagaland Zoological Park located in Dimapur
Commerce Ministry Celebrated Vanijya Saptah 20-26 September 2021

Ministry of Commerce and Industry observed Vanijya Saptah (Trade & Commerce Week) from 20th to 26th
September 2021 as a part of the celebration of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
• The Department of Commerce(DoC) organised various programmes and events across India to showcase the
rising economic force and exporter conclaves.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) organised the launch of the National
Single Window System and Industrial Park Rating System.
Ajay Seth Heads Task Force to Firm Up Sustainable Finance Road Map
The government of India has set up a task force under Ajay Seth, Secretary of the Department of Economic
Affairs(DEA), Ministry of Finance, to strengthen the road map to enhance the sustainable finance architecture of
India.
Functions of the Taskforce:
i.The task force will recommend ways to strengthen the resilience of India’s financial sector against risks posed by
various climate and ESG issues.
ii.The task force will also lay out the ways to develop sustainable finance in India and set a clear timeline for their
implementation.
Note:
As a part of this initiative, a survey will be conducted to assist the United Nations Development
Programme(UNDP) (India) to assess the climate and environmental, social and governance (ESG) resilience in
India’s financial sector.
Additional info:
i.Before the COVID-19 pandemic, UNDP estimated that India needs more than 2.6 trillion USD to meet the
Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) by 2030.
ii.In August 2020, DEA in partnership with UNDP launched a Sustainable finance collaborative.
This provided valuable insights and recommendations which would support developing a Sustainable Finance
framework or roadmap for India.
GST Council Sets Up 2 GoMs to Review the Rate Rationalisation of Tax Slabs & GST system
reforms
Goods and Services Tax(GST) Council led by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has set up 2 group of
ministers(GoM) headed by Basavaraj Bommai & Ajit Pawar to look into the rate structure and another to look at
systems reforms required to plug revenue leakages.
1st GoMs:
i.1st GoMs was constituted under the head of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The GoM will review
the current tax slab rates and recommend changes in the same.1st GoM has 7 members(including head).
ii.The GoM will review the current rate slab structure of GST, including special rates, and recommend
rationalisation measures, including merger of tax rate slabs, required for a simpler rate structure in GST.
iii.Other Members of the GoM are West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra, Kerala finance minister K N Balagopal,
Bihar deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad, Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Khanna, Goa transport
minister Mauvin Godinho and Rajasthan urban development and housing minister S K Dhariwal.
iv.The GoM has been given two months to submit its report of short, medium and long term recommendations.
2nd GoMs:
i.The 2nd GoM was constituted under the head of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.The GoM will review on GST
System Reforms, which will look at tapping IT tools to minimise tax evasion and make compliance easier for
taxpayers.2nd GoM has 8 members(including head).

ii.The panel would review IT tools and interface available with tax officers and suggest ways to make them more
effective, identify potential sources of evasion and suggest changes in business processes and IT systems to plug
revenue leakage.
iii.The current GST has as many as seven rates – exempt, 0.25%, 3%, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%.
iv.Other members are Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, Andhra Pradesh
Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath, Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog, Chhattisgarh Commercial Taxes
Minister TS Singh Deo, Odisha Finance and Excise Minister Niranjan Pujari and Tamil Nadu Finance Minister
Palanivel Thiaga Rajan.
About GST (Goods and Services Tax)
Background-
i.The Goods and Services Tax Act was passed in the Parliament on 29th March 2017 and came into effect on 1st
July 2017.
ii.GST Day observed- 1st July.
About tax-
iThe GST is an indirect tax which has replaced various indirect taxes in India such as the excise duty, service tax,
Value Added Tax (VAT) etc.
ii.GST is the single domestic indirect tax law for the entire country.
Government Set up IDRCL To Clear NPAs

The government has set up the India Debt Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL), an asset management company
(AMC) that will work with the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL)/Bad Bank to clean up bad
loans (i.e Non-Performing Assets (NPAs)).
• Objective: To carry out all kinds of debt management, operational management, resolution advisory,
support, and consultancy services in relation to debt resolution, and insolvency resolution.
• IDRCL was set up with a paid-up capital of Rs 80.5 lakh on an authorized capital of Rs 50 crore.Canara Bank
is the sponsor bank.
• Cabinet had approved govt guarantee of up to Rs 30,600 crore to back security receipts to be issued by
National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL).
Key Points:
i.Shareholders of IDRCL: It include Bank of Baroda (BoB), Punjab National Bank (PNB), Bank of India (BoI), Bank
of Maharashtra, SBI, Union Bank of India, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, and IDBI Bank.
ii.Sponsors: Canara bank has subscribed to the highest equity shares of 120,000 shares each of Rs 10 followed by
5 banks BoB, PNB, SBI, Union Bank of India and Indian Bank subscribed to 99,000 equity shares each. Bank of
India and Bank of Maharashtra subscribed to 50,000 shares each.
iii.First 3 Directors: Arvind Sadashiv Mokashi was appointed on the board as SBI’s nominee director. The other
directors include Narayan Keelveedhi Seshadri and Anilraj Chellan.
Background:
i.During the 2021-22 Union Budget session, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the setting of an
ARC (Asset Reconstruction Company) & AMC for resolution of NPA in the Indian Banking sector.
ii.In July 2021, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) incorporated the NARCL. Click here to know more
iii.On September 16, 2021, the Union Cabinet approved a government guarantee of up to Rs 30600 crore to back
Security Receipts (SRs) for 5 years that will be issued by NARCL. Click here to know more
Process:
i.Initially, the Banks will transfer bad loans to NARCL and in turn NARCL will provide government guaranteed SRs
to banks as it takes on NPAs from their books.
ii.Recovery: The banks will receive 15 percent of the amount transferred and the remaining 85 percent amount
will be transferred as SRs.
iii.In the 1st phase, 22 stressed accounts worth Rs 89,000 crore will be transferred to NARCL.ARCs charge an
asset management fee of 1.5-2 percent of the asset every year.

Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman (Constituency – Karnataka )
Minister of State – Pankaj Chaudhary (Constituency – Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh), Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad
(Constituency – Maharashtra)
Govt Dissolves Ordnance Factory Board, reorganizing to Seven Defence PSUs

As part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) to corporatize the production in Defence sector, Defence
Ministry of India had dissolved the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
• Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is an entity under the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry
of Defence (MoD) which supplies critical arms and ammunition to the three-armed forces and the
paramilitary.
i.As per the announcement issued by the Government of India on May 16,2020, the management, control,
operations and maintenance of 41 production units and identified non-production units under OFB will be
transferred to the wholly government owned seven defence PSUs (Public Sector Units) with effect from
October 1,2021.
ii.The employees of OFB (Group A, B & C) who are working in production and non-production units will be
moved to the new DPSUs on terms of foreign service without any deputation allowance (deemed deputation)
initially for a period of two years.
iii.New DPSUs are required to frame rules and regulations related to service conditions of the dispersed
employees and also a committee will be set up by DDP (Department of Defence Production) to guide new
DPSUs in this regard.
Gist about Seven Defence PSUs
Seven new companies will be operated by Indian Government for defence production with ₹91,200 crore as
authorised capital to improve accountability and efficiency of defence production units.
Seven new companies are: –
• Troop Comforts Ltd. and Gliders India are reorganised for manufacturing textiles.
• Munitions India Ltd., India Optel Ltd., Armoured Vehicles Nigam Ltd., Advanced Weapons and Equipment
India Ltd., and Yantra India Ltd. are into manufacturing machinery and equipment.
About Ordnance Factory Board (OFB)
OFB is the 37th largest defence equipment manufacturer in the world, 2nd-largest in Asia, and the largest in
India.OFB is the world’s largest government-operated production organisation, and the oldest organisation in
India.
Founded – 1712
Headquarters – Ayudh Bhawan, Kolkata
Director General Ordnance Factories & Chairman – C S Vishwakarma, IOFS
STATE NEWS
President Appointed Acting Chief Justice for High Courts of Telangana, Sikkim & Karnataka
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind has appointed the Acting Chief Justice(ACJ) for the High Courts(HC) of
Telangana, Sikkim & Karnataka by exercising his power conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India.
The current Chief Justice(CJ) of these high courts will be relinquished of the charge following their appointment
as the Judges of the Supreme court of India.
Details of the appointments:
Karnataka HC:
Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, the senior-most judge of Karnataka HC will take charge as the ACJ, succeeding
Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka (AS Oka).

Sikkim HC:
Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai, the senior-most Judge of Sikkim HC will take charge as the ACJ succeeding Justice
Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari.
Telangana HC:
Justice Mamidanna Satya Ratna Sri Ramachandra Rao, the senior-most Judge of Telangana HC will take charge as
ACJ succeeding Justice Hima Kohli.
Background:
i.The President of India accepted the recommendation of the Supreme Court collegium and appointed 9 Supreme
Court Judges by exercising the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India.
ii.The appointment of the 9 Judges including 3 women, takes the total strength of judges of the Supreme court
to 33 (including the Chief Justice of India (CJI)), the maximum possible strength of the Supreme Court is 34.
iii.The retirement age of Supreme Court judges is 65.
Appointment of Judges of the Supreme Court of India:
i.CJI NV Ramana administered the oath of office for the 9 new judges on 31st August 2021 at the auditorium of the
Supreme Court’s additional building complex.
ii.For the first time, 9 judges took the oath of office at one go in the Supreme Court of India.
iii.The 9 judges are,
• Justice AS Oka – CJ of the Karnataka HC
• Justice Vikram Nath – CJ of the Gujarat HC
• Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari – CJ of the Sikkim HC
• Justice Hima Kohli – CJ of the Telangana HC
• Justice B V Nagarathna – judge of the Karnataka HC
• Justice C T Ravikumar – judge of the Kerala HC
• Justice M M Sundresh – judge of the Madras HC
• Justice Bela M Trivedi – judge of the Gujarat HC
• Justice P S Narasimha – senior advocate & former Additional Solicitor General
Note:
Justices Nath, Nagarathna and Narasimha are in line to become the CJI.
Justice Nath will succeed sitting judge Justice Surya Kant in February 2027.
Additional info:
Justice M Fathima Beevi, appointed to the Supreme court in 1989, became the first woman judge of the Supreme
court of India.
Justice AM Khanwilkar Appointed as Chairman of SCLSC:
Justice AM Khanwilkar, the second senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, has been appointed as
the Chairman of Supreme Court Legal Services Committee(SCLSC). He succeeded Justice Rohinton Fali
Nariman(RF Nariman) who retired on 12th August 2021.
• The notification of the appointment was issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
• He was nominated by the Central Authority in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3A of Legal
Service Authorities Act, 1987(39 of 1987) read with rule 10 of the National Legal Services Authority Rules.
i.The President of India has appointed Justice Vineet Kothari as the acting Chief Justice (CJ) of the Gujarat High
Court (HC) until his retirement on September 2, 2021. He will succeed incumbent Chief Justice Vikram Nath who
has been elevated to the Supreme Court.
ii.On 6th April 2021, the President of India Appointed Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana, Judge of the Supreme
Court, as the 48th Chief Justice of India (CJI). The notification regarding the appointment was issued by the
Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice.
About Supreme court of India:
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, fixes the maximum number of judges in the Supreme Court at
30 judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India).
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2019 increases this number from 30 to 33(excluding
CJI).

The Supreme court of India came into being on 26th January 1950.
Chief Justice of India– Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana
Located in Delhi
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Launched ‘My Pad My Right’ Project in Tripura
Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance has launched the “My Pad My Right” (MPMR) project, at Killa
Village, Gomati District, Tripura on the concluding day of her 2-day visit to Tripura.
MPMR project is an initiative of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) and NABFOUNDATION, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NABARD to install low cost
sanitary pad making machines in more than 700 districts.
Aim of MPMR project:
To bring livelihood and menstrual hygiene closer to rural women by way of grant, wage support and capital
equipment.
Features of MPMR Project:
Under the MPMR Project, one sanitary pad making machine, raw materials for two months, wages for 50 days,
packaging material with accessories and a five-day training in three phases will be provided.
Other initiatives:
i.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flagged off the mobile ATM van of Tripura State Co-Operative Bank
Limited which is set to cover all the Gram Panchayats and Village Committees of South Tripura District.
ii.She also interacted with the Women Self Help Group(SHG) members under the Micro-Enterprise Development
Programme (MEDP) of NABARD.
About Tripura:
Chief Minister– Biplab Kumar Deb
Wildlife Sanctuary– Gomati Wildlife Sanctuary; Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary
Airport– Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport; Kamalpur Airport; Khowai Airport
Telangana govt’s IT&C partnered with Marut drones under ‘Hara Bhara’ Project
The Telangana Information technology (IT) Minister Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) announced the
initiation of a drone-based afforestation project, named ‘Hara Bhara’ during a the launch of ‘AgHub’, or Agri
Innovation Hub, at the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University (PJTSAU) in Hyderabad,
Telangana.
• In this regard, Telangana’s Information technology & communication (IT&C) and forest departments have
partnered with Marut Drones, a Hyderabad-based startup.
• Under this project, 5 million (50 Lakh) trees will be planted in 12,000 hectares across all 33 districts of the
state. It is India’s first such project.
Key Points:
i.During the launch event, a Seedcopter drone by Marut Drones was unveiled along with the poster launch of the
‘Hara Bhara’ campaign.
• Seedcopter is an aerial seeding solution for rapid and scalable reforestation.
ii.This campaign will accelerate the mission of a ‘green Telangana’ which was initiated under the
state’s ‘Telangana ku Haritha Haram’ programme.
How will drones help in this project?
Drones will disperse seed balls over thin, barren and empty forest lands to turn them into cluster of trees.
About Aghub:
It has been set up by PJTSAU with an outlay of Rs 9 crore for 5 years by the National Bank for Agricultural and
Rural Development (NABARD) as a special purpose vehicle to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in
agriculture and to support agritech startups.
Telangana Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced to launch Telangana Dalit Bandhu , also known as
Dalit empowerment scheme.This scheme will be launched in Huzurabad(Assembly Constituency) on a pilot basis.

The Aim of this scheme is to provide financial assistance to Dalit (Scheduled Caste) families for making them
financially self-sufficient.
About Telangana:
Governor– Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan
Wildlife sanctuaries– Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary, Jannaram Wildlife Sanctuary, Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiger Reserves– Nagarjunsagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Kawal Tiger Reserve, and Amrabad Tiger reserve
UT of Chandigarh, IAF Signs Pact for India’s 1st Air Force Heritage Center in Chandigarh
The Chandigarh Administration has signed an Agreed In Principle (AIP) with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to
establish the Air Force Heritage Center in the Government Press Building, Chandigarh.
• The AIP was signed between Vinod P Kavle, Secretary Culture, Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh & Air
Marshal Vikram Singh, IAF
• This is India’s 1st Air Force heritage center.
Key features:
i.IAF will showcase its vintage aircraft, armaments, memorabilia with video-audio display & other IAF artefacts.
ii.The heritage center will be an iconic place by attracting tourists from India & Abroad. It will be one of the most
educative and informative centres for the people.
iii.This will act as a platform to motivate youths of our nation to join the AirForce and further reinforce national
integration.
iv.The center will also include a simulator wherein the public can experience the flying of the IAF aircraft.
About Chandigarh
Administrator/Governor – Banwarilal Purohit
UNESCO World Heritage Site – Complexe du Capitole, designed by the architect, Le Corbusier
Airport – Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport
About Indian Air Force (IAF):
Chief of the Air Staff – Marshal RKS Bhadauria
Rajasthan Govt nominates Shooter Avani Lakhera as Brand Ambassador for ‘Beti Bachao and Beti
Padhao’ Project
The government of Rajasthan nominated Gold Medalist of Tokyo Paralympics, shooter Avani Lakhera as the brand
ambassador of the ‘Beti Bachao and Beti Padhao’ project under the Department of Woman and Child
Development.
• Avani Lakhera is 19 years old and belongs to Jaipur, Rajasthan.She survived from spinal cord injury.
• She became the first Indian woman to secure gold medal in 10m Rifle (Class SH-1)at games and also made a
world record equalling total of 249.6 points which is a new paralympic record.
• She along with Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Gurjar, who won medals in Tokyo Paralympic Games, have
been appointed by the State Government as Assistant Conservator of Forests in the Forest Department on
out-of-turn basis.
About Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao
Aim-To promote gender equality and the significance of educating girls.
Ministries involved- Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and
Ministry of Education.
Launched– January 2015
Goa becomes 1st Indian state to give Free Water upto 16k lts to People
On August 31, 2021, the Chief Minister (CM) of Goa Pramod Sawant has launched ‘Save Water to Get Free
Water’ scheme under which state households will not be charged for water consumption up to 16,000 litres. With
this move, Goa becomes the first Indian state to supply water free of cost to its citizens w.e.f. September 1, 2021.

Key Points:
i.With this scheme, 60% of the households will get zero bills. Those living in flats or complexes will be able to
utilise the scheme as water consumption of one meter will be divided among the total number of flats in the
complex.
ii.Small businesses and restaurants will be billed as per commercial rates instead of industrial rates in order to
take them under the benefits of the scheme.
iii.The state government also extended the one-time settlement scheme (OTS) for water bill defaulters by two
months.
About Goa:
Governor– P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
Wildlife Sanctuaries– Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mhadei Wildlife
Sanctuary
Zoological Park– Bondla Zoological Park
Ladakh Declared Snow leopard, Black-necked crane as its State Animal and Bird
The government of Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh has declared ‘Snow leopard’ (Panthera uncia) as its state
animal and ‘Black-necked crane’ (Grus nigricollis) as its state bird.
Key Points:
i.Earlier (prior to the administrative division) Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) had the Black-necked
crane and Kashmir stag (Hangul) as its state bird and animal.
ii.The black-necked crane is found in eastern Ladakh, whereas the Hangul is in Kashmir.
iii.Hence, after the bifurcation into 2 separate administrations, the black-necked crane was now declared as the
state bird of Ladakh.
• As per the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the central government has bifurcated the state
J&K into 2 UTs viz, J&K and Ladakh.
Black-necked crane:
i.Eastern Ladakh is the only known breeding ground in India for Black-necked cranes outside China.
ii.Population: The estimated population of Black-necked Crane in Ladakh region is between 80-100. The global
population is estimated to be ~6,000.
iii.It is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and as Near-threatened on the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Snow leopard:
i.It is found native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia.
ii.Population: The estimated population of individual Snow -Leopard in Ladakh alone is between 200-300.
iii.It is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
The two days grand Hemis festival was celebrated by the people of Ladakh and the Tibetian community on the
20th and 21st of June 2021. It is celebrated at the sweeping courtyard of Hemis monastery, Ladakh.
About Ladakh:
Governor – Radha Krishna Mathur
Airport – Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport
Heritage Site – Tso Kar Wetland Complex, Tsomoriri
Mizoram Govt Launched Online Payment System in Transport Dept

Transport Minister of Mizoram, Pu TJ Lalnuntluanga has launched an online payment system in the Transport
department of the state.
• The payment system was developed by the State Transport Department in collaboration with the National
Informatics Centre (NIC) and State Bank of India (SBI) to make a shift from physical to digital mode
payment.

• Background: On June 5, 2021, the Transport Department of the Government of Mizoram signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SBI and NIC to develop the online payment system.
Two Components of Online Payment System:
i.The system was divided into 2 components viz, Vahan and Sarathi.
ii.Vahan: It deals with new vehicle registration, permits renewal, issue of a duplicate permit, tax payment, issue
of special permit, fitness renewal fee, ownership transfer fee, issue of No Objection Certificate (NOC), registration
renewal, duplicate registration certificate.
iii.Sarathi: It is a platform for submission of applications such as learner licence, driving licence, conductor
licence, licence renewal, change of name, address and photos, duplicate driving licence, etc.
About Mizoram:
Governor – Hari Babu Kambhampati
Wildlife Sanctuaries – Khawnglung Wildlife Sanctuary, Tawi Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiger Reserve – Dampa Tiger Reserve
Delhi Tops Forbes India’s List of World’s Most Surveilled Cities

Delhi tops the the Forbers India Report on the Most Surveilld Cities in the World with 1,826.6 CCTV cameras
per square(sq) mile. Delhi is followed by London with 1,138 and Chennai with 609.9 CCTV Cameras per sq miles
in 2nd and 3rd spot respectively.
Mumbai, Maharashtra has secured 18th spot with 157.4 cameras per sq miles.
LG Manoj Sinha Inaugurates ‘Saath’ Initiative for the Women SHGs in JK

Jammu and Kashmir(JK)’s Lieutenant Governor(LG) Manoj Sinha has launched a Rural Enterprises Acceleration
Programme named ” Saath ” for the Self Help Groups (SHGs) Women.
Objective– To accelerate the livelihood of rural women working with SHGs and provide market linkage of the
products.
Highlights
i.Workshop will be organised for 5000 women in the beginning, out of them 500 would be provided intensive
training then 100 will be selected for mentoring and guidance.
ii.In Jammu and Kashmir, 48,000 SHGs comprising 4 lakh women are working already. This initiative would make
them financially independent.
iii.Target– the goal is to create 11000 more SHGs in the coming year.
iv.The initiative will provide skills to women such as value addition, general profit, creating innovative products,
quality enrichment etc.
v.It will cater the needs and provide training to women in ten different sectors including Agriculture, Animal
Husbandry, Poultry, Handicraft, Handloom among other various sectors
It will help in transforming rural lives and increase the market access of the products.
About Jammu and Kashmir
Festival –Losar ,Matho Nagrang ,Tulip Festival
Stadium-Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium ,Maulana Azad memorial Stadium, Bakshi Stadium
Capital– Srinagar ( Summer) and Jammu (Winter)
Assam Cabinet Renamed Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park as Orang National Park
The Cabinet of Assam chaired by Chief Minister(CM) Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has decided to rename the Rajiv
Gandhi Orang National Park as the “Orang National Park” to honour the Adivasi and tea tribe communities of
Assam.
The Orang National Park is often referred to as the mini Kaziranga of Assam.
Note:
Assam has 7 national parks – Dihing Patkai; Raimona; Kaziranga; Manas; Dibru-Saikhowa; Nameri and Orang
National Park.

Background:
i.The National park was named Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park in 2001 by the Tarun Gogoi government of the
Congress.
ii.The decision of the cabinet to restore the original name of Orang National Park was made considering the
demands of the Adivasi and tea tribe communities.
iii.During a meeting between the CM and the representatives of the Adivasi and tea tribe communities of Assam
have requested to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park to honour the Adivasi and tea tribe communities.
About Orang National Park:
i.An area of 79.28 sq km located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts of
Assam was originally declared as a Wildlife sanctuary in 1985 and was declared as a national park in 1999.
ii.The national park is well known for various wild animals such as Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian one-horned Rhinos,
Pygmy Hog, and wild elephants.
iii.In March 2016, the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA) declared 492.46 sq km of the national park
as a Tiger Reserve.
i.On 5th June 2021, the World Environment Day, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has declared the
Raimona region in Kokrajhar district as Assam’s 6th National Park (NP). The Ramona NP is a 422 sq. km
contiguous forest patch within the Bodoland Territorial Region.
ii.On 9th June 2021, the Assam government notified the 111.942 sq km Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary (WLS) as
its 7th National Park(NP). The WLS is a part of the larger Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve. Dehing Patkai WLS,
also known as the “Amazon of the East” or “Jeypore Rainforest” is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts
of Assam.
About Assam:
Governor– Prof Jagdish Mukhi
Wildlife Sanctuary– Panidihing Wildlife Sanctuary; Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiger Reserve– Kaziranga Tiger Reserve; Orang Tiger Reserve
Maharashtra Govt Launches ‘Mission Vatsalya’ for Women

Ministry of Women and Child Development of Maharashtra has launched “Mission Vatsalya” with an objective to
serve around 18 benefits, schemes, services to the women who lost their husband due to Covid-19.
• Some of the schemes covered in this mission include Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana, Gharkul Yojana,
Shravanbal Seva State Pension Scheme, Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, Indira Gandhi
National Disability Pension Scheme etc.
NTPC REL receives LoA to Develop 325MW in MP’s Shajapur Solar Park
NTPC (Formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited)- Renewable Energy Limited (REL)
received a Letter of Award(LoA) from the Chief Minister(CM) of Madhya Pradesh(MP) Shivraj Singh Chauhan for
developing 325 MW Solar Power Project in Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL) at Shajapur Solar Park,
Shajapur district Madhya Pradesh.
Highlights
i.NTPC is planning to achieve 60 GW renewable energy capacity by 2032 from existing 4 GW and invest IN R 1
trillion between 2019 and 2024 to become 130 GW power producer by 2032.
ii.India has also crossed the 100 GW milestone of installed renewable energy capacity.
iii.NTPC is working with International Solar Alliance (ISA) in Cuba, Niger, and Malawi to set up solar parks. It is
engaged as a facilitator by ISA and aiming to set 10GW capacity in ISA member countries.
iv.CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan also presented LoA to Mohit Bhargava, CEO of NTPC REL for the districts named
Agar and Neemuch of 1500 MW capacity at Bhopal. State DISCOMS & Railways will buy power from these
projects.

About National Thermal Power Corporation Limited(NTPC)
CMD-Gurdeep Singh
Headquarters-New Delhi, Delhi
Manipur CM N Biren Singh Launched COVID-19 Affected Livelihood Support Scheme

Manipur Chief Minister(CM) N Biren Singh launched a COVID-19 Affected Livelihood Support Scheme to
provide assistance to those who had been severely affected by the COVID-19 in the state.
• Under the start-up scheme, the first installment of Rs 2500 was planned to be disbursed to 6,276 applicants
bearing a total amount of around Rs 1.56 crore.
Gujarat rolls out ‘Vatan Prem Yojana’ for Non-Resident Gujarat People to develop Rural areas
The state government of Gujarat initiated ‘Vatan Prem Yojana’ which encourages non-resident Indians (NRIs)
from Gujarat or people living anywhere in India with Gujarati origins (Non-Resident Gujarat People) to fund
development projects in their native villages.
• Under this scheme, the state government envisages to develop public welfare projects worth Rs 1000
crore by December 2022.
• The donor can fund a minimum 60% of projects and the balance up to 40% will be provided by the State
government i.e. 60:40 ratio.
Key Points:
i.The governing board of this scheme will be chaired by the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, with
members being ministers, bureaucrats, chairperson of the Non Resident Gujarati Foundation.
• There will be two distinguished persons involved in development work in rural areas as invitees.
ii.The development projects include school classroom renovations, primary health centres, anganwadi, mid-day
meal rooms, store rooms, libraries, gymnasium, surveillance systems, drainage, water recycling, sports complex,
sewage treatment plants, lake beautification, bus stands, solar street lights, tubewells, water tanks, among others.
iii.For the effective implementation of the scheme, a project management unit for effective implementation.
• Also, arrangement of payment will be through a separate bank account and portal for the ease of donors to
make contributions online.
• There will be a 24×7 call centre for redressal of queries and exchange of information.
It should be noted that this scheme is the repackaged version of ‘Madar-e-Watan’ scheme launched by the state
government in the 2020 annual budget to encourage collaboration of NRI with the government for village-level
projects.
• The contribution of the state government and NRIs in the earlier version of the scheme was 50:50.
About Gujarat:
Governor– Acharya Devvrat
Zoological parks– Sakkarbaug zoo, Dr. Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Zoological Garden (Sarthana Nature Park), and
Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden
Heritage Sites– Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell), and Nalsarovar
Odisha Launched e-Receipt 2.0 for Payment of Taxes & Dues

Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Chief Secretary of Odisha, introduced the new model of electronic receipt(e-
receipt) “e-Receipt 2.0” in Lok Seva Bhawan. The revamped e-receipt “e-Receipt 2.0” will avail the new modes of
payment of taxes and other dues to the people of Odisha.
Background:
This is a part of the efforts of the Finance Ministry of the state to provide better management and delivery of
service in electronic receipts and distribution under the Integrated Financial Management System(IFMS) which is
in line with the 5T principles of Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha.
Features of e-Receipt 2.0:
i.In e-Receipt 2.0, The Odisha Treasury Portal has integrated with the Payment Gateway Service providers of the

Indian Bank and Axis Bank to avail services of the bank through their Payment Gateway Service providers.
ii.The Service Legal Agreements between the government of Odisha, and Axis Bank and Indian Bank for the use of
their payment gateways namely “BillDesk” and “CC Avenue”.
iii.This will also provide facilities such as payment through Card, UPI ID, QR Code and Wallets based payments.
About Odisha:
Governor– Ganeshi Lal
Zoological park– Nandankanan Zoological Park
Airports– Biju Patnaik International Airport; Jharsuguda Airport
Mumbai became First South Asian City To Launch CAP

State environment, tourism and protocol minister of
Maharashtra, Aaditya Thackeray launched the first ever
Climate Action Plan (CAP) for Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Mumbai has become the first South Asian city to
launch CAP. The CAP will ensure better planning and
growth for climate resilient infrastructure and mitigation
efforts.
Highlights
i.Mumbai has joined C-40 Cities Network December 2020.
By following the compliance with guidance of C-40, a CAP
will be drafted.
ii.BrihanMubai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is developing the climate action plan and technical support is
provided by the World Resource Institute of India.
iii.The Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) website was also launched.
iv.A new portal for the National Livestock Mission (NLM) was launched.
v.The final completion of the MCAP will be done by November 2021. Which is also closer to the United Climate
Change Conference (COP26) in 2021 .
vi.This project, the first of its kind in India, will make use of a special machine developed by Finland’s River
Recycle, which would collect floating plastic waste to clean the river.
About Mumbai Climate Action Plan(MCAP)
i.It would have six thematic action areas such as sustainable waste management, urban greening and biodiversity,
urban flooding and water resource management, building energy efficiency, air quality and sustainable mobility.
ii.Assessment will be done by using satellite imagery data.
About C-40 Cities:
i.C40 is a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate change. Chair of C40 – Eric Garcetti.
ii.The cities from India that are part of the C40 are Delhi NCT, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and
Mumbai.(Bengaluru is Temporarily Inactive).
ICAR-NBAGR Recognised Odisha’s Manda Buffalo as 19th Unique Breed Found in India
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research – National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources(ICAR-NBAGR),
Karnal, Haryana, has recognised the Manda Buffalo of Odisha as the 19th unique breed of buffalo found in India.
Its accession number is “INDIA_BUFFALO_1500_MANDA_01019”.
• Manda Buffalo are found in the hill ranges of Eastern Ghats and plateau of Koraput region, Odisha.
• The germplasm of the buffalo was first identified by the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development
(FARD) Department in collaboration with Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).
The Dharwad Buffalo of Karnataka has also been recognised as a unique breed of buffalo found in India.
Delhi implements “Business Blasters” programme in all its Government Schools

On 7th September 2021, Manish Sisodia, the deputy Chief Minister of Delhi launched the “Business Balsters”
programme, which will be implemented in all the Government run schools across Delhi. This program aims to

inculcate entrepreneurship mindset at the school-level, it is an initiative under Delhi’s ambitious
“Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum” (EMC).
• Under the Business Blasters programme, Classes XI and XII of Delhi government schools will be provided
with a Seed Money of Rs. 2,000 to start a business.
i.Top 10 projects under the Business Blasters programme will be directly admitted to the BBA course in Netaji
Subhas University of Technology (NSTU) and Delhi Technological University (DTU).
ii.‘Seed Money Project’ of the Delhi Government school was previously implemented on a pilot basis at the School
of Excellence Khichripur, Where students were given Rs 1,000 as seed money to start their own business.
Micro-research project:
Under the EMC, Delhi has also launched a micro-research project to facilitate link between Entrepreneurs &
students. Where 5 Entrepreneurs will discuss with 5 Students, on the advantages and disadvantages of various
professions.
About Delhi:
Lieutenant Governor – Anil Baijal
On 13th February 1931, Delhi was officially inaugurated as the Capital of India by the British government.
The Parliament building in Delhi was designed by Edwin Lutyens & Herbert Baker.
Only Locals In Ladakh To Get ‘Resident Certificate’

Ladakh administration has decided to issue “Resident Certificate” only to the Permanent Resident Certificate
(PRC) holders of Ladakh.‘Resident Certificate can be received by any person who possesses a PRC issued by the
competent authority in the districts of Leh and Kargil.
• The reason for the issuance of certificate is to appoint all the non-gazetted posts in the Ladakh.
Chhattisgarh CM Launches ‘Millet Mission’ to Become Millet Hub of India

The Chief Minister (CM) of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel launched the Millet Mission in the capital Raipur. He
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR)Hyderabad and
the Collectors of 14 districts of the state. The mission will provide affordable accurate prices to farmers for
small cereal crops and input assistance, procurement arrangements will also be provided.
District – Kanker, Kondagaon, Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Sukma, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon, Kawardha,
Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Balrampur, Koriya, Surajpur and Jashpur.
(Note– International Year of Millets-2023)
Millet Mission–
i.Under this mission, farmers will produce Kodo-Kutki and Ragi crops. Rs.9000 per acre and Rs.10,000 per acre
input assistance will be given to farmers who grow Kodo-Kutki and Ragi crops respectively. The State
Government has decided to procure Kodo, Kutki and Ragi on support price and to include these crops under
Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana.
ii.The IIMR is providing technical assistance and guidance for increasing the productivity of these crops along
with technical skills and availability of high quality seeds and establishing seed banks.
iii.Krishi Vigyan Kendras are set up to provide training to the farmers. At the same time, the value addition of
these crops will also provide employment and the economic condition of the farmers will also improve.
iv.Seed banks for small grain crops would be established in Bastar, Surguja, Kawardha and Rajnandgaon.Keeping
in view the rich nutrients found in small cereal crops, the district administration and Krishi Vigyan Kendra in
North Bastar (Kanker) district are giving information to the farmers of the district for improved farming under
Millet Mission.
v.After processing, these crops will be used in schemes like midday meals, public distribution systems and
nutrition programmes which will add nutrition to the diet.
Role of women
Women of self-help groups (SFGs) engaged in collection and processing work have been provided employment
for more than 850 days. On the initiative of the district administration, farmers and women groups producing
small cereal crops have been linked to this processing center.

About Chhattisgarh
Wildlife Sanctuary– Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary, Udanti Wild Buffalo Wildlife Sanctuary
Airport- Swami Vivekananda Airport,Jagdalpur Airport, OP Jindal Airport
Festivals– Bastar Dussehra, Bastar Lokotsav, Fagun Wadai
Sameer Sharma appointed as new Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh

Sameer Sharma, the Special Chief Secretary, has been appointed as Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh.He was a
1985-batch IAS officer and Special Chief Secretary to Government, Planning and Resource Mobilization. Sameer is
replacing Aditya Nath Das who will be retired on September month.
• He was the Director of the Smart Cities Mission of Government of India, AMRUT and the World Bank-
supported urban capacity building programme.
• He was also a chairman of the committees to design a national urban policy framework as well as the policy
on value capture finance which set up by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
About Andhra Pradesh
It is the only state with three proposed capitals.Visakhapatnam is being the executive capital while Amaravati
and Kurnool are legislative and judicial capitals, respectively.
Chief Minister – Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
Governor – Biswabhusan Harichandan
AMTRON Partners with iBus to set up Digital Infrastructure

The Assam Electronics Development Corporation Limited(AMTRON) has appointed iBus Networks as its
Exclusive Business Partner for operating and managing digital infrastructure.
Highlights
i.With the partnership, they will provide better connectivity solutions such as IT (Information Technology)parks,
hospitals, SEZs(Special Economic Zones) and other commercial infrastructure.
ii.The state information technology department is the nodal agency, with the help of private network solution
providers, resilient Digital Infrastructure(DI) will be created.
iii.iBus along with its group covering around 500 million square feet in over 900 sites of 19 states.
iv.AMTRON and IBUS shall undertake necessary actions in identifying appropriate business opportunities and
collectively look forward to design and deploy the best-in-class digital infrastructure that will reduce the digital
divide in India and contribute to realising the goal of digital India.
v.This partnership will provide access to better Internet services in the state.IBUS as the largest neutral digital
Infrastructure player in India brings its expertise in physical & digital infrastructure solutions to amplify
AMTRON diverse expertise in electronics and knowledge of North-Eastern Region.
About iBus:
Chief executive officer-Ram Sellaratnam
Headquarter – Bengaluru, Karnataka
About Assam Electronics Development Corporation Limited
Managing Director– MK Yadava
Headquarter – Guwahati, Assam
About Assam
Airport– Jorhat Airport(Rowriah Airport),Salonibari airport , Lilabari Airport
UNESCO Heritage– Kaziranga National park , Manas wildlife sanctuary.
Festival- Bohag Bihu,Kati Bihu, Magh Bihu
J&K LG Manoj Sinha Launched Digital Banking Mission – “One Gram Panchayat-One DIGI-Pay
Sakhi”
Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K), launched a digital banking mission “One
Gram Panchayat-One DIGI-Pay Sakhi” at the event organised at the Jammu & Kashmir Entrepreneurship
Development Institute(JKEDI), Pampore, Pulwama, J&K.

• The mission aims to promote door-to-door digital banking and financial service in remote areas of J&K.
About the mission:
i.Under this mission, the DIGI Pay facility will be provided to more than 2000 remote villages of J&K.
ii.In the first phase, 80 women from the Self Help Groups (SHGs) across J&K Divisions have been selected as DIGI
Pay Sakhis.
iii.The DIGI Pay Sakhi has introduced financial inclusion within J&K’s SHG ecosystem, by creating financial access
points with transparency in remote areas.
Key Points:
iManoj Sinha also distributed 80 Aadhaar Enabled Payment Systems (AEPs) among the DIGI-Pay Sakhis under the
Jammu & Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM).
ii.He also inaugurated a week-long training program for Krishi Sakhis and Pashu Sakhis on sustainable agriculture
and livestock management.
iii.He also directed the JKRLM to train the DIGI Pay Sakhis in 360-degree financial services training courses
offered by the BSE in J&K.
iv.He also stated that the 3 new initiatives of DIGI Pay, Krishi, and Pashu Sakhi and other women empowerment
programs like Hausla, Tejaswini, UMEED, Rise Together will speed up the efforts of the J&K government to
empower women and make them a part of the development of J&K.
About Jammu & Kashmir(J&K):
Lt Governor– Manoj Sinha
Festivals– Hemis Festival; Sindhu Darshan Festival
Dance forms– Wuegi-Nachun; Bacha Nagma; Bhand Jashan
Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma Launched ‘MyMeG’ to Engage Citizens in the Governance Process
On the occasion of International Democracy Day (15th September 2021), Conrad K Sangma Chief Minister (CM) of
Meghalaya launched the “MyMeG” Program, an initiative to facilitate citizens engagement and participation in
the governance process.
• This is in line with the aim of the state to become one of the top 10 states in India by 2030.
• The government of Meghalaya has taken various initiatives to promote inclusive development through
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), Self Help Groups(SHGs), Jal
Jeevan Mission, etc.,
About MyMeG Program:
i.The program has been designed to accelerate the development of the state by engaging and empowering the
citizens and promote their participation in governance.
ii.MyMeG program aims to,
• Connect with citizens through face to face and digital platforms which will facilitate citizen-centric
information on the benefits of key schemes and programmes.
• Track the progress of schemes, programmes and initiatives at various levels.
• Participate and share feedback and opinions through polls and surveys.
• Engage people through town hall meetings.
About Meghalaya:
Governor– Satya Pal Malik
Festivals– Shad Sukra; Wangala Festival
Stadium– Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath announced “UP Matra Bhumi Yojana” for Rural Areas
The Chief Minister (CM) of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Yogi Adityanath has announced the launch of ‘Uttar Pradesh
Matra Bhumi Yojana‘ while virtually laying other road projects under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak
yojana (PMGSY). This scheme will strengthen the rural economy and infrastructure in the state.
Under the scheme-
i.Health centres, Aganwadi, Library, gymnasium, open gym, cattle breed improvement centres, fire service

stations,CCTVs for smart villages, development of funeral sites, installation of solar lights among others in villages
will be developed in the rural areas.
ii.Every person will be given a chance to directly participate in the various work of infrastructure development in
the rural regions.
iii.50 percent of the expense will be provided by the government while remaining 50 percent will be
contributed by the interested people. The project will be named after their collaborators.
iv.The state Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj will submit the action plan to the
government.
About Uttar Pradesh
Airport– Kanpur airport, Gorakhpur airport, Agra Airport (Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Airport)
Heritage site – Agra fort(1983) , Taj Mahal (1983), Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
Bird sanctuary- Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary,Sandi Bird Sanctuary, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary
Rajnish Kumar appointed as Economic Advisor of Andhra Pradesh

In September 2021, Andhra Pradesh government headed by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy appointed former
SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar as its Economic Advisor. He was appointed to the state’s cabinet for a period of 2-
years, to review the state’s financial situation and guide its early recovery from COVID-19.
• Rajinish Kumar serves as the Non-Executive Director of HSBC and advisor to Kotak’s Funds, after his
retirement from SBI in October 2020.
Meghalaya launches e-governance service

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Union Minister, Ministry of Information and Technology Ashwini
Vaishnaw jointly launched ‘MeghEA- Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture’.
• Meghalaya is the first state to implement IndEA as MeghEA and promote digital governance
Note
IndEA is an initiative of the Government of India, to promote digital governance in the country and expedite the
delivery service system in the government process.
Objective
i.To transform traditional service delivery process into a digital service system
ii.It integrates multiple digital platforms through modern technology to digitize the government system and
provide quick and easy service.
About Meghalaya
Governor: Satya Pal Malik
Capital: Shillong
Tribes: Garo, Khasi and Jaintia
Tamil Nadu Celebrated Social Justice Day – 17th September 2021

Tamil Nadu(TN) Government celebrated the 143rd birth anniversary of social activist and politician EV
Ramasamy, popularly known as “Periyar” or “Thanthai Periyar”, as Social Justice Day.
17th September 2021 marks the observance of the first ever Social Justice Day across Tamil Nadu.
Background:
i.Under rule 110 on the floor of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, MK Stalin, Chief Minister(CM) of Tamil Nadu
announced that the 17th September of every year will be celebrated as “Social Justice Day” starting from 2021.
ii.The government of Tamil Nadu has made the decision to celebrate the birth anniversary of Periyar as Social
Justice Day to honour his ideology about social justice, self-respect, rationalism and equality.
About Periyar E.V. Ramasamy:
i.Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy (E.V. Ramasamy) was born on 17th September 1879, in Erode, Tamil Nadu.
ii.In the later 1930s, Periyar was elected as the president of the Justice Party, which was transformed into the
social organisation ‘Dravidar Kazhagam’ in 1944.
iii.He played a major role in the enactment of the first constitutional amendment Act, which added subclause (4)

to Article 15 to preserve the rights and equal opportunities of backward classes of India.
iv.He led the Vaikom Satyagraha, the first-ever organised movement for the rights of people deemed as
‘untouchables’, for which he was hailed as “Vaikom Veerar” (Hero of Vaikom).
Sikkim declares ‘Katley’ as State fish

The Sikkim government has declared ‘Copper Mahseer’ locally named ‘Katley’ as the State fish. The scientific name
of the fish is Neolissochilus hexagonolepis.
• The fish is predominantly found in Teesta and Rangit
rivers and their tributaries.
• Objective – To highlight the importance of the fish
and to emphasis its conservation.
About Copper Mahseer/Katley
i.It was categorised as an endangered species by ICAR-
National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR),
Lucknow, in 1992.
ii.Even IUCN (International Union for Conservation of
Nature) categorised it as endangered in 2014.
iii.The fish has high market value in the State.
About Sikkim
Chief Minister: Prem Singh Tamang
National Park: Khangchendzonga National Park in North Sikkim. It was established in 1977. It listed in UNESCO
world heritage site.
Wildlife sanctuaries: Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary and Barsey Rhododendron
Sanctuary.
Goa CM launches “Sarkar Tumachya Dari” initiative

On 19th September 2021, Pramod Sawant, the Chief Minister (CM) of Goa announced the 1-day long “Sarkar
Tumachya Dari” program also known as “Government at Your Doorstep”. The initiative aims at addressing the
grievances among the citizens of Goa while availing government schemes & initiatives.
i.The day-long program is aimed at easing out procedural complexities, so that people can benefit from various
government schemes, services & facilities.
ii.Under the “Government at Your Doorstep” initiative, representatives from different governmental departments
will visit rural villages across all assembly constituencies of Goa to address various grievances faced by the people
while accessing government schemes.
iii.People can address issues regarding their pending Ration Cards, Aadhaar cards, Dayanand Social Security
Scheme, Kisan cards, Tribal welfare schemes among others.
iv.At present, around 152 services were provided through the government portal of Goa.
• Notably, Goa celebrates its 60th year of liberation from Portuguese 2021 (Goa got independence in 1961)
About Goa:
Governor – P.S. Sreedharan Pillai
Border States – Maharashtra (North), Karnataka (East & South), Arabian Sea (West)
Goa is India’s smallest state by area, it got its statehood on 30th May 1987
Delhi Govt Launched India’s 1st Mobile Music Classroom, Recording Studio ‘Music Bus’
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia launched India’s 1st mobile music
classroom and recording studio, named ‘music bus’ at Delhi government-run School of Specialized Excellence
(SoSE) in performing and visual arts.
• The bus will be used to share digital educational music videos on issues related to social-emotional health
and well-being. It is expected to benefit more than 5,000 students studying in government-run schools.

• It is funded by SBI Card under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The concept was introduced by Manzil
Mystics, a group of children studying in the Delhi government schools.
Punjab Govt Appoints Anirudh Tiwari as the new Chief Secretary of Punjab
Charanjit Singh Channi, the Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab approved the appointment of Anirudh Tiwari, a 1990
batch IAS officer as the new Chief Secretary of the state. He will succeed Vini Mahajan, the 1987 batch IAS officer.
About Anirudh Tiwari:
i.Currently, he is serving as the Additional Chief Secretary of Agriculture and Development.
ii.He has also served as the Finance Secretary under previous CM Amrinder Singh before being appointed as the
Finance Commissioner (Development).
About Punjab
Heritage site- Kanjli (2002), Ropar (2002), Harike Lake(1990)
Festival -Basant Panchami, Guru Nanak Gurpurab
Stadium- War Heroes Stadium, Guru Gobind Singh Stadium, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium
Haryana approves implementation of MBBY-a crop assurance scheme

The Haryana government decided to cover farmers growing horticultural crops against abiotic factors under a
specially-designed scheme- Mukhyamantri Bagwani Bima Yojana (MBBY).
• The State cabinet under chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar approved the implementation
of MBBY.
• The State government will keep aside seed capital of Rs 10 crore for the scheme.
About Mukhyamantri Bagwani BimaYojana (MBBY)
i.MBBY is an assurance-based scheme to compensate crop losses due to adverse weather and natural calamities.
ii.The scheme was designed as Horticulture Crop Assurance Scheme with the aim to encourage farmers to
cultivate high-risk horticulture crops.
iii.The scheme will be optional and shall cover the entire state.
iv.The scheme will be monitored by state and district level committees, under Pradhan Mantri Fasal BimaYojana
(PMFBY).
Parameters of the MBBY
i.The scheme will cover crop losses occurred by abiotic factors like- hailstorms, frost, rainfall, flood and fire.
ii.A total of 21 vegetable, fruit and spice crops will be covered.
iii.Farmers need to pay 2.5 per cent, that is Rs 750 for vegetable and spice crop and Rs 1000 for fruit crops,
against a sum assured of Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 respectively.
Compensation
i.The extent of loss will be in four categories of 25, 50, 75, and 100 per cent and the claim compensation will be
based on survey .
ii.Farmers have to register their crop and area on Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) portal to opt for this scheme.
About Haryana
Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
Capital: Chandigarh
Airports: Ambala Air Force Station, Hisar Airport andSirsa Air Force Station.
CM of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan Inaugurated Digital Hub

The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan has virtually inaugurated ‘Digital Hub’ under Kerala Startup
Mission (KSUM) in Kalamassery, Kerala. The digital hub is started at the Technology Innovation Zone (TIZ) and it
has a built-up space of 2 lakh square feet and has a capacity to support 200 startups.
Technology Innovation Zone (TIZ):
i.In 2019, the state government has set up India’s largest incubation facility, an Integrated Start-up Complex in the
TIZ.
ii.During 2019, TIZ has a capacity of 2 lakh square feet, now along with the digital hub the facilities have grown to

a total of 4 lakh square feet. With this, the TIZ is becoming the largest start-up space in Southeast Asia.
iii.The digital hub hosts an ecosystem comprising incubators, accelerators and Centres of Excellence in emerging
technologies.
iv.Kerala is aiming to increase the number of startups by four-fold i.e to 15,000 in the next 5 years. 5 years ago,
there were 300 start-ups in Kerala, today there are 3,900.
Funding:
i.KSUM provides interest-free loans to startups and Venture funding with a corpus of Rs 750 crore.
ii.The financial institutions such as Kerala Bank, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), Kerala
Financial Corporation (KFC) and Kerala State Financial Enterprises (KSFE) jointly proposed to set up a venture
capital fund of Rs 250 crore to promote start-ups.
iii.The state government also plans to extend loans up to Rs 1 crore without collateral security for the expansion
of start-ups.
About Kerala:
Governor – Arif Mohammad Khan
Tiger Reserves – Periyar Tiger Reserve, Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
Zoological Park – Zoological Park, State Museum & Zoo
GOVT SCHEMES
Haryana first State in Installation of Solar Pumps under PM KUSUM Scheme
Haryana has become the first state in the country to install off-grid solar pumps under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Urja Suraksha Evam Uttan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM).So far, Haryana has installed 14,418 pumps against the
sanctioned 15,000 pumps for the year 2020-21.It was announced in the concluding session of the
nationwide ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ organized by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy( MNRE).
The implementation of PM KUSUM has provided an opportunity to the farmers to switch from diesel pumps to
solar pumps. This move will lead towards doubling the farmers income by reducing the input cost of agriculture.
Target for Haryana
i.Under the PM KUSUM scheme, the target was to set up 20 lakh standalone solar pumps, under which Under
this, Haryana was given a target of setting up 15,000 pumps with a total cost of Rs 520 crore for the year
2020-21.
ii.The state department received more than 42,000 applications online therefore the new target has increased
by setting up 22,000 pumps with a total cost of Rs 844 crore for financial year 2021-22.
iii.Under the scheme, 3 HP(House power) to 10 HP capacity of solar pumps are being installed with 75 percent
subsidy. The Government of India is providing 30 percent central financial assistance and the state
government will provide 45 percent subsidy. Farmers have to pay only 25 percent of the total pump cost.
Insurance cover-
These pumps have been installed with a 5-year Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) and insurance cover for
natural calamities, theft etc.No extra cost will be paid by the farmers.
Reduction in carbon footprint
The pumps can generate around 105 MW of solar capacity in the state and have resulted in reduction of carbon
footprint by about 76,000 tonnes per annum.
The implementation of PM KUSUM has provided an opportunity to the farmers to switch from diesel pumps to
solar pumps. This move will lead towards doubling the farmers income by reducing the input cost of agriculture.
About Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Uttan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM)
The PM-KUSUM scheme was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to support
installation of off-grid solar pumps in rural areas and reduce dependence on grid, in grid-connected areas.
Objective – to provide financial and water security and doubling farmers income

The government’s Budget for 2020-21 expanded the scope for the scheme with 20 lakh farmers to be provided
assistance to install standalone solar pumps; another 15 lakh farmers to be given help to solarise their grid-
connected pump sets.
Govt Enhanced the Scope of TMA Scheme for Agri Exports Including Dairy
The Government of India has enhanced the scope of the Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for specified
agriculture products schemes by including dairy products under its purview and increasing the rates of
assistance.
The rates of assistance have been increased by 50% for exports by sea and 100% through the air.
• According to the notification of the Department of Commerce, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
the revised TMA for specified agriculture products scheme for exports is effected on or after 1st April 2021
to 31st March 2022.
• The existing scheme will remain in operation for exports effects up to March 31, 2021.
Aim:
To assist Indian exporters of agricultural products to meet the increasing freight and logistics costs.
About revised TMA:
i.The diary products which were not previously covered under the TMA scheme will be eligible for assistance.
ii.Under this scheme, a certain portion of freight charges and assists market the agriculture produce.
Background:
i.The Department of Commerce introduced the ‘Transport and Marketing Assistance’ (TMA) scheme in 2019 to
assist with the international component of freight, to mitigate the disadvantage of higher freight costs faced by the
Indian exporters of agricultural products, and to boost exports of such commodities to certain countries in Europe
and North America.
ii.It was initially applicable for exports with effect from March 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020. It was later extended
up to March 31, 2021
On April 19, 2021, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal Launched the Startup India Seed Fund
Scheme (SISFS).
Objective- It aims to provide Financial Assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development,
product trials, market entry and commercialization.
About Ministry of Commerce and Industry:
Union Minister– Piyush Goyal(Rajya Sabha- Maharashtra)
Minister of State– Som Parkash(Constituency- Hoshiarpur, Punjab); Anupriya Patel(Constituency- Mirzapur,
Uttar Pradesh)
Ashwini Vaishnaw launched Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY) under PMKVY
On September 17, 2021, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Railways launched Rail Kaushal Vikas
Yojana (RKVY) under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) from Rail Bhavan, New Delhi.
• The program envisages empowering youth viz. 50000 candidates with industry relevant skills over a period
of three years under the Apprentice Act 1961 through 75 Railway training institutes. It will be free of cost.
• This program is a part of 75 years of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and will also contribute towards Skill India
Mission.
Key Features of Program:
i.The program curriculum has been developed by Banaras Locomotive Works, Uttar Pradesh. It is a nodal
Production Unit(PU) of the scheme.
ii.The Central Government will also set up mobile skill training units to improve reach in remote areas.
iii.The training will be provided in four trades viz. Electrician, Welder, Machinist and Fitter for 100 hours.
iv.The selection of candidates aged between 18-35 years for training will be based upon marks in matriculation.
• The selected candidates will be awarded certificate in the allotted trade by the Vadodara, Gujarat
based National Rail & Transportation Institute (NRTI), upon conclusion.

• The scheme does not claim to provide employment in Railways.
Click here to get the full list of 75 Training Centres
About Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY):
Launched in 2015, it encourages and promotes skill development by providing free short term training (STT) and
by providing monetary rewards to youth for skill certification.
• Its total budgetary outlay was Rs 12000 Crores for the year 2016-2020.
• The Training is provided according to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
• It has two components for the year 2016-2020 viz. Centrally Sponsored Centrally Managed (CSCM) and
Centrally Sponsored State Managed (CSSM).
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated & dedicated several Railway Projects worth Rs 1,100
crore in Gujarat including the inauguration of the newly renovated Gandhinagar Capital railway station. It is
India’s 1st redeveloped station in line with Central government’s plan to modernise railway stations through
Public Private Partnerships.
About Ministry of Railways:
Union Minister – Ashwini Vaishnaw (Constituency- Odisha)
Ministers of State (MoS)– Danve Raosaheb Dadarao (Jalna, Maharashtra), Darshana Vikram Jardosh (Surat,
Gujarat)
Railway Board Chairman– Suneet Sharma
Govt to cover 36000 Villages under PM Adarsh Gram Yojna

The Union Tribal Affairs minister Arjun Munda announced to start Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram
Yojna (PMAGY) covering 36 thousands villages across the country.priority will be provided to villages which
consists of 50 percent tribal population.
Highlights
• 1,700 tribal villages in Assam will be covered under PMAGY and converted into modern villages. It would
benefit around 60,000 people.
• 184 Van Dhan Kendra will be set in Assam.
About Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY)
Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) has been implemented since 2009-10 to enable an area based
development approach for Scheduled Caste persons.
Objective-
i.It aims to provide ‘Housing for All’ by 2022, by providing financial assistance to beneficiaries.
ii.Integrated development of villages having population of Scheduled Castes (SC) people is more than 50%.
iii.Taking up identified activities that are not covered under the existing Central and State Government Schemes,
through ‘Gap-filling’ funds from the centre.
• In October, 2018, the Scheme was revised to bring focus on important and critical monitorable socio-
economic indicators under 10 domains namely, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Education, Health &
Nutrition, Social Security, Rural Road and housing, Electricity and clean fuel, Agricultural practices
etc., Financial inclusion, Digitization, Livelihood and Skill Development.
Funding Pattern- Under the scheme, a total of Rs 21 lakh is allocated for every new village selected, out of which
Rs 20 lakh is the gap-filling component and Rs 1 lakh is for administrative expenses that are to be utilised at
the centre/ state/ district and village level in a ratio of 1:1:1:2.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana Completes 3 Years

On September 23, 2021, the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana(AB-PM-JAY) has completed 3
years.
• In order to celebrate the 3 years’ completion, National Health Authority (NHA) has organised a 4 days hybrid
(virtual & physical) event, ArogyaManthan 3.0 from 23rd – 25th September and 27th September 2021.

• The 1st Universal Health Coverage initiative for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir was launched in
December 2020.
• Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the Opening Session of
Aarogya Manthan 3.0.
• He released the 3rd edition of the NHA’s Annual Report 2020-2021 along with the Lessons Learnt Booklet.
• He also gave the Ayushman Utkrishta Puraskaar award to the best performing Ayushman Bharat – PMJAY
States and Union Territories for efficient implementation of the scheme.
About Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY:
i.AB PM-JAY is the National Digital Health Eco-system that supports Universal Health Coverage. It is also the
largest health assurance scheme in the world.
ii.It was launched on 23rd September 2018 by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare as part of the Indian
Government’s National Health Policy.
iii.NHA is the Implementing Agency of PM-JAY
iv.It provides a cashless health cover of Rs 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care
hospitalization across public and private empanelled hospitals in India.
v.Funding – Centrally sponsored and jointly funded by both the Central government & state government.
vi.Target – To provide free access to healthcare for 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable entitled families (~50 crore
people) in India.
vii.Eligibility – There is no restriction on the family size, age or gender.
Key Points:
i.Under COVID-19:
• NHA introduced free COVID19 testing and treatment under AB PM-JAY for the beneficiaries.
• More than 2.5 Crore Ayushman Cards were issued to the beneficiaries through ‘AapkeDwaarAyushman’, an
Ayushman card generation drive, which was conducted in partnership with State Health Agencies.
ii.Various healthcare initiatives under the umbrella of AB PM-JAY have improved through the launch of Ayushman
Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), ESIC (Employees’ State Insurance Scheme), RashtriyaArogyaNidhi (RAN)
and Health Minister’s. Discretionary Grants (HMDG), etc.,
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labor & Employment Santosh Gangwar launched the convergence of
the ESI (Employees State Insurance) Scheme with Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY in 113 districts of 4 States –
Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra.
About Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW):
Union Minister – Mansukh Mandaviya (Constituency – Gujarat)
Minister of State – BharatiPravinPawar (Constituency – Dindori, Maharashtra)
Saubhagya Completed 4 Years of Successful Implementation

Saubhagya – Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, one of the largest household electrification drives in the
world, has completed 4 years of successful implementation.
As of March 2021, 2.82 crore households across India have been electrified under the SAUBHAGYA since its
launch.
About Saubhagya – Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana:
Saubhagya – Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
25th September 2017, the birth centenary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.
Implementing authority:
i.The Ministry of Power is the implementing authority of the scheme.
ii.Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) is the Nodal Agency for the operationalization of the scheme
throughout the country
Objective:
• To achieve universal household electrification across India through last-mile connectivity

• To provide access to electricity to all un-electrified households in rural areas and poor households in urban
areas.
The electricity connection provided through the scheme includes
• Providing electricity connection from the nearest pole to the household.
• installation of an energy meter
• wiring for a single light point with LED bulb, and a mobile charging point.
Under this scheme, subsidies on equipment like transformers, wires and meters will be provided.
Funding:
i.The total outlay of the scheme is Rs 16320 crore while the Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) is Rs 12320 crore.
ii.For rural households the outlay is Rs 14025 crore while GBS is Rs 10587.50 crore.
iii.For urban households the outlay is Rs 2295 crore while GBS is RS 1732.50 crore.
Key Points:
i.Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh which has around 18.85 lakh
un-electrified households (before March 2019) were also covered under this scheme as of March 2021.
ii.Since the Saubhagya has achieved its objectives and is working on providing a 24×7 quality power supply, all
the states are set to launch special campaigns to identify the left out unelectrified households and provide
electricity connection.
iii.A dedicated toll-free number is also launched for this purpose.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (National Mission of Financial Inclusion) completed its 7th Anniversary on 15th
August, 2021. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 28, 2014.
• As per government data, PMJDY now has 42.89 crore beneficiaries (basic bank account holders) with INR
1,43,834 crore total balance.
• More than 50% of them are women – 23.76 crore, while 28.57 crore belong to rural and semi city areas.
About Ministry of Power:
Union Minister– Raj Kumar Singh (Constituency- Arrah, Bihar)
Minister of State– Krishan Pal (Constituency- Faridabad, Haryana)
MoHUA launched convergence of PMFME & DAY-NULM to support Food Processing Units of
Urban SHGs
On September 27, 2021, the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organised the launch event of the
convergence between Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro-food processing Enterprises (PMFME) and
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) scheme.
• It was jointly launched by Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, MoHUA; and Pushpa Subrahmanyam,
Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) during a virtual event organized as a part of Azadi
ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM).
• Guidelines for this convergence have already been issued by MoHUA to States/ UTs.
Motive behind this convergence:
To support and groom urban SHG (Self Help Group) members involved in micro-entrepreneurship activities in the
food processing sector by making them financially empowered.
Launch of IT module developed on DAY-NULM MIS
The online Seed Capital Module developed on DAY-NULM MIS (management information system) was also
launched to help in effective implementation of this convergence. It was launched by MoFPI in association with
MoHUA under the PMFME Scheme. It can be accessed at https://nulm.gov.in/Auth/Login.aspx.
• This portal will assist the relevant SHGs to avail seed capital assistance of Rs.40,000 per SHG member under
the PMFME Scheme. This fund can be used for purchasing small tools and working capital.
About PMFME Scheme:
It is launched by MoFPI under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore for 5 years from
2020-21 to 2024-25. It provides financial, technical, and business support for upgradation of existing micro FMEs

and to promote formalization & competitiveness of this sector. The following are the key benefits under this
scheme:
• Seed capital of 40,000 per SHG member
• Support to FME through credit-linked capital subsidy of 35% of the eligible project cost with a maximum
ceiling of 10 lakh per unit.
• It also provides support for marketing & branding to micro units along with training and capacity building.
About DAY-NULM scheme:
Launched in 2013 by MoHUA, it replaced the existing Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY). The scheme
aimed to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households by mobilizing them into SHGs thus
supporting their livelihood and employment opportunities.
• DAY-NULM has mobilised over 61 lakhs urban poor women into SHGs and their federations. Out of these,
approximately 32,000 SHGs have been identified by States/ UTs to be involved in Food Processing activities.
• It should be noted that NULM has signed pacts with Amazon and Flipkart for sale of SonChiraiya products
made by SHGs. This will help SHGs to showcase their products on e-Commerce Portals resulting in business
opportunities and income.
About AKAM:
Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) is an initiative of the Government of India (GoI) to celebrate and commemorate
75 years of Independence.
• Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav commences on 12th March, 2021 which starts a 75 week countdown to our 75th
anniversary of Independence(2022) and will end post a year on 15th August, 2023.
i.Under the One District One Product (ODOP) component, MoFPI approved ODOP for 707 districts of 35 States and
UTs, which includes 137 unique products as per the recommendations received by States/UTs.
ii.MoHUA launched the Transport 4 All Challenge in collaboration with Institute for Transportation and
Development Policy (ITDP) to bring together cities, citizen groups, and start-ups to develop solutions that will
improve public transport.
About Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA):
Union Minister– Hardeep Singh Puri (Constituency- Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS)– Kaushal Kishore (Constituency- Mohanlalganj, Uttar Pradesh)
Home Minister Amit Shah unveils Aapda Mitra and Common Alert Protocol, initiatives of NDMA
Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah attended the 17th Foundation Day
celebrations of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as the chief guest in New Delhi. The theme for
2021 was ‘Stopping Impact of Disaster Incidents in the Himalayan Region’.
• During the event, he released the training manual of Aapda Mitra Scheme and documents of Aapda Mitra and
Common Alerting Protocol scheme.
• The two new initiatives launched by NDMA – Aapda Mitra and Common Alert Protocol.
About Aapda Mitra scheme
i.The Aapda Mitra scheme was launched in May 2016 in 25 flood-prone states at a cost of nearly Rs. 16 crore.
ii.NDMA focuses on training around 6,000 community volunteers (200 volunteers per district) in disaster
response in selected 30 most flood prone districts of 25 States of India.The scheme will be implemented in 350
disaster affected districts.
Objective of the scheme –
• It aims to provide the community volunteers with the skills so they would immediately respond to their
community’s needs in the aftermath of a disaster.
• It provides the basic relief training and rescue tasks during emergency situations such as floods, flash-floods
and urban flooding.
About Common Alert Protocol
i.It is a disaster alerting or warning system.

ii.The pilot project is being implemented in Tamil Nadu. It would facilitate dissemination of location based
targeted alerts/ warnings through SMS in vernacular language.
Additional Information – Government of India has started the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan
Puraskar for all the NGOs, social workers and government employees engaged in disaster management to
encourage and acknowledge their work.
About NDMA
i.It stands for National Disaster Management Authority
ii.It is an apex body in disaster management
iii.Headed by Prime Minister of India
Govt Notified “Promotion of Medical Device Parks” Scheme to Promote Medical Device Parks
The Government of India notified the “Promotion of Medical Device Parks” scheme, a scheme to support the
medical devices industry and to promote medical device parks across India. The financial outlay of the scheme
is Rs 400 crore and its tenure is from the financial year 2020-2021 to 2024-2025.
Aim: To ensure access to testing and infrastructure facilities and to reduce the cost of medical device production
and make them affordable for domestic consumption.
• The centre has granted the in-principle approval for Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and
Uttar Pradesh.
• Financial assistance for a park would be 70% of the project cost and for Northeastern and Hilly states it will
be 90%.
• The maximum financial assistance for a park under the scheme is Rs 100 crore.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
UNSC Adopts Resolution on Afghanistan Under India’s Chair
United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the 15-Nation body has adopted a strong resolution on
Afghanistan under India’s Presidency.
• The resolution was put forward by the US, the UK, and France. The permanent members of the UNSC, Russia
and China abstained from the voting.
• The resolution demands not to use Afghan territory to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train
terrorists, or to plan or to finance terrorist acts.
• It reiterates the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan, including those individuals and entities
designated pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), and notes the Taliban’s relevant commitments.
Note – On August 01, 2021, India, the non-permanent member of the UNSC, took over the presidency of the UNSC
from France for the month of August 2021.
PM Narendra Modi Constitutes High-level Group to Monitor Situation in Afghanistan
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has constituted a high-level group comprising External Affairs Minister
(EAM) Jaishankar, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval & Other Senior officials to monitor the ground
situation in Afghanistan with a focus on India’s Immediate priorities.
• The group has been meeting regularly for the last few days by focusing on the issues such as safe return of
stranded Indians, the travel of Afghan Minority nationals to India & assuring that the territory is not used for
terrorism against India.
On June 18, 2021, Antonio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres (72) aka Antonio Guterres, was re-elected as the
Secretary General of United Nations (UN) for a 2nd 5-year term from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2026.

About United Nations Security Council (UNSC):
UNSC is the only U.N. body that can make legally binding decisions like imposing sanctions and authorizing the
use of force.
Headquarters – New York, United States of America
Presidency – August 2021 – India; September 2021- Ireland
Dubai gets Ain Dubai, World’s largest & Tallest Observation Wheel
The World’s largest and tallest observation wheel named ‘Ain Dubai’ is set to be opened in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates(UAE) on 21st October 2021. The ain Dubai is located at Bluewaters Island.
Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Starneth Engineering were the primary design and construction
contractors of Ain Dubai.
The Ain Dubai is around 2 times taller than the London Eye, which will take the visitors to a hight of 250 meters.
‘1st of is Kind WHO Hub for Pandemic & Epidemic Intelligence’ inaugurated in Germany
The World Health Organization (WHO) as a part of its Health Emergencies Programme has set up first hub of its
kind ‘WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence’ which was inaugurated by German
Chancellor Angela Dorothea Merkel and WHO Director General (DG) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Berlin,
Germany on September 1, 2021.
• The hub will receive an initial investment of $100 million from the Government of Germany and will be led
by Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the current DG of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
• The hub will currently operate from a centre provided by the Charite – Universitatsmedizin Berlin, a
University.
MoU between WHO and RKI:
With the above inauguration, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also created between the WHO and
the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) of Germany under which RKI scientists along with WHO experts and other
global partners will work in this hub to predict, prevent, detect, prepare for, and respond to worldwide health
threats.
Aim behind this Establishment:
Its aim is to create an effective pandemic and epidemic risk management by detecting a pandemic and to monitor
disease control measures on a real-time basis.
• It will provide quick advice to global public health experts and policymakers during a need for urgent
decisions.
• There will be collaboration among public and private sector organizations, researchers, and others to make
Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven predictive tools for analyzing data.
Reason behind this Establishment:
The key reason behind this establishment is to fill the gaps in the ability to forecast, detect, assess and respond to
outbreaks. This drawback came in limelight after the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2) virus whose origin is still a hypothesis.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Its decision making body is the World Health Assembly (WHA).
Member Countries– 194 (including India)
Headquarter– Geneva, Switzerland
Toxic leaded Petrol Eradicated from the World – UNEP

The United Nations Programme on Environment(UNEP) formally stated that, toxic leaded
Petrol was Eradicated from the World.It was achieved after the Campaign, that was launched by UNEP in
association with the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles (PCFV) to eradicate the toxic leaded Petrol in 2002.

• Algeria was the last country that eradicated the leaded petrol(It produced the leaded petrol almost till July
2021).
Key points
i.The toxic fuel has contaminated air, soil and water for almost a century.
ii.Most of the high income countries like USA, UK, Canada etc have banned the fuel by the 1980s.
iii.It has prevented more than 1.2 million premature deaths and saved around USD2.4 trillion annually, confirmed
by the UNEP. Now there is no country in the world using leaded petrol.
iv.The addition of tetraethyl lead to petrol had spread widely practiced by all countries soon after its anti-knock
and octane-boosting properties were discovered. This has damaged the environment to an extreme level.
Contribution of India
• The process of phase down was started in 1994 and got completed in 2000.
• Finally in April 2000 India introduced unleaded petrol in the entire country.
• After the lead phaseout, Indian refineries took voluntary steps to not to use MMT (Methylcyclopentadienyl
manganese tricarbonyl), yet another dangerous neurotoxin.
Achievements
• UNEP has been working with governments, private companies and civic groups to end the use of leaded
petrol since 2002.It happened due to successful enforcement of the ban on leaded petrol.
• A sub-regional agreement was signed to phase out leaded gasoline by January 1, 2006. It was agreed by 25
sub-Saharan African countries and other target groups to implement, a completely phase out leaded petrol in
all countries.
About UNEP(United Nations Environment Programme)
Executive Director: Inger Andersen
Headquarters : Nairobi, Kenya
UAE, Bangladesh, Uruguay Joined as 1st Batch New Members of BRICS’s NDB
On 2nd September, 2021 The New Development Bank(NDB) formerly known as ‘BRICS Development Bank’ which
was set up by the BRICS ( Brazil, Russia, India,China and South Africa) admitted that Uruguay, United Arab
Emirates(UAE) and Bangladesh joined as the 1st batch of new members of NDB.
Key points-
i.This new addition of countries occurred as part of its
expansion drive. It is the first expansion of the NDB which got
approval after a round of successful negotiations started in
2020
ii.The new expansion will provide cooperation and support to
sustainable growth to the members.
About New Development Bank (NDB)– The bank was
established by the BRICS group of nations. It was initially
referred to as BRICS Development Bank.
NDB investment project and Capital
i.It has authorised capital of USD 100 billion, which is open for subscription by the members of the United
Nations. Presently it has approved about 80 projects in all of its member countries.
ii.It has invested around USD 30 billion in projects in the areas of transport, water sanitation, digital
infrastructure, clean energy , social infrastructure and urban development.
Headquarters- Shanghai, China
Founded- 2015
President- Marcos Troyjo
BRICS ( Brazil, Russia, India,China and South Africa)
2021 Chair- India

El Salvador Becomes First Country to Adopt Bitcoin an Official Currency
A Central American country El Salvador becomes the first country to adopt bitcoin as a national currency. The
country has passed a resolution to make Bitcoin as a legal currency alongside the US dollar on last June 2021 and
bill was the approved by President Nayib Bukele. San Salvador is the capital of El Salvador.
i.200 Bitcoin teller machines are being installed across the
country for currency conversions to access Bitcoin.
ii.The country launched the digital wallet called “Chivo” or
“Cool” which offered $30 of free Bitcoin for the adaption.
iii.El Salvador had purchased its first 400 Bitcoins. Bitcoin will
help to prevent the remittance of banking transactions which
will be processed by 1.5 million citizens living in other countries
send money home.
Impacts of Bitcoin adoption
• As per the survey by Central American University (UCA), around 68% of the people in the country are
unaware of this technology.
• According to University of Cambridge estimates that the El Salvador is not a large hub for mining Bitcoin and
not in the top 10 mining countries. As a result of the sudden adoption of the volatile currency, it may affect
the economic stability of the country.
About Bitcoin :-
Bitcoin (₿) is a decentralized digital currency, without a central bank or single administrator, that can be sent
from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without any intermediaries.
It is world’s largest cryptocurrency which was invented in 2008 by an unknown person or group of people using
the name Satoshi Nakamoto of Japan.
Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria attended PACS 2021 in Hawaii

Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria(RKS Bhadauria) attended the Pacific Air Chiefs
Symposium(PACS) 2021 held at joint base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii from 30th August to 2nd September
2021.
The theme of PACS 2021 is “Enduring Cooperation Towards Regional Stability”.
• PACS 2021 bought together Air Chief from Indo-Pacific countries (including the United States of
America(USA) and 11 other countries) to discuss topics ranging from regional security, air domain
awareness to cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
ASEAN India Economic Ministers Consultation co-chairs India and Brunei, Ensures support for
Post Pandemic Efforts
The 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)- India Economic Ministers
Consultation organized under the chairmanship of Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry
and H.E. DatoDr. Amin Liew Abdullah, Minister of Finance and Economy, Brunei Darussalam. India and
Brunei co-chaired the meeting virtually .
Participants– It was attended by the Economic Ministers of all 10 ASEAN countries- Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Highlights
• In the meeting, India has given its key focus on the mass vaccination, capacity enhancement and economic
initiatives to address the pandemic.
• Reform taken by different sectors such as agriculture, banking insurance, logistics, corporate laws etc were
discussed.
• ASEAN- India Trade in Goods Agreement was also discussed.
• ASEAN India Business Council (AIBC) recommended enhancing the ASEAN India economic partnership by
investing in potential sectors like health and pharmaceuticals in India.

i.The discussion on ASEAN India Trade in Goods Agreement ( AITIGA) for making it more user- friendly and
providing trade facilities to boost investments.
ii.India recommended to set a Joint Committee for the Review of the India ASEAN Services and Investments
Agreement
ii.India is the 7th largest trading partner of ASEAN and one of the largest sources of Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI).
About Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Headquarters– Jakarta, Indonesia
Established– 8 August 1967, Bangkok, Thailand
AUKUS- a New Trilateral Defence & Security Partnership between the US, UK and Australia
The United States(US), United Kingdom(UK) and Australia established a trilateral security partnership named
– ‘’AUKUS” in order to strengthen diplomatic, security and defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The
partnership was announced between the US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian
Prime Minister Scott Morrison in a virtual meeting.
Objective– To ensure peace and security in the Indo-Pacific
region and key focus areas are cyber capabilities, artificial
intelligence, quantum technologies, and additional undersea
capabilities.
Highlights
i.AUKUS is a trilateral partnership, which will provide
exchange of technology, services, research and development
and defence equipment.
ii.It is the first initiative under which Australia is
acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for its Royal Australian Navy (RNS). Australia remains committed to
fulfilling all of its obligations as a non-nuclear weapons state, including regulations under the International
Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA).
iii.Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines, when they deploy, will be armed with conventional weapons
only and not nuclear weapons.
Importance of the Alliance
The AUKUS and another alliance QUAD are formed with a vision for a safer and more secure Indo-
Pacific.QUAD countries are the US and Australia formed alliance with India and Japan.
Note – US President Joe Biden will host the first-ever in person Quad Leaders Summit at the White House on 24
September 2021.
About United States (US)
President- Joe Biden
Capital- Washington DC
Currency- United States Dollar
UNESCO’s MAB-ICC added 20 new Biosphere Reserves during its 33rd session in Abuja, Nigeria
The 33rd session of the International Co-ordinating
Council of the UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization) MAB (Man and the
Biosphere) Programme (MAB-ICC) was held in a hybrid
format on September 13-17, 2021 in Abuja, Nigeria.
• This was the first time that it was held in the African
continent.
• During the programme, 20 new sites in 21
countries were added to the World Network of

Biosphere Reserves (BRs) reaching the total number to 727 Biosphere in 131 countries, including 22
transboundary sites.
The Newcomers:
i.The sites from Lesotho (Matseng BR), Libya (Ashaafean BR) and Saudi Arabia (Juzur Farasan BR) are designated
for the first time.
ii.In the Amazon of Europe (Europe), the 5-country BR, Mura-Drava-Danube becomes the first MAB site to be co-
managed by quintet viz. Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Slovenia.
iii.Other 16 BRs are as follows:
Country Biosphere Reserves
Canada Atl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound
France Martinique; and Moselle Sud
Italy Monte Grappa
Kazakhstan Kolsai Kolderi
Korea Wando
Malaysia Penang Hill
Mongolia Uvs Lake Depression Transboundary
Peru Avireri-Vraem
Russian Federation Kuznetsky Alatau; and Mountain Great Bogdo
Spain Ribeira Sacra E Serras Do Oribio E Courel
Thailand Doi Chiang Dao
Uzbekistan Lower Amudarya State
Viet Nam Nui Chua; and Kon ha Nung
Extension, Rezoning or Renaming of existing BRs
The MAB-ICC also approved the extension or re-zoning of two existing biosphere reserves namely:
i.Appennino Tosco Emiliano BR, Italy– It was extended by 275,384 ha (Hectare) and now encompasses a total
of 498,613 ha.
ii.Lauca Biosphere Reserve, Chile– Its area was extended from 358,000 ha to 1,026,567 ha.
Key Points:
i.UNESCO’s BRs now cover more than 5% of the Earth’s landmass
ii.ICC is the governing council of MAB consisting of 34 Member States, which have a rotating elected membership.
• The MAB programme is an intergovernmental scientific programme to enhance the relationship between
people and their environments, scientifically.
• ICC designates new BRs on an annual basis.
iii.Notably, 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of MAB. It was established in 1971.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister (CM) of Madhya Pradesh(MP) virtually launched UNESCO’s ‘Historic Urban
Landscape Project’ for the city of Gwalior and Orchha.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
WHO announced new Global Air Quality Guidelines

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced new stringent Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) to assess
the effects of air pollution and its health impact.
• Earlier, WHO issued guidelines in 2005. Yet many countries did not reach 2005 AQGs.

• Even lower levels of air pollutions have impact on health and climate change
• In the new AQGs thresholds was set for six key air pollutants — particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone
(O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).
• Bangladesh, Pakistan and India have recorded the highest air pollution levels with regard to the 2005 WHO
guidelines.
Indian Scenario
According to Greenpeace India, Delhi’s annual PM 2.5 in 2020 was at 16.8 times more than the latest WHO
guidelines. Mumbai exceeded eight-fold, Kolkata 9.4 fold, Hyderabad 7-fold and Ahmedabad 9.8-fold.
Global scenario
i.About 90% of the world’s population lives in areas that exceed air quality thresholds.
ii.In high-income countries, air quality has improved gradually, but pollutant concentrations still exceed the 2005
WHO AQGs for several pollutants in many areas.
iii.The picture is grim for most low and middle-income countries, where air quality has deteriorated due to large-
scale urbanisation and economic development that relies considerably on fossil fuel.
iv.The Covid-19 lockdowns saw a temporary reduction in concentration of air pollutants across cities with a clear
dip in nitrogen oxides (NOx) — a traffic related pollutant.
Impact of Air Pollution
i.According to WHO’s estimate around 7 million premature deaths occur every year due to the effects of air
pollution. However, 80% of the deaths attributed to PM2.5 exposure in the world could be avoided if countries
attain the annual AQG level for PM2.5.
ii.Even reaching the AQG of 2005 — would result in a nearly 48% decrease in total deaths attributed to PM2.5
exposure with highest benefit in South-East Asia and African regions (57% and 60% reduction respectively).
About World Health Organization
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Director-General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Accra of Ghana Named as the UNESCO’s World Book Capital for 2023
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization(UNESCO) has named Accra, Capital of Ghana as the UNESCO World Book Capital for
2023, following the evaluation of the World Book Capital Advisory Committee.
• Accra is the 23rd city to be named the World Book Capital since 2001.
• The celebrations will start on 23rd April 2023, World Book and Copyright Day 2023.
• Objective – Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital undertake to promote books and reading for
all ages and population groups, within and across national borders, and to organize a programme of
activities for the year.
World Book Capital Advisory Committee:
The UNESCO World Book Capital Advisory Committee comprises representatives of the International Publishers
Association (IPA), the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), the International Authors Forum
(IAF) and UNESCO.
Note:
• Madrid(Spain) was the first city to be named the UNESCO World Book Capital in 2001.
• Guadalajara of Mexico was named the World Book Capital of 2022.Tbilisi, Capital of Georgia was named
the World Book Capital of 2021.
Key Points:
i.The city of Accra has been selected for its focus on young people and their potential contribution to the culture
and wealth of Ghana.
ii.The cities designated as World Book capital undertakes efforts to promote books and reading for all ages and
population groups within and across the borders.
iii.As the world book capital, Accra will promote the reading and writing of books in different Ghanaian
languages.

VISITS
INDIAN VISIT
Highlights of US climate envoy John Kerry’s visit to India from Sep 12-14
The United States (US) Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry was on a two day visit to India on
September 12-14, 2021. The focus of the visit was to meet with Government of India counterparts and private
sector leaders to discuss efforts to raise global climate ambition and speed India’s clean energy transition.
• In this regard, bilateral meet was held where both sides discussed a wide range of climate issues relating to
Conference of the Parties (COP26), Climate Ambition, Climate Finance, Global Climate Initiatives including
International Solar Alliance (ISA), Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C).
This visit was also as a part of the US initiative to bolster climate efforts ahead of the 26th COP26 to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which will be held from October 31 to November
12, 2021 in Glasgow, the United Kingdom (UK).
India-US launched Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD):
During his visit, India-US the Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD) was launched which is
one of the two main tracks of the US-India Agenda 2030 Partnership that US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi announced at the Leaders Summit on Climate in April, 2020.
• CAFMD was officially launched by the Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and John Kerry at an event held in New Delhi.
• Its aim is to expand cooperation in clean energy projects and resilient economic development.
Union Power Minister RK Singh met John Kerry
Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) met with John Kerry to discuss
various issues related to climate change and energy transition.
• The Minister announced that India will invite bids for green hydrogen in the next three to four months to
encourage viable usage of hydrogen as a fuel.
Points to be noted:
i.Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, India has pledged to reduce emissions intensity of GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) by 33%-35% below the 2005 level by 2030 and raise the non-fossil share of power generation capacity
to 40% by 2030, among other pledges.
ii.India has an ambitious plan of having 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030.
European Commission (EC), the executive branch of European Union (EU) proposed plans to impose World’s
1st ‘Carbon Border Tax’ from 2026 on imports of carbon-intensive goods, including steel, cement, fertilisers and
aluminium as part of a programme to meet its new climate target (Reducing emissions by 55% from 1990 levels
by 2030).
About United States (US):
Capital– Washington, D.C.
Currency– US Dollar
FOREIGN VISIT
Overview of EAM Jaishankar’s Visit to Slovenia, Croatia, Denmark
India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar paid a visit to Slovenia (2-3rd September
2021), Croatia (3 September 2021) and Denmark (4-5 September 2021) to review the bilateral relationship and
strengthen India’s cooperation with the 3 European countries.
Slovenia:
i.At first, the EAM visited Slovenia from September 2 to 3, 2021. There he had a bilateral meeting with the Foreign
Minister of Slovenia H.E. Dr Anze Logar.

ii.EAM was invited to attend the 2021 Bled Strategic Forum (BSF), an annual international conference which was
held in Slovenia and participate in the panel discussion on ‘Partnership for a Rules-Based Order in the Indo-
Pacific’.
• India was the only Asian country and one of 3 non-European countries along with the USA and Kenya to be
invited for the 2021 BSF.
• Different Issues related to China-led Belt and Road Initiative’s (BRI’s) utility in Europe, China’s sanctions
against European individuals and businesses, etc were discussed under the forum.
iii.Slovenia currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Croatia:
i.On September 3, 2021, EAM had a bilateral talk with Croatian foreign minister Gordan Grlic Radman.
ii.EAM also had a meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and discussed opportunities to further
expand bilateral cooperation, including in pharma, digital and infrastructure.
Denmark:
i.EAM visited Denmark from September 4 to 5 2021 and co-chaired the 4th round of the Indo-Danish Joint
Commission Meeting (JCM) along with Jeppe Kofod, Foreign Minister of Denmark.
• Both discussed launching new important cooperation in the field of health to strengthen the bilateral Green
Strategic Partnership.
• They have reviewed the progress of the Joint Action Plan.
ii.Denmark is the only country with which India is having a green strategic partnership, which was held in
September 2020.
iii.India has 200 Danish companies operating in the country. Both the countries discussed bilateral cooperation
and how to carry forward larger trade-investment agreements with the European Union.
Indian PM Narendra Modi virtually participated in the India-European Union (EU) Leaders Meeting 2021 which
was held in a hybrid format on 8th May 2021 in Porto, Portugal. It is the 1st time that the EU has hosted a meeting
with India in the EU+27 format.
About Ministry of External Affairs:
Union Minister – Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (Constituency – Gujarat)
Minister of State – V Muraleedharan (Constituency – Maharashtra), Meenakashi Lekhi (Constituency – New
Delhi, NCT of Delhi), Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (Constituency – Inner Manipur, Manipur)
About Slovenia:
Capital – Ljubljana
Currency – Euro
President – Borut Pahor
Highlights of MoS MEA Meenakshi Lekhi visit to Portugal and Spain

From September 12-17, 2021 the Minister of State (MoS) Meenakshi Lekhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
visited Portugal and Spain to enhance bilateral ties with the two countries.
Visit to Portugal: Agreement on Indian Citizens Recruitment Signed
On September 12-14, 2021 she visited Portugal where a bilateral agreement on the recruitment of Indian
citizens was signed after the review meeting of bilateral relations with her counterpart, Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Francisco Andre.
• With this pact, Portugal becomes the first European country with which India has signed a dedicated
agreement on labour mobility. This is also the first agreement signed by Portugal outside the EU.
• The agreement will strengthen the socio-economic aspect between both nations as it sets out the procedures
for recruitment of Indian workers and professionals in Portugal.
Other meetings:
i.She met with Minister of Culture of Portugal Dr. Graca Fonseca and exchanged ideas for cooperation in the field
of culture such as exchange of youth and literary delegations, and establishment of Maritime Heritage Gallery at
Lothal, Gujarat.
ii.She also met Augusto Santos Silva, the Portuguese Foreign Minister; and Eurico Brilhante Dias, the Secretary

of State for Internationalization, to address issues of common concern.
iii.She participated in the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav celebrations organised by the Embassy of India in Lisbon.
Visit to Spain:
From September 14-17, 2021, she visited Spain where she met Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs Angeles Moreno Bau. She inaugurated The Beatles and India exhibition at Casa de la India, Valladolid
which is a PPP (Public-private partnership) model supported by ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations).
Other Meetings:
i.She called on the Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares; and had consultations with the Secretary of
State for International Affairs, Ms. Pilar Cancela Rodriguez. ii.Cooperation with the Cervantes Institute of
Spain along with cooperation in Film making, Sports and Science and Technology was also discussed.
About Portugal:
Capital– Lisbon
Currency– Euro
About Spain:
Capital– Madrid
Currency– Euro
Highlights of PM Narendra Modi’s Visit to USA from 22-25 September 2021

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited the United States of America (USA) from 22 to 25 September 2021
and participated in the 1st in-person QUAD Leaders’ Summit in Washington D.C., the USA, along with Australian
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and US President Joe Biden.
• The QUAD meeting was hosted by Joe Biden. QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) countries –
includes India, Japan, the USA, and Australia.
• The 1st-ever QUAD Leaders’ summit was held virtually in March 2021.
Fact sheet of QUAD Leaders’ Summit:
i.The QUAD countries have committed to donate more than 1.2 billion doses globally of safe and effective COVID-
19 vaccines, and as a part of the commitment, they have delivered nearly 79 million vaccine doses to countries in
the Indo-Pacific region.
ii.Japan plans to work with India through Japan Bank for International Cooperation, to enhance key investments
of approximately $100 million in the healthcare sector related to COVID-19.
iii.Fellowship programme: They have announced a fellowship programme to allow students from the 4
countries to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at US universities.
• The Fellowship will sponsor 100 students per year i.e. 25 from each QUAD country. The founding sponsors of
the fellowship program include Accenture, Blackstone, Boeing, Google, Mastercard, and Western Digital.
iv.Quad has launched a Track 1.5 industry dialogue on Open RAN (Radio Access Network) deployment and
adoption to support the critical role of Quad governments in fostering and promoting a diverse, resilient, and
secure telecommunications ecosystem.
v.Quad forms a Green-Shipping Network and plans to launch a Quad Shipping Task Force to organise their work
and aims to establish 2 to 3 Quad low-emission or zero-emission shipping corridors by 2030.
vi.QUAD countries agreed to deepen their cooperation in counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and called
on the Taliban to abide by UN Security Council Resolution 2593.
vii.The QUAD countries have also issued a joint statement on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis,
and critical and emerging technologies. Click here to know more
Note – PM has represented QUAD as ‘Force for Global good’.
Bilateral Meeting: PM had his 1st bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and reviewed the India-US
Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and potential for further strengthening of bilateral cooperation.
PM addressed the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2021.

PM’s Meet on Sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit:
i.PM meeting with business leaders:
• PM met Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar and stated about India’s target of 450 GW electricity generation
from renewable sources by 2030. He also met Shantanu Narayen, President and CEO of Adobe, and Cristiano
Amon, CEO of Qualcomm.
• PM also met Mr. Stephen Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Blackstone, in which they have
discussed Blackstone’s ongoing projects in India, and investment opportunities in India under infrastructure
and real estate sectors.
• Stephen A. Schwarzman had earlier released the long-awaited book titled, “What It Takes: Lessons in the
Pursuit of Excellence” that uses impactful episodes from Schwarzman’s life to show readers how to build,
transform, and lead thriving organizations.
ii.PM had a 1st in-person meeting with Kamala Harris, Vice President of the USA, in Washington DC and
discussed India’s National Hydrogen Energy Mission (NHEM).
• In August 2021, PM launched the NHEM for generating hydrogen from green power sources. Rs 1500 Crore
was allocated in the 2021-22 budget to achieve India’s target of 175 GW by 2022.
iii.The PM had a Bilateral meeting with Australian PM Scott Morrison ahead of the Quad Leaders’ Summit and
discussed the issues of bilateral, regional and global importance.
• They discussed the engagement between both the nations through the 1st ever 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with
Australia, which was hosted by India in New Delhi. Click here to know more.
iv.PM met H.E. Suga Yoshihide, PM of Japan, in Washington DC both of them agreed to enhance bilateral security
and defence cooperation, including in the area of defence equipment and technologies.
• They have also reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region and to
improve the implementation of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project.
• In March 2021, the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) and Japan Railway Track
Consultant Co. Limited (JRTC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Track works in the 237-
km stretch between Vadodara & Vapi in Gujarat for the MAHSR
• MAHSR is India’s 1st Bullet Train Project and is being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1.08 Lakh
Crore. Click here to know more
v.The United States(US) has handed over as many as 157 artefacts and antiquities to the Indian PM, Narendra
Modi. The artefacts include terracotta pieces and cultural antiquities belonging to the period of 11th CE (Century)
to 14th CE and figurines related to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
The Secretary of State of the United States (US), Antony Blinken visited India from July 27-28, 2021. This is
Blinken’s 1st visit to India after assuming charge as Secretary of State.
About United States (US)
Capital – Washington, D.C.
Currency – United States Dollar (USD)
President – Joe Biden
BANKING & FINANCE NEWS

BANKING NEWS
RBI IN NEWS
Phone Pe – Received Approval from RBI to Operated AA; Received Insurance Broking Licence
from IRDAI
PhonePe Account Aggregator Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the PhonePe Group, received in-principle
approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as an Account Aggregator (AA) to share financial
information.

Features of the license:
i.The license will enable PhonePe to launch its AA platform, which will facilitate the free exchange of financial
information between the financial information users (FIUs) and financial information providers (FIPs) on the AA
Ecosystem in a safe and secure manner.
ii.Consent based data sharing: The exchange of data under the platform could be executed only with due
consent from customers.
iii.The AA platform will eliminate the existing process of physical document submission and help Indian
consumers to avail financial services in an easier way.
iv.The AA could not support transactions in financial assets by customers. AA was allowed only to transfer the
client’s data but not store it.
Background:
i.The RBI has announced the AA framework via a Master Directive in June 2016 to enable the customers to get
benefits like viewing statements of their accounts, track deposits, plan investments and avail credit cards on a
single window.
ii.The RBI gives licenses and governs the rules for AAs.
Note – In October 2020, IndusInd Bank became the 1st bank in India to go live as a FIP under the AA Framework
of the RBI.
Other entities that have already received an AA licence from the RBI are Cookiejar Technologies, FinSec AA
Technologies, NESL Asset Data, and CAMSfinserv.
PhonePe Received Insurance Broking Licence from IRDAI
PhonePe has received an insurance ‘broking licence’ from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
of India (IRDAI).
• In 2020, PhonePe entered into the insurance sector by receiving the limited insurance ‘corporate agent’
licence, which restricted the company to partner only with 3 insurance companies per category.
• Now the ‘direct broking’ licence will enable the PhonePe to distribute insurance products from all insurance
companies in India to its ~300 million registered users.
Change over:
PhonePe is now entering into the financial service segment as the payments business is making less profit due to
Zero MDR charge.
• MDR Charge: In 2019, the Ministry of Finance has waived the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges on
transactions through RuPay and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms (i.e. the transaction fees/MDR
was set to be zero).
• MDR is the cost paid by a merchant to a bank for accepting payment from their customers via digital means.
About PhonePe:
Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka
CEO – Sameer Nigam
RBI removes UCO Bank out of PCA Restrictions

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) delisted UCO Bank, a Public Sector Bank, from its Prompt Corrective Action
(PCA) framework, as the bank’s earning in the last 1-year till 31st March 2021 has satisfied the necessary
conditions for its removal.
• Currently, the PCA framework monitors only 2 banks – Indian Overseas Bank & Central Bank of India.
• UCO Bank came out of the PCA restrictions after more than four years. The RBI had initiated prompt
corrective action in May 2017 in view of high non-performing assets and negative return on assets.
i.In 2021, UCO Bank witnessed a net Non-Performing Asset (NPA) ratio of 3.94%, which is 151 basis points (bps)
lower than its previous position.
ii.Though UCO Bank has been removed from PCA, it will be still under the close monitoring of RBI, and the bank
has agreed to comply with RBI’s Minimum Regulatory Capital, Net NPA and Leverage ratio.
About PCA:
i.PCA framework was introduced by RBI in 2002, as an early-intervention mechanism to save banks from closure

due to undercapitalisation.
ii.Later in 2017, the RBI revised its PCA Framework, that specifically deals with the problem of NPA
• NPA – Non-Performing Assets are bank loans, whose principal or interest payment remains
unattended/overdue for a period of 90 days.
iii.Narasimham Committee (1998) on structural reforms, recommended merger of banks to solve the problem
of NPA.
About UCO Bank:
UCO Bank, formerly United Commercial Bank was established in 1943
MD & CEO – Atul Kumar Goel
Tagline – Honours Your Trust
Headquarters – Kolkata, West Bengal
RBI enhances scope of tokenization to CoFT to ensure security of card data

In order to ensure security of transaction card data, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the scope of
tokenization from device-based tokenization to card-on-file tokenization (CoFT) services. This enhancement
will bar merchants from storing actual card data while online transactions.
RBI had issued the directive under Section 10 (2) read with Section 18 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act,
2007 (Act 51 of 2007).
Enhanced Features:
• With this, RBI also permitted card issuers (such as Rupay, Visa, and Mastercard) to act as token service
providers (TSP).
• RBI also refused to extend its deadline for card tokenization beyond January 1, 2022 means no entity in the
card transaction, other than the card issuers or card networks, will store the actual card data.
• Tokenisation of card data shall be done with explicit customer consent requiring Additional Factor of
Authentication (AFA) validation by card issuer.
• For transaction tracking and / or reconciliation purposes, entities can store limited data – last four digits of
actual card number and card issuer’s name – in compliance with the applicable standards.
What is Tokenization?
Introduced in March 2020, Tokenization aims at improving the safety and security of the payment system. It
replaces actual card details with a unique alternate code ‘token’, which is unique for a combination of card, token
requestor and identified device. This will act as a security as in case of leakage of card details there will only be
random numbers instead of card details.
• Saving of card details is called card on file (CoF) which refers to card information stored by payment
gateway and merchants to process future transactions.
Background
The RBI in March 2020 had stipulated that authorised payment aggregators and the merchants engaged by them
should not store actual card data. On a request from the industry, it extended the deadline to end-December 2021
as a one-time measure.
RBI-MAS to link UPI and PayNow; RBI imposes Rs 1 Lakh penalty on Kosamba Mercantile
Cooperative Bank
In order to ease cross-border payments between India and Singapore, on September 14, 2021, the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) are all set for linkage project under which their
respective fast payment systems viz. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow will be linked by July 2022.
Reasons behind this linkage:
i.This decision is on the lines of the G20’s (Group of Twenty) financial inclusion priorities of driving faster,
cheaper and more transparent cross-border payments.
ii.This linkage also caters to RBI’s vision of reviewing corridors and charges for inbound cross-border remittances
outlined in the Payment Systems Vision Document 2019-21.

Key Points:
i.The UPI-PayNow linkage will enable their users of UPI to make instant, low-cost fund transfers without the need
of another payment system.
ii.Already, NPCI International Private Limited (NIPL) and Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) are
working towards enhancing cross-border interoperability of payments using cards and QR codes, between India
and Singapore.
• Now, the above pact between the central bank of both nations will further boost trade, travel and remittance
flows between India and Singapore.
About Unified Payments Interface (UPI):
Initiated in 2016, it is India’s mobile based, ‘fast payment’ system that facilitates 24*7 payments instantly using a
Virtual Payment Address (VPA) created by the customer instead of his/her bank account number.
• It supports both Person to Person (P2P) and Person to Merchant (P2M) payments.
• It was developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
About PayNow:
Launched in 2017 by the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), it is also an electronic fund transfer service of
Singapore that allows a user to transfer funds instantly to a payee, using his/her mobile number or or VPA
number without using bank account number.
Points to be noted:
i.According to Bloomberg, cross-border flows between India and Singapore add up to over $1 billion annually.
ii.Earlier, NPCI International had tied up with Mashreq Bank to enable UPI acceptance in the Middle East.
iii.Bhutan was the first neighbourhood country to enable UPI acceptance.
RBI imposes Rs 1 Lakh penalty on Kosamba Mercantile Cooperative Bank
The apex bank has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 Lakh on the Kosamba Mercantile Co-operative Bank Ltd.
located in Kosamba district of Surat, Gujarat after exercising its power under the provisions of section 47 A (1)
(c) read with sections 46 (4) (i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• The reason behind this penalty is the non-compliance with directions issued by RBI contained in the circular
on Loans and advances to directors, relatives and firms / concerns in which they are interested dated April
29, 2003.
• This penalty will not affect any transaction or agreement between the bank and its customers.
On July 08, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued an advisory to banks and other RBI-regulated entities to
prepare for the transition from the international benchmark reference rate, ‘London Interbank Offered Rate’
(LIBOR), to any other widely accepted Alternate Reference Rates (ARR).
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Subsidiaries of RBI:
i.Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (DICGC),
ii.Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL),
iii.Reserve Bank Information Technology Private Limited (ReBIT),
iv.Indian Financial Technology and Allied Services (IFTAS)
RBI announces opening of 3rd cohort under RS; 6 entities completed test phase in 1st Cohort & 8
selected for 2nd
On September 13, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the opening of the 3rd cohort under the
Regulatory Sandbox (RS) on the theme ‘MSME Lending‘. The eligible entities can submit their application from
October 01, 2021 to November 14, 2021.
• The theme for 1st cohort (November 2020) was ‘Retail Payments‘ while for 2nd cohort (December 2020) it
was ‘Cross Border Payments‘.

What is a Regulatory sandbox?
Initiated in August 13, 2019, it refers to live testing of new products or services in a controlled regulatory
environment for which regulators may (or may not) permit certain relaxations for the limited purpose of the
testing.
• The objective of the regulatory sandbox is to foster responsible innovation in financial services, promote
efficiency and bring benefit to consumers.
• It also allows the regulator, innovators, financial service providers and customers to conduct field tests
regarding benefits and risks of new financial innovations.
Also, in December 2020, RBI eased the eligibility norms for applications under sandbox under which net worth
requirement decreased from the existing Rs 25 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, as also included Partnership firms and Limited
Liability Partnership (LLPs) to participate in the RS.
6 entities completed test phase in 1st Cohort
The apex also announced that six entities have completed the test phase of the 1st cohort on retail payments.
These are as follows:
Sandbox Entity Product
Nucleus Software Exports PaySe
Tap Smart Data Information Services Citycash
Natural Support Consultancy Services IND-e-Cash
Naffa Innovations ToneTag
Ubona Technologies BHIM Voice
Eroute Technologies UPI based offline payment solution using SIM overlay smartcard
The above mentioned entities now have exited the cohort. The products found acceptable under this Cohort may
be considered for adoption by Regulated Entities.
8 entities selected for 2nd cohort:
The eight entities (out of 26) that have been selected for the test phase under 2nd cohort are Book My Forex;
Cashfree Payments; Fairex Solutions; Flyremit; Nearby Technologies (Product-Paynearby) ; Open Financial
Technologies; SoCash India; and Wall Street Finance (Product-WSFx SecuSmart REMIT).
• The entities will commence testing of their products from the third week of September 2021.
On July 06, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched the 54th round of quarterly ‘Order Books, Inventories
and Capacity Utilization Survey’ (OBICUS) of the manufacturing sector. The reference period for the survey is Q1
FY22 (April – June 2021).
Establishment– April 1, 1935
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
RBI Imposed Rs 5 lakh Fine on Kuppam Co-operative Town Bank over Regulatory Violation
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Kuppam Cooperative Town Bank, Chittoor,
Andhra Pradesh, over the violation of provisions of the directions issued by RBI in the Master Circular on Income
Recognition, Asset Classification, and Provisioning and Master Circular on Board of Directors for urban co-
operative banks.
• The penalty was imposed in the exercise of power vested in RBI under the provisions of Section 47 A (1) (c)
read with Section 46 (4) (i) and Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The RBI imposed a Rs 2.44 lakh fine on Spice Money Limited for non-compliance of provisions of the RBI’s
master direction on issuance and operation of prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) in India.

• The penalty was imposed in the exercise of the power vested in RBI under the provisions of Section 30 of the
Payment & Settlement Systems Act 2007.
Bank Deposits Grew by 11.9% in FY21 due to Higher CASA growth: RBI
As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) publication of ‘Deposits with Scheduled Commercial Banks – March
2021’, Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) deposits in FY21 grew by 11.9 percent year-on-year compared to
8.8 percent in FY20 due to high growth in the Current Account and Savings Account (CASA) deposits.
• The share of CASA deposits in FY21 increased to 43.7 percent in March 2021, compared to 41.7 percent in
FY20.
Key Points:
i.Private Sector Banks: The share of private sector banks in total bank deposits in FY21 increased to 30.5
percent from 29.5 percent in FY20.
• The private sector deposits account for half of the deposits of financial, non-financial corporations, and
world sectors.
ii.Non-financial corporations: In FY21, the Bank deposits of non-financial corporations increased by 18.8
percent and their share in total deposits also increased to 16.2 percent.
iii.Deposits of Metropolitan bank branches (which accounts for over half of total deposits) increased to 59.6
percent in FY21 compared with 43.2 percent in FY20.
iv.The share of the Household sector in total deposits was about 64.1 percent in which the individuals (i.e.
including Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs)) were the major constituent of the household sector and they
contributed 55.8 percent in aggregate deposits.
• Three major states viz, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka held one-third of total household sectors’
outstanding deposits and over 40 percent of its incremental deposits during FY21.
iv.Term Deposits: The share of term deposits carrying less than 6 percent interest rate increased to 69.0
percent in FY21 from 21.3 percent in FY20.
• The interest rate in the range of ‘5 to less than 6 percent’ had the highest concentration (36.8 percent) of
total term deposits.
• Majority of term deposits were originally contracted for ‘1 year to less than 3 years’ maturity. 75.7 percent of
the term deposits were due for maturity within one year.
• The share of short-term deposits (maturity of less than 1 year) rose to 32.8 percent.
On August 17, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced the ‘Financial Inclusion Index’ (FI-Index) to
measure the extent of financial inclusion across India.
Establishment – 1st April 1935
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Governor – Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael DebabrataPatra, and M Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
RBI Issued Master Directions on Securitisation of Standard Assets, Transfer of Loan Exposures
On September 24, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the master directions of RBI (Securitisation of
Standard Assets) Directions, 2021, and RBI (Transfer of Loan Exposures) Directions, 2021.
• Background: In June 2020, RBI issued the draft framework for Securitisation of Standard Assets and
Transfer of Loan Exposures. The master directions are issued after considering public comments on the draft
rules.
Master Directions on Securitisation of Standard Assets 2021:
a.Eligibility: Loans with tenor up to 24 months extended to individuals for agricultural activities (where both
interest and principal are due only on maturity) and Trade receivables with tenor up to 12
months (discounted/purchased by lenders from their borrowers) will be eligible for securitisation.

• Applicability: The master directions are applicable to all scheduled commercial banks (excluding Regional
Rural Banks), all-India term financial institutions (NABARD, NHB, EXIM Bank, and SIDBI), small finance
banks, and Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs).
b.Minimum Retention Requirement (MRR):
The MRR was formed to ensure that the originators have a continuing stake in the performance of securitised
assets. RBI specified the MRR for different asset classes as follows.
i.Loans:
• For loans with maturity of 24 months or less, the MRR should be 5 percent of the book value of the loans
being securitised.
• For loans with original maturity of more than 24 months and loans with bullet repayments, the MRR shall be
10 percent of the book value of the loans being securitised.
ii.For residential mortgage backed securities, the MRR for the originator should be 5 percent of the book value of
the loans being securitised (irrespective of the original maturity).
c.Issuance and Listing: The minimum ticket size for issuance of securitisation notes should be Rs 1 crore.
Master Directions on Transfer of Loan Exposures 2021:
The 2021 Directions on Transfer of Loan Exposures will boost liquidity in the system further and improve
transparency and corporate governance.
i.Transfer of stressed loans: RBI has allowed the transferring of loan exposures classified as fraud (i.e. the
stressed loans) to Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs).
• This direction came as a backdrop of the banks reported frauds aggregating Rs 3.95-lakh crore between
FY19 and FY21.
Applicability: Scheduled Commercial Banks; Regional Rural Banks; Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks/State
Co-operative Banks/District Central Co-operative Banks; All India Financial Institutions (NABARD, NHB, EXIM
Bank, and SIDBI); Small Finance Banks; and All Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) including Housing
Finance Companies (HFCs).
ii.Stressed loans that are in default for more than 60 days are classified as non-performing assets (NPA), and can
be transferred to ARCs.
iii.Prior to the master direction, when an account is declared fraud, banks had to set aside 100 percent of the
outstanding loan as provision. But now banks could recover a part of the loan and ARCs also could buy debt lower
than regular loan accounts.
iv.The transfer of stressed loans of Rs 100 crore or more negotiated on a bilateral basis between lenders and
permitted acquirers, including ARCs, must be followed by an auction through the Swiss Challenge method.
• They can shift the responsibility of reporting, monitoring and filing of complains with law enforcement
agencies and proceeding related to bad loans to the ARCs.
Note – The transferor shall transfer the stressed loans to transferee(s) other than ARCs only on a cash basis.
Minimum Holding Period (MHP):
i.It is the minimum period for which a transferor must hold the loan exposures before it is transferred to
transferees. MHP should be calculated from the date of first repayment of the loan
ii.MHP is 3 months in case of loans with tenor of up to 2 years and 6 months in case of loans with tenor of more
than 2 years.
Note – These directions were issued in exercise of the powers conferred by the Sections 21 and 35A of the
Banking Regulation Act, 1949, Chapter IIIB of the RBI Act, 1934, and Sections 30A, 32 and 33 of the National
Housing Bank Act, 1987.
On July 1, 2021, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reported the Government of India’s(GoI) approval for the
extension of the ‘Interest Equalization Scheme for Pre and Post Shipment Rupee Export Credit’ for 3 months, i.e.,
up to September 30, 2021.

About Reserve Bank of India(RBI):
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
GoI Decided to Borrow Rs 5.3 lakh crore in H2 FY22

The Government of India (GoI), in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has decided to borrow Rs
5.03 lakh crore for the second half (H2) of FY22 i.e (October 2021 to March 2022) to fund the revenue gap for
reviving the economy (which is affected by COVID-19).
Background:
i.Under the budget for 2021-22, the government’s gross borrowing for FY22 was estimated to be Rs 12.05 lakh
crore along with net borrowing of Rs 9.37 crore.
ii.The Government in consultation with the RBI borrowed Rs 7.02 lakh crore for H1 FY22 by issuing bonds. Now
the govt plans to borrow the remaining Rs 5.03 lakh crore.
iii.H1 borrowing was completed with a weighted average yield at 6.19 percent and weighted average maturity at
16.69 years.
Note – In FY21, there was a gross borrowing of Rs 13.71-lakh crore and net borrowing was Rs 11.03 lakh crore.
Key Points:
i.The borrowing of H2 FY22 will be done in 21 weekly tranches of Rs 24,000/23,000 crore per week with
maturities of 2, 5, 10, 14, 30 and 40 year-securities and Floating Rate Bonds (tenor of 7-8 & 13 years).
ii.Share of borrowing under different maturities: 4 percent for 2 years; 11.9 percent for 5 years; 28.4 percent
for 10 year; 17.9 percent for 14 year; 13.9 percent for 30 year; 15.1 percent for 40 year; and Floating Rate Bonds:
8.8 percent.
iii.In H1 FY22, GoI has released Rs 75,000 crore to the states and Union Territories (UTs) to compensate them for
the shortfall in GST (Goods and Services Tax) revenue.
• The current borrowing will release the remaining Rs 83,000 crore out of Rs 1.58 lakh crore to states and UTs
in the H2 FY22.
iv.The govt raises money from the market to fund its fiscal deficit through dated securities and treasury bills.
• Weekly borrowing under Treasury Bills in the 3rd Quarter (Q3) of FY22 is expected to be Rs 20,000 crore
with net borrowing of (-) Rs 1.04 lakh crore.
• There will be the issuance of Rs 10,000 crore under 91 DTBs (Days Treasury Bills), Rs 3,000 crore under 182
DTBs; Rs 7,000 crore under 364 DTBs during the Q3 FY22.
Ways And Means Advances Limit
To handle the temporary mismatches in Government accounts, the RBI has fixed the Ways and Mean Advance
(WMA) limit for H2 2022 (October 2021 to March 2022) at Rs 50,000 crore.
• RBI will initiate fresh floatation of market loans when the GoI utilises 75 percent of the WMA limit.
Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman announced an ‘Economic Relief from Pandemic’ stimulus package
worth INR 6,28,993 crore to support the Indian Economy during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Ministry of Finance
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman (Karnataka)
Minister of State (MoS) – Pankaj Chaudhary (Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh), Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad
(Constituency – Maharashtra)
RBI Plans to Set up 5 Member Committee on NUE Licences Headed by P Vasudevan

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) plans to set up a 5-member committee headed by P Vasudevan, chief general
manager of RBI, to examine applications and give recommendations on New Umbrella Entity (NUE) licences.
Background:
i.To speed up the cashless payment, RBI allowed other organisations to set up umbrella entities for payments

systems to create an alternate mechanism (rivalry) to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
ii.RBI has fixed March 31, 2021, as the deadline for making applications to form NUEs. But now for data safety
concerns, RBI has put NUE license issuance under hold.
New Umbrella Entity (NUE):
i.NUEs will be a non-profit entity that will perform as like NPCI and operate new payment systems, especially in
the retail space such as ATMs, white-label point of sale terminals (PoS), Aadhaar-based payments and remittance
services, operation of clearing and settlement systems for participating banks and non-banks, etc.
ii.NUEs will be participating in the RBI’s payment and settlement systems.
iii.So far, around 6 consortiums, including those led by Amazon, Google, Facebook, and the Tata group, applied for
the NUEs licences, in partnership with companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, and Axis Bank.
iv.State Bank of India and Union Bank were barred by the finance ministry from seeking NUE licences as they
were shareholders in NPCI.
BANKING TECHNOLOGY
Bank of Baroda Launched ‘Bob World’ a Digital Banking Platform
Bank of Baroda(BoB), owned by the government of India has launched a digital banking platform “Bob World” to
offer all banking services on a single platform.
bob World, the revamped Mobile Banking application of BOB, was previously known as M-Connect Plus.
With Bob World, the bank aims to provide an all-inclusive and uninterrupted virtual banking experience with all
digital banking services under one platform.
Features of Bob world:
i.More than 220 services, which will cover around 90% of all retail banking services, will be offered through the
bob world application.
ii.Bob world will also enable digital account opening with instant virtual debit card issuance, online loan
applications with instantaneous disbursal for selected loan products.
BoB Tops Scorecard issued by MeitY:
i.BoB has topped the digital scorecard issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
for the months of February and March 2021 with a total of 86% marks.
ii.The scorecard ranks 44 banks on various parameters of the digital business.
About Bank of Baroda(BoB):
MD & CEO– Sanjiv Chadha
Tagline– India’s International Bank
Headquarters– Vadodara, Gujarat
Founded on 20th July 1908
Nationalised on 19th July 1969
Karnataka Bank with Mswipe Technologies Pvt Ltd Launches ‘WisePOSGo’ for MSME customers
Karnataka Bank, collaborating with Mswipe Technologies Private Limited, has launched ‘WisePOSGo’. It’s a Point
of Sale(PoS) device that helps in processing of business payments and cashless transactions for merchants of the
bank. This is in line with Digital Bank of Future’
Features of ‘WisePOSGo’-
i.The device is equipped with an all-in-one swiping feature. It has the features of contact less payments mobile
phone, QR code, pay by link, magstripe and barcode scanner.
ii.It will support 4G, Wifi, Bluetooth and micro-USBs. Calling facility is also available.
iii.The device is designed specifically for bank’s MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) customers.

iv.By integrating payments with business applications in one single device, small business establishments will be
benefitted. The cashless payments will also be promoted.
About Karnataka Bank
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer-Mahabaleshwara MS
Headquarters – Mangalore, Karnataka
About Mswipe Technologies Pvt Ltd
Chief Executive Officer-Ketan Patel
Federal Bank partners with OneCard to launch mobile-first credit card

On September 22, 2021, Federal Bank joined hands with fintech company OneCard to launch a mobile-first credit
card to cater the individual’s credit demand for the upcoming festive season. The cards will be powered by Visa.
• The bank is targeting consumers aged between 23 and 35 years representing the Gen Z and millennials.
• This card powered by OneCard app, ‘slick’, and can be activated and used instantly in virtual format until the
physical card gets delivered. Users can control their cards through the app.
Key Points:
i.Federal Bank focuses on ‘Digital at the Fore and Human at the Core’ i.e. to offer highly tech-enabled,
customized experience.
ii.Notably, total credit card spends have grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25% from financial
year 2016 to financial year 2021 and are expected to reach Rs 15 trillion for financial year 2024.
Recent collaboration of OneCard with other Banks:
i.With SBM-India (State Bank of Mauritius) to launch mobile-based credit card.
ii.With South Indian Bank to launch the app base ‘SIB-OneCard Credit Card’.
About Federal Bank:
It was established in 1931 as the Travancore Federal Bank. Its name was changed to Federal Bank Limited in
1949.
Managing Director & CEO– Shyam Srinivasan
Tagline– Your Perfect Banking Partner
Headquarters– Aluva, Kerala
About OneCard:
Chief Executive Officer– Anurag Sinha
Headquarter– Pune, Maharashtra
LOANS ISSUED BY BANKS

JICA Signed $50 million Loan Agreement with NAC for Women’s Financial Inclusion in India
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a $50 million (~ Rs 368 crore) loan agreement with
an Indian financial institution Northern Arc Capital (NAC) to support the funding of Non-Banking Finance
Companies (NBFCs) in India, that provide financial services to women.
• This loan will be provided through co-financing with the United States International Development Finance
Corporation (USDFC) based on the Facility for Accelerating Financial Inclusion in Asia (FAIA) (Announced on
March 27, 2020).
• This loan is the 1st co-financing with USDFC in India.
Objective:
i.The agreement intends to overcome Gender inequality in India by enabling Indian women with access to
financial services.
ii.Under the Gender Gap Index (Global Gender Gap Report 2020), India ranked 112th out of 153 countries
representing a country with a huge gender imbalance. It showcases the limited participation of women in
economic activities.
iii.Around 40 percent of India’s female population (about 280 million women) have no access to financial
services.

About Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA):
Headquarters – Tokyo, Japan
President – Shinichi Kitaoka
About Northern Arc Capital (NAC):
Headquarters – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
CEO – Kshama Fernandes
EXIM Bank provides USD100mn loan to Africa Finance Corp for Infra Development
For the revival of COVID-19 impacts Africa’s economies, the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has
extended a line of credit of USD 100 million (Rs 730 crore) on behalf of the Indian government to the Africa
Finance Corporation (AFC).
• This credit line will be utilized to develop infrastructure in the continent and boost economic betterment.
• Its tenure will be 10 years.
Key Points:
i.AFC is an infrastructure solutions provider in the African continent.
ii.EXIM Bank provides credit lines to national governments, regional financial institutions, commercial banks and
other overseas entities as part of its strategy to develop global partnerships.
Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs,
addressed the inaugural session of 16th edition of virtual ‘Confederation of Indian Industry – Export Import Bank
of India’ (CII-EXIM Bank) Conclave on India & Africa Project Partnership, which was held on July 13 to 15, 2021.
Theme: ‘Harnessing the Africa-India Opportunity: Connect, Create and Collaborate’
About Export-Import Bank of India:
Exim Bank Extended USD 40 Million LOC to Maldives

Exim Bank (Export-Import Bank of India) has extended a line of credit (LOC) of USD 40 million (~ Rs 292
crores) to the Government of the Republic of the Maldives for the development of sports infrastructure.
Key Points:
i.So far, Exim Bank has extended 5 LOC to the Maldives Government, on behalf of the Government of India, taking
the total value of LOCs to USD 1.33 billion.
ii.The LOC Agreement was signed by Nirmit Ved, General Manager, Exim Bank and H.E. Ibrahim Ameer, Minister
of Finance, Government of the Republic of Maldives.
iii.Different projects covered under the LOC to the Maldives include housing projects, Greater Male Connectivity
project, water & sewerage projects, Addu Development project, International Cricket Stadium project, sports
infrastructure, etc.
iv.To date, Exim Bank has placed around 276 LOCs, covering 62 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America Oceania
and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
v.The bank was intended to finance exports from India with credit commitments of around USD 27.02 billion.
About Exim Bank (Export-Import Bank of India):
ADB Provides USD 150 million Loan for Urban Housing Projects in Tamil Nadu
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 150 million loan for building sustainable housing
projects for Urban Poor in Tamil Nadu.
• From this loan the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) will construct houses in 9 different
locations.

Objective- To provide safe, affordable housing infrastructure and services to vulnerable sections.
Highlights:
i.The loan will facilitate access to inclusive, resilient and sustainable housing projects in the slums areas.
ii.It will boost the economic growth of Tamil Nadu as it contributes 8.54% to India’s Gross Domestic
Product(GDP).
iii.TNSCB will construct houses and relocate about 6000 households vulnerable to natural hazards to safer
locations.
iv.The Directorate of Town and Country Planning of Tamil Nadu will make plans to map the economic and
infrastructure development.
v.The ADB is providing assistance to the USD 1.5 million Technical Assistance(TA) grant from its Technical
Assistant Special Fund. It will enhance capacity building of government agencies. The technical assistance
programmes like graduation programmes for vulnerable relocated beneficiaries etc.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB)
President- Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters- Manila, Philippine
About Tamil Nadu
National Park- Mudumalai National Park
Wildlife Sanctuary- Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve,Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, Agasthyamalai Biosphere
Reserve
Tiger Reserve- Kalakad Mundanthurai tiger reserve,Anamalai Tiger reserve, Mudumalai tiger reserve
ADB lends $251m for urban flood management in Chennai

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of $251 million for urban flood protection and
management in the Chennai–Kosasthalaiyar river basin in India.
• It strengthens flood risk management and integrated urban planning to transform Chennai into a more
livable city.
• It will improve climate and disaster resilience of affected communities, to protect their lives, economy and
the environment.
Objective
i.The project aims at establishing climate-resilient urban flood protection infrastructure.
ii.It includes construction of 588 kilometres (km) of new stormwater drains and to replace 175 km of
stormwater drains.
iii.It also includes construction of 23,000 catch pits in roadside drains to recharge the groundwater aquifer and
rehabilitate four disaster relief camps.
iv.To implement a citizen observatory for real-time information in flood areas; and create a manual for green
infrastructure design, including rainwater harvesting.
v.The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) technical staff will be trained on the planning and design of stormwater
drainage systems, solid waste management and flood risks.
About Asian Development Bank
Founded -1966.
Headquarters – Manila, Philippines.
President – Masatsugu Asakawa
AGREEMENTS & MoUs SIGNED

HDFC Bank signs MoU with NSIC to offer credit support to MSMEs
India’s largest Private sector bank, HDFC Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) to offer credit support to Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country.
• The MoU was signed by Gaurang Dixit, Director of Finance, NSIC and Akhilesh Kumar Roy, National Head
– Sales Excellence and Transformation, HDFC bank at NSIC office, Okhla, New Delhi.

Key Points:
• Under this collaboration, A set of specially tailored schemes will be offered by the HDFC bank in order to
enhance their competitiveness.
• HDFC Bank branches will extend support to MSME projects in their location or other important industrial
sectors.
• As per lending norms laid down in the lending policy of the Bank, the bank will sanction loan applications
forwarded by NSIC.
About HDFC Bank:
MD & CEO – Sashidhar Jagdishan
Tagline – We understand your world
About National Small Industries Corporation(NSIC):
Chairman-Cum-Managing Director (CMD) –Vijayendra
IPPB, LICHFL signed MoU for Home Loans

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and LIC Housing Finance Ltd (Life Insurance Corporation of India-HFL) have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide home loans to over 4.5 crore customers of the former.
• While LICHFL will be responsible for home loans’ credit underwriting, processing, and disbursement, IPPB
will look after for sourcing.
Key Points:
i.With this partnership, LICHFL’s home loan products will be accessible to customers through IPPB’s extensive
network and will also cater to the LICHFL’s objective to increase business contribution from Tier 2 markets and
beyond.
ii.The sale of loans is further supported by IPPB’s on-ground workforce of nearly 2 lakh postal employees
(Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks), equipped with micro ATMs and biometric devices and offering Doorstep
Banking Service
iii.IPPB is currently distributing various general and life insurance products through partnerships with leading
insurance companies, and credit products.
About LICHFL Loans:
i.It offers home loans starting from 6.66% for loans up to Rs 50 lakh for salaried individuals.
ii.It also has home loan product GrihaVarishtha for retired or serving employees of PSU (Public Sector
Undertaking) insurers, Central/State government, railways, defence, banks etc. entitled to pension under Defined
Benefit Pension Scheme.
• For this loan, the age of the borrower at purchase can be up to 65 years and the loan tenure is till the
attainment of 80 years of age or maximum up to 30 years, whichever is earlier.
About India Post Payments Bank (IPPB):
It was set up under the Department of Post, Ministry of Communication. It was launched as a pilot project in
Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Raipur (Chhattisgarh) on January 30, 2017.
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Venkatram Jayanthy
Tagline– Aapka Bank, Aapke Dwaar
Headquarter– New Delhi, Delhi
About LIC Housing Finance Ltd (LICHFL):
MD & CEO– Y Viswanatha Gowd
Tagline– Where Dreams come HOME
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra

Punjab & Sind Bank ties up with Indiabulls; PNB to sell its 23% stake from CHOICE
On September 14, 2021, Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB) signed a strategic co-lending alliance with Indiabulls
Commercial Credit and Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited (IHFL) for MSME (Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises) and Priority Sector Housing Loans respectively.
• Through this partnership, India’s unserved and underserved sector will be accessed with credit flow at
an affordable cost as compared to standalone loans given by NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Company).
• This will also help the bank to enhance its Retail and MSME portfolio and boost lending to the MSME sector.
Punjab National Bank begins exit from Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance
PNB is all set to sell its entire stake (23%) in its Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance (CHOICE). In CHOICE, PNB is the
promoter after the amalgamation of Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and United Bank of India (UBI) with it in
April 2020. Prior to this amalgamation, OBC held a 23% stake in CHOICE.
• Canara Bank has a 51% stake and HSBC Insurance (Asia Pacific) Holdings has 26% stake in the life insurer,
which is now an associate company of PNB.
Reason behind exit:
As per the IRDAI’s (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India) norm, a commercial bank should
not hold more than 10% stake in two life insurance ventures at the same time.
• Post the OBC amalgamation, PNB had significant shareholding in two life insurance ventures viz. PNB
MetLife insurance (30%) and the above mentioned CHOICE.
• In order to keep with the norms, the decision of exit has been taken.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 25 lakh on the state-owned Punjab and Sind Bank
for non-compliance with certain provisions related to the directions on ‘Cyber Security Framework in Banks’.
About Punjab and Sind Bank (PSB):
Establishment- 1908
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer– S. Krishnan
Tagline– Where service is a way of life
UNDP, HDFC and Greater Noida Authority Signed a pact for Dry Waste Management Facility in
Noida
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), HDFC Bank and the Greater Noida Industrial
Development Authority (GNIDA) signed an agreement to provide facilities to manage up to 300 metric tonnes of
dry waste in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
HDFC Bank is providing financial assistance of Rs 3 crore in setting up of Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in
Greater Noida.
Highlights
• Plastic waste management programme of UNDP will bring a sustainable Infrastructure to dispose waste
material and reuse it for different purposes.
• The waste management programme is aligned with ‘’Swachh Bharat Mission’’( Clean India Mission), Solid
Waste Management Rules 2016 and Plastic Waste Management ( Amendment) Rules 2018.
• It will enhance India’s efforts to become a low- carbon economy and achieve Paris Agreement targets. The
Paris Agreement sets out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global
warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
New rules- Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules 2021
• The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of the identified single-use plastic will
be prohibited with effect from the 1st July, 2022.
• The ban will not apply to commodities made of compostable plastic.
• The permitted thickness of the plastic bags, currently 50 microns, will be increased to 75 microns from
30th September, 2021, and to 120 microns from the 31st December, 2022.

About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Chairman- Achim Steiner
Headquarters- Newyork, United States
Established- 22 February 1965
IndusInd Bank & Escorts Ltd Partnered to Offer Finance to Farmers

IndusInd Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Escorts Limited (Escorts Agri
Machinery), one of India’s leading automotive engineering companies, to offer financial services to farmers and
to make its range of tractors and farm equipment more accessible.
The financial services will be provided in the form of loans or Agri finance solutions.
• The partnership was formalised by Shenu Agarwal CEO of Escorts Agri Machinery and Shiban
Kaul, Executive Vice President of IndusInd Bank.
Features of the MoU:
i.This partnership between IndusInd Bank and Escorts Agri Machinery will enable the farmers to invest in
modern farm machinery to increase their farm productivity and income.
ii.Under this partnership with IndusInd bank, Escorts aims to provide a transparent, hassle-free, and quick
mechanism for farmers to purchase its Agri based products like tractors.
About Escorts limited
CMD– Nikhil Nanda
CEO of Escort Agri Machinery– Shenu Agarwal
Headquarters– Faridabad, Haryana
About IndusInd Bank:
MD & CEO- Sumant Kathpalia
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra
Commenced operations in 1994
LIC Tie-up with DoP for Print to Post Solution

In September 2021, the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India made an agreement with the Department of
Posts (DoP) for availing of the ‘Print to Post’ solution.
• The Print to Post, which is an end-to-end solution provided by the Department of Post will be useful for LIC
for printing and dispatching the policy booklet issued under a life insurance policy.
• The solution would reduce the turnaround time under the issuance of policy documents and enhance the
customer experience.
Department of Posts (DoP):
i.It comes under the Ministry of Communications. India has been divided into 23 postal circles along with another
Circle, named Base Circle, to cater to the postal communication needs of the Armed Forces.
ii.With more than 1,55,000 post offices, the DoP has the most widely distributed postal network in the world.
iii.The DoP acts as an agent for the Government of India for other services such as the Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), wage disbursement and old age pension payments.
About Department of Posts (DoP):
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Secretary – Vineet Pandey
Director General – Alok Sharma
About Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)of India:
Chairman – M R Kumar

OTHER BANK NEWS
Eight Major Banks Join the Account Aggregator Network
On September 2, 2021, iSPIRT Foundation virtually launched the industry-wide ‘Account Aggregator
(AA) ecosystem Go-Live’ and announced the joining of 8 Major Banks viz, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Axis
Bank, IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank, IndusInd Bank, and Federal Bank, under AA Network as
financial information providers (FIP).
• The 8 banks and GSTN (Goods and Service Tax Network) have received the in-principle approval from the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to join the AA network.
Who is an Account Aggregator?
i.AA are data access fiduciary. It will be used for the exchange of financial information from FIPs to Financial
Information Users (FIUs) in a safe manner with due customer consent.
iii.AA network will not store/read the customers data in turn it will act as a pipeline between FIPs and FIUs.
• The FIPs may include banks, mutual funds, insurance companies and tax authorities like the GST platform,
etc. The FIUs could be banks, wealth advisories, investment firms, etc.
iv.Security: The AA will store the encrypted data till the process is completed and after which the data will be
erased from the AAs database. This ensures data security.
v.Speed: If all the financial institutions are included in the AA ecosystem, it will facilitate access to large amounts
of financial data within seconds.
Background:
i.In June 2016, RBI approved a new class of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) called AAs to facilitate
consented share of financial information in real-time.
ii.RBI has also announced the AA framework. RBI gives licenses and governs the rules for AAs.
iii.Requirement – Every company seeking registration with the RBI as NBFC – AA should have a net owned fund
of not less than Rs 2 crore or such higher amount, as the RBI may specify.
Current and Upcoming AAs:
i.Neo Bank ‘Fi’, Non-bank lenders such as Bajaj Finance Ltd. and DMI Finance are also joining the AA network.
ii.Finvu, OneMoney, NESL, and CAMS Finserv are already live as AA. PhonePe, Perfios, and Yodlee also have
received in-principle approval from the RBI to Join the AA network.
RBI has included street vendors part of the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi Scheme) in tier-
1 and tier-2 centres as beneficiaries under the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) Scheme.
Established – April 1, 1935

Nigeria’s Central Bank Tie-up with Bitt Inc to Launch its Own Cryptocurrency ‘eNaira’
Nigeria’s Central Bank announced the partnership with Bitt Inc, the global fintech company, as a technical
partner for the launch of its own cryptocurrency ‘eNaira’ by the end of 2021.
• Backdrop: In February 2021, Nigeria barred banks and financial institutions from dealing in or facilitating
transactions in cryptocurrencies. After which, the Central Bank of Nigeria has announced its plan of
launching eNaira.
• The e-naira will act as a wallet and enable the customers to save their existing funds in their bank account.
• The cryptocurrency will improve financial inclusion and enable cheaper and faster remittance inflows.
World’s 1st CBDC:
i.In March 2021, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) issued the ‘DCash’ which became the world’s 1st retail
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to be publicly issued within a formal currency union.
ii.DCash was designed and developed by Bitt in partnership with the ECCB.
About Bitt Inc:
Headquarters – Saint Michael, Barbados
CEO – Brian Popelka
BharatPe Partners with Axis Bank for its POS Business

BharatPe, the fintech company for merchants, and Axis Bank, the 3rd largest private sector bank in India,
entered into a strategic partnership.
• Under the partnership, Axis Bank will act as the acquiring bank for BharatPe’s point of sale (PoS) business
‘BharatSwipe’ and provide acceptance of debit and credit cards for merchants associated with BharatPe.
Key Points:
a.Payment Business of Axis Bank: With an installed base of over 652,026 PoS terminals, Axis Bank is
the 3rd largest PoS acquiring bank in the payments acceptance business in India. It currently processes about
Rs 19,000 crore of payments per month.
b.Payment Business of BharatPe:
i.By the end of FY21, BharatPe has achieved a transaction processed value (TPV) of $2 billion on PoS terminals
and it set a target of $6 billion TPV by FY22.
• It intends to increase its PoS machines to 300,000 by the end of FY21.
ii.BharatSwipe: It was launched by BharatPe in 2020 as India’s 1st zero rental and zero Merchant Discount Rate
(MDR) POS machine.
• With an installed base of 100,000 across 16 cities, BharatSwipe is processing around Rs 1,400 crore per
month.
• Background: In 2019, the Ministry of Finance waived the MDR charges and set ‘0’ transactions charges on
transactions through RuPay and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms.
Axis Bank Ltd made a multi-year agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of
Amazon to build a portfolio of new digital financial services with technology changes, and new payment modes
for better banking experiences to customers.
About Axis Bank:
Establishment –1993 (Commenced operation –1994)
MD & CEO – Amitabh Chaudhry
Tagline – Badhtika Naam Zindagi
About BharatPe:
CEO, Co-Founder – Ashneer Grover

Federal Bank Launched Credit Card in Association with VISA
Federal Bank launched different variants of credit cards in association with VISA to serve the needs of different
segments of customers. Currently, the card is being offered to existing customers of the Bank alone.
Features of the Credit Card:
i.The card has 3 variants of such as – Celesta (Targeted at HNIs (High Net Worth Individuals)), Imperio (for
Family oriented customers), and Signet (for young professionals).
ii.The credit cards will be offered with the lowest Annual Percentage Rates (APR) – dynamic APR starting from
0.49 percent/month (around 5.88 percent/annum).
iii.The credit cards will be issued by the bank on the basis of the ‘Digital First’ card approach, in which the
customers are enabled to avail the card and use immediately in FedMobile, the Federal Bank’s Mobile Banking
application (Delivering the physical card in due course).
The Bank also plans to launch variants of the Rupay Credit Card in association with the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI).
About Federal Bank:
Establishment – April 23, 1931 (as Travancore Federal Bank Limited), changed to The Federal Bank Limited on
December 2, 1949
Headquarters – Aluva, Kerala
MD & CEO – Shyam Srinivasan
Tagline – Your Perfect Banking Partner
HDFC Bank Became 1st Lender to List $1 Billion AT-1 Bonds on IFSC
HDFC Bank became the 1st Indian lender to list Additional Tier-I (AT-1) bonds on the Gujarat International
Finance Tec-City – International Financial Services Centre (GIFT-IFSC).
• HDFC Bank listed its $1 billion (3.7 percent) foreign currency AI-1 bonds on GIFT (Gujarat International
Finance Tec-City)-IFSC.
• So far, Global Securities Market, the primary market platform of India INX (International Exchange), has
received over $55 billion medium-term notes and over $28 billion of bond listings, since its establishment in
2018.
• India INX, the Bombay Stock Exchange’s international arm, is India’s 1st international exchange set up at the
GIFT IFSC.
SBM-India partners with OneCard to launch mobile-based credit card ‘mobile-first’

In order to target the tech-savvy population, SBM Bank-India (State Bank of Mauritius), on September 6, 2021, has
partnered with OneCard to launch a mobile-based credit card namely ‘mobile-first’ which will be offered through
an app.
• This launch will be a part of the bank’s smart banking mission which acknowledges the expansion of
digitalization in India.
• In this partnership, OneCard will utilize its Visa’s technology and global acceptance.
Key Points:
i.This credit card will be powered by a slick, smart OneCard app which, for the first time ever, gives the customer
full control of their credit card i.e spends, rewards, limits, payments and more.
ii.In 2019, OneCard launched OneScore app allowing people to monitor and manage their credit health.
• Now with the use of this app, user can easily apply for the card digitally unlike traditional credit cards,
besides fulfilling a host of eligibility criteria and documentation.
iii.It should be noted that, as per ResearchAndMarkets, the Indian credit card industry is expected to grow at a
CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) of more than 25% during 2020 – 2025 due to ‘buy now pay later’.
About OneCard:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Anurag Sinha
Headquarter– Pune, Maharashtra

SBM Bank (India):
It is the first foreign bank (Mauritius) to receive a banking license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and to
establish a universal banking business in India through the Wholly Owned Subsidiary (WOS) mode.
MD & CEO– Sidharth Rath
Project Dunbar: Central Banks of Australia, Malaysia, Singapore & South Africa to test CBDCs for
international settlements
The Central Banks of Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and South Africa have launched ‘Project Dunbar’ under which
these quad banks will test the use of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) for international settlements.
• This project will be led by the Singapore Centre of Bank of International Settlements Innovation Hub.
• The project aims to develop prototype shared platforms for multi-CBDC settlement that fulfils the needs and
requirements of central banks and financial institutions.
Participating Central Banks:
Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and
South African Reserve Bank (SARB)
Key Points:
i.This quad will conduct a cross border payments trial using different CBDCs to assess if this allows transactions
to be settled more cheaply and easily.
• These multi-CBDC platforms will allow financial institutions to transact directly with each other in the digital
currencies issued by participating central banks which will eliminate the need for intermediaries and also
decrease the time and cost of transactions.
ii.It should be noted that a separate BIS-led project exploring using CBDCs for cross border payments is also
underway involving central banks from China, Hong Kong, Thailand and the UAE (United Arab Emirates).
The results of this project will be published by 2022, but the platform prototypes will debut at the Singapore
FinTech Festival in November 2021.
UCO Bank partners with ‘Fisdom’ to offer Wealth Management Products

UCO Bank (United Commercial Bank) partnered with ‘Fisdom’, a financial sector company that specializes in
fund management, to offer wealth management services & products to its customers. Under this collaboration,
UCO bank customers can now make seamless investments in Mutual Funds through its ‘mBanking Plus App’.
i.This partnership has enabled high-quality wealth management services on all mutual fund schemes, in a fully
digital mode to the customers of UCO Bank.
ii.The collaboration between Fisdom and UCO Bank will focus on enabling large-scale facilitation and distribution
of all mutual fund schemes
iii.The fully digital, paperless investment feature, will allow the customers to redeem investments or track fund
performance through UCO Bank’s mBanking Plus App.
Note – In August 2021, the Central Government extended the tenure of Atul Kumar Goel, the Managing Director
(MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UCO Bank for 2-years.
About Fisdom:
CEO – Subramanya S V
Head Office – Bangalore, Karnataka
About UCO Bank:
MD & CEO – Atul Kumar Goel
Tagline – “Honours Your Trust”
Headquarter – Kolkata, West Bengal

BOI & MAS Financial Services Enters Co-Lending Arrangement for MSME Loans
The Bank of India (BOI) has entered into a co-lending arrangement with the MAS Financial Services Limited for
MSME to offer Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises(MSME) loans. Under this partnership, the Bank of India will
utilize the reach of MAS Financial Services to build the MSME portfolio.
• The strategic co-lending arrangement was announced on the occasion of the 116th Foundation Day of the
Bank of India.
Co-Lending:
Co-lending was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) to increase the credit flow to the unserved and
underserved sector by utilising a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) coverage to the informal sector.
116th Foundation Day:
BOI marked the celebration of its 116th Foundation day by celebrating the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
• BOI was established on 7th September 1906 and the bank was nationalised in July 1969.
About Bank of India(BOI):
Managing Director & CEO– Atanu Kumar Das
Tagline– Relationship beyond banking
About MAS Financial Services Limited:
CMD– Kamlesh Gandhi
Director & CEO– Darshana Pandya
Incepted in 1995
Headquarter – Ahmedabad, Gujarat
SEBI to allow T+1 settlement cycle on an optional basis from January 1, 2022
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will initiate the T+1 (today plus one) settlement cycle for
equity transactions from January 1, 2022 under which Indian stock markets can transfer shares and money into
client accounts in under 24 hours. It is not mandatory for the stock exchanges to go with the T+1 settlement
cycle. They are flexible to offer either T+1 or T+2 settlement cycle
• Currently stock markets follow a T+2 settlement cycle which takes 48 hours or more for the shares to be
transferred into the client account in case of purchase deals. This means a seller cannot demand payment for
at least two days.
Key Points:
i.Those stock exchanges who want to offer T+1 settlement cycle will give one month prior notice on the change to
all stakeholders, including the public and also disseminate it on its website.
ii.After opting for T+1 settlement cycle for a scrip, the stock exchange will have to mandatorily continue with the
same for a minimum of 6 months. If the stock exchange intends to switch back to T+2 settlement cycle, it can do
so by giving 1-month advance notice to the market.
iii.This decision has been taken on the request of various stakeholders to shorten the settlement cycle.
• Therefore, SEBI after discussions with Market Infrastructure Institutions (stock exchanges, clearing
corporations and depositories) has decided to provide flexibility to stock exchanges with both options.
Jana Bank Extends the Banking Service to Karnataka’s Namma Shaale Nanna Koduge Programme
Jana Small Finance Bank made tie up with Karnataka Government to provide the payment gateway service
for Namma Shaale Nanna Koduge (My School, My Contribution) programme which launched by Chief
Minister of Karnataka, Shri Basavaraj Bommai during Teacher’s Day.
• Namma Shaale Nanna Koduge is an initiative to create a platform for the donors who are willing to
donate money to government schools of Karnataka in the motive of strengthen the public education system.
• The donation amount will be received in single account of Karnataka Text Book Society – Department of
Public Instruction and then it will be sent to respective school account.
• Jana SFB provide its complete payment ecosystem of RTGS, NEFT, UPI, IMPS, Debit card, NACH etc. to donor
to make their donations effectively.

About Jana Small Finance Bank
MD & CEO – Ajay Kanwal
Established in – 2008
Headquarters – Bengaluru,Karnataka
Tagline – ‘Paise ki Kadar’ (value for money)
South Indian Bank launches ‘SIB – OneCard Credit Card’ in partnership with OneCard
After SBM Bank-India (State Bank of Mauritius), now South Indian Bank (SIB) has collaborated with Pune
(Maharashtra)-based OneCard to launch an app based ‘SIB – OneCard Credit Card’.
• It is an internationally valid premium metal card on the Visa Signature platform which can be managed
through OneCard App.
• This collaboration is on the lines of SIB’s vision of digital transformation and to cater India’s young
population.
Key Features of Card:
i.It has Lifetime validity with zero joining and annual fees along with lowest forex (foreign transaction) fee in the
market at just 1%.
ii.The signing process is fully digital.
iii.There is instant virtual card issuance, instant issuance of reward points and easy redemption within the app,
etc.
iv.It has NFC (Near Field Communication) facility and also offers contactless easy management of EMIs (Equated
Monthly Installment) through app.
Points to be noted:
i.Recently, SBM-India has partnered with OneCard to launch a mobile-based credit card namely ‘mobile-first’
which will be offered through an app.
ii.OneCard has been launched by FPL Technologies – a fintech start-up which aims to digitally revolutionise credit
and payments.
• OneCard’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Anurag Sinha.
iii.SIB is the first private sector bank in India to open a Currency Chest on behalf of the RBI (Reserve Bank of
India) in April 1992.
• It is also the first private sector bank to open a NRI (Non Resident Indian) branch in November 1992 and to
start an Industrial Finance Branch in March 1993.
About South Indian Bank (SIB):
Managing Director & CEO – Murali Ramakrishnan
Headquarter– Thrissur, Kerala
Tagline– Experience Next Generation Banking
Online Assistant– Sona
Lendingkart partners with SBM Bank India to offer Overdraft facility to MSMEs
On 9th September 2021, Fintech start-up ‘Lendingkart’ partnered with SBM Bank India to offer customised
overdraft facilities to over 1 lakh MSME customers through the Lendingkart platform.
Overdraft facility:
i.At present, collateral like property, fixed deposits need to be furnished for availing overdraft facilities.
ii.This proposed unique overdraft facility will offer special features like – on-demand disbursement, zero physical
paperwork, through digital modes. This reduces the collateral need for an MSME to avail overdraft on loans.
About Lendingkart:
Lendingkart is a fin-tech startup established in 2014, that is specialised in Capital sector lending
Founder & MD – Harshvardhan Lunia
Headoffice – Bangalore, Karnataka

About SBM Bank (India):
MD & CEO – Sidharth Rath
DBS partners with SWIFT for real-time cross-border Payment Tracking

DBS in partnership with Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) Global
Payments Innovation(gpi) has launched real-time online tracking for cross-border collections for businesses
in India benefitting around 4,000 corporate and small business clients.
• DBS became the first bank in India and Asia-Pacific to offer this service to its clients.
• DBS was also the first bank in Asia to launch outbound payments with end-to-end tracking with SWIFT
gpi.
DBS SWIFT gpi
i.The incoming payment tracking will help the corporate treasures with better cash forecasting by receiving the
end-to-end tracking information reducing operational costs and frictions.
ii.It brings transparency and visibility and improves receivables forecasting and overall cash position.
iii.It also helps in improving accuracy for intraday credit line needs and provides benefits in supporting credit
control.
iv.This service is available by default and free of charge for all corporate customers via DBS IDEAL- DBS’ online
corporate banking portal.
Key Points:
i.The initiative is part of SWIFT’s vision towards a future of instant and frictionless account-to-account cross-
border payments.
ii.The feature has been introduced across 7 DBS markets, including India, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan,
Indonesia and Vietnam.
About DBS Bank India Limited:
MD & CEO – Surojit Shome
About Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT):
Headquarters – La Hulpe, Belgium
CEO – Javier Pérez-Tasso
PPBL Enabled India’s 1st FASTag-based Metro Parking Facility in Partnership with DMRC
Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) enables India’s first FASTag based metro parking facility in partnership with
the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
• PPBL, the acquiring bank for the parking facility at Kashmere Gate Metro Station, will facilitate the
processing of all FASTag based transactions for cars with valid FASTag stickers.
• Additionally, PPBL has also enabled a UPI based payment solution for 2 wheelers, that enters the parking
facility.
Key Points:
i.The parking facility of Kashmere Gate metro station becomes the first facility to be powered by the digital
payment solution of PPBL.
ii.PPBL is also working with various municipal corporations across Delhi to initiate FASTag based parking
facilities in both organised and unorganised sites.
iii.PPBL also aims to implement digital payment solutions for the parking facilities at malls, hospitals and
airports.
Background:
i.In July 2021, India’s first FASTag/UPI based cashless parking facility was launched at the Kashmere Gate Metro
Station, the only triple-interchange station of DMRC.
ii.DMRC partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch a 100% digital parking

plaza with the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) FASTag contactless parking solution at Kashmere Gate
metro station, Delhi.
About Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL):
Managing Director and CEO- Satish Gupta
Headquarter – Noida, Uttar Pradesh
SBI Raised Rs 4000 crore through AT1 bonds at Coupon of 7.72%

State Bank of India(SBI) has raised Rs 4000 crores through the Basel Compliant Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds
at a coupon rate of 7.72%, the lowest pricing ever offered on such debt, issued by an Indian bank since the
implementation of Basel III capital rules in 2013.
• This is the first AT1 bond issuance in the domestic market since the implementation of new SEBI regulations.
• The offered AT1 is rated AA+, which is the highest rating in the country for these instruments in view of the
hybrid and high-risk nature of these instruments.
HSBC Launches UniTransact to simplify cross-border transactions

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Limited (HSBC) India launched ‘ HSBC UniTransact’ a digital preposition
for simplifying cross border transactions. It will provide a one stop solution and seamless transaction between
client and beneficiaries.
Objective– To unify all cross border transactions at a single point and provide seamless transaction facilities.
Highlights
• It will provide a summary of all cross transactions, Including two-way communication with the client.
• The client can upload, store and retrieve documents for transactions
• It enables end-to-end visibility of the transactions to clients and provides a comprehensive dashboard, real-
time status throughout the life cycle of all cross border transactions.
About HSBC India
The first ATM in India was set up in 1987 by HSBC in Mumbai.
General Manager and Chief Executive Officer-Hitendra Dave
Founded- 1853
KMBL in partnership with IISc will set up AI-ML Centre in Bengaluru

Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) are collaborating to set up an
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI-ML) ‘’Kotak-IISc AI-ML Centre’’at IISc campus in Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
Aim– To boost the Research & Development and innovation in the field of AI-ML.
Highlights
• It is an initiative under CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility) project on Education and Livelihood
• The centre is spread across 1,40,000 square feet in the city. It will offer Bachelor’s, Master’s and short
term courses in the field of AI-MI such as deep learning, fintech, reinforcement learning, image processing,
computer vision, natural language processing, speech understanding, robotics, computational finance and
risk management, cyber security, fraud analytics, blockchain, biomedical engineering and technology,
healthcare, etc.
• The Centre, established under KMBL’s CSR project on Education & Livelihood.
Note- The term Artificial Intelligence (AI) was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy.
Additional Information-
i.IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Hyderabad is the 1st Indian Educational Institute starting B Tech in AI. It
is 3rd in the World after Carnegie University and MIT(Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
ii.IIIT(International Institute of Information Technology)Hyderabad has also introduced popular executive
programmes on AI, Machine Learning and Blockchain.

About Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL)-
Established– February 2003
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer– Uday Kotak
TMB Launched Initiatives on its 100th Anniversary

Tamilnad Mercantile Bank(TMB) Limited launched various initiatives to mark its 100th anniversary. The bank
launched the “TMB Mobile DigiLobby” to support its customers with banking services and a Mobile Vaccination
Drive to create awareness on Covid-19 vaccination
• Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance launched the postal stamp and a specialised ‘postal
card’ to mark the TMB’s centennial celebration in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu.
About Tamilnad Mercantile Bank(TMB) Limited:
TMB Limited was established in 1921 as Nadar Bank Limited.
MD & CEO– K V Rama Moorthy
Tagline– Be a Step ahead of life
Headquarters– Tuticorin, Tamilnadu
HDFC Bank partners Paytm to launch Co-Branded Credit Cards

On 20th September 2021, HDFC Bank announced partnership with Paytm to launch a range of co-branded
credit cards powered by Visa. The collaboration comes as a result of providing a range of offers like ‘EMIs’ and
‘Buy Now Pay Later’ options to increase the purchase potential of customers in this festival season.
i.Under this partnership, a range of Business credit cards with special features benefiting merchants from smaller
cities will be unveiled, with instant & paperless approvals.
ii.This targets deeper penetration in India’s Tier-II & Tier-III markets, enabling faster adaptation to digital
payment.
iii.The co-branded credit card is set to be released in October 2021, while the fuller version with multiple features
is set to be launched in December 2021.
iv.Best-in-class rewards & cashbacks are set to be provided on these credit card purchases.
About HDFC Bank:
MD & CEO – Sashidhar Jagdishan
Tagline – We understand your world
About Paytm:
Headquarters – Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Founder & CEO – Vijay Shekhar Sharma
PayPoint India partnered with BoB to expand Banking Services reach

On September 20, 2021, Bank of Baroda (BoB) collaborated with PayPoint India under which the financial service
provider will provide Banking Service through business correspondent (BC) model. This will enable BoB to
expand its customer network and geographical spread by utilizing PayPoint’s customer service points (CSPs).
• This partnership is a part of BoB’s new initiative ‘BOB NOWW—New Operating model and Ways of
Working’ which aims to push financial inclusion by expanding customer touch points through digital
formats and BC networks.
Key Points:
i.This partnership will leverage banking services at the doorstep of customers especially in unbanked areas.
ii.PayPoint India will offer several services and open savings bank/ PMJDY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana)
accounts and provide withdrawal, deposit, and money transfer services at its CSPs for BoB.

• It will also provide services such as passbook printing, the opening of recurring deposit and fixed deposit
accounts, loan repayments, and micro-ATM withdrawals for the account holders of other banks, and social
security schemes of the government.
U GRO Capital, a technology-enabled Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), made a Co-lending partnership with
BoB to lend Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at a competitive rate of interest with reduced turn-
around time.
About PayPoint India:
Managing Director– Ketan Doshi
About Bank of Baroda (BoB):
Managing Director & CEO– Sanjiv Chadha
Headquarter– Vadodara, Gujarat
Amalgamated Banks– Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank
BOB, BPCL Launched International Co-branded RuPay Debit Card

Bank of Baroda (BoB) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) jointly launched a personalised co-
branded RuPay NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) platinum international contactless debit card.
Features of the Debit card:
i.The co-branded debit card has an NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) feature to enable contactless
transactions across all the public transport systems in the country (such as metros, buses, cabs, toll, parking,
topping-up FASTags, and retail purchases).
ii.It Provides Contactless transactions up to Rs. 5,000 can be done without PIN (above 5k with PIN) at POS.
iii.With the card, the cardholders could access accidental insurance worth Rs 2 lakh, RuPay concierge services,
and domestic airport lounges.
iv.Cash Withdraw Facility: The customers could withdraw up to Rs 50,000 at ATMs and could shop for a
maximum of Rs 1 lakh from e-commerce portals, and physical outlets using PoS (Point of Sale) machines.
v.The card also provides cashback for fuel transactions at over 19,000 plus BPCL outlets across India.
vi.Benefits under the card could be availed by paying a fee of Rs 250 per annum.
About Bank of Baroda (BoB):
Headquarters – Vadodara, Gujarat
MD & CEO – Sanjiv Chadha
Tagline – India’s International Bank
YES Bank partners with Visa for Credit Cards

On September 20, 2021, Yes Bank has joined hands with Visa to offer a suite of credit cards to its customers. It
consists of nine credit card variants on the Visa platform covering all segments viz. consumer cards, business
cards, and corporate cards across YES First, YES Premia and YES Prosperity.
Key Points:
i.The co-branded cards are featured with loyalty programs with un-expired reward points.
ii.It can also be shared or transferred to Yes bank credit card holders.
iii.Other benefits include foreign currency markup, airport lounge access and golf course privileges.
iv.Yes Bank is also set to issue Rupay branded credit cards as the technology integration with NPCI (National
Payments Corporation of India) is about to complete.
About Yes Bank:
Managing Director & CEO– Prashant Kumar
Tagline– Experience Our Expertise

BLS International becomes National Business Correspondent of SBI
BLS International Services Ltd was selected as the National Business Correspondent (BC) for the State Bank
of India (SBI) to deliver banking services in urban, semi-urban and rural areas across India.
• Objective: To support the financial inclusion mission of the government by providing banking services to
the underserved and unserved people of India.
Key Points:
i.Under the partnership, BLS will provide banking services on behalf of SBI like savings bank deposits, fixed
deposit, recurring deposit, remittances, micro pension, micro insurance, open account with e-KYC (Know Your
Customer), Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) mini statement, passbook printing, etc for SBI account
holders across India.
ii.Starfin India Pvt. Ltd., the subsidiary of BLS International has also become the National BC for the Bank of
Baroda to support the financial inclusion mission. It will deliver banking services in rural and urban areas.
iv.Starfin will start performing basic banking services like enrolment of customers, debit cards, balance enquiry,
statement of accounts, passbook printing, money deposit, and bills/utility payment services.
About BLS International Services Ltd:
Headquarters – NewDelhi
Managing Director – Nikhil Gupta
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Establishment – 1st July 1955
Chairman – Dinesh Kumar Khara
RBL Bank &Mastercard Launched #UseBefikar, New Campaign for Seamless Payment Experience
RBL Bank launched ‘#UseBefikar’, a new campaign with Mastercard to provide shopping offers and rewards for
the existing cardholders.
With the #UseBefikar campaign, the RBL bank’s Mastercard holders can avail of exclusive offers with assured
safety and security.
Features of the campaign:
i.The campaign is running through a series of videos that aims to resonate with the cardholders at the start of the
festive season.
ii.The videos will be amplified through social media and online promotions.
iii.The campaign features celebrities like Riteish Deshmukh, Mirabai Chanu and Vikrant Massey.
iv.The campaign highlights the card’s offering for everyone, focusing on various categories like health and fitness,
e-commerce, online bill payments and food delivery.
About RBL Bank:
MD & CEO– Vishwavir Ahuja
Tagline– Apnoka bank
BPCL, SBI Card Launched Co-branded RuPay Contactless Credit Card for the Cashless Payments
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and State Bank of India (SBI) card launched the ‘BPCL SBI
Card co-branded RuPay Contactless Credit Card’, to enhance the savings of the customers and provide a boost to
cashless transactions ,
Benefits:
i.The card provides a 1 percent surcharge waiver on every transaction up to Rs 4000 with a 4.25 percent value
back.
ii.The credit cardholders will get reward points on fuel purchase at BPCL petrol pumps and different categories
such as grocery, departmental store etc.
iii.The card will strengthen the portfolio of SBI Cards on the Rupay platform.

About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL):
Founded– 1952
Chairman and Managing Director– Arun Kumar Singh
About State Bank of India (SBI)
Founded- 1 July 1955
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairperson– Dinesh Kumar Khara
HPCL Collaborates with ICICI Bank for Fuel Payments through FASTags
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) collaborated with ICICI Bank, to enable the ICICI bank
customers to use their ICICI Bank FastTag to pay for fuel and lubricants at HPCL’s 19,000 retail outlets across
India.
• HPCL is the first Oil Marketing Company (OMC) to provide a cashless facility to enable FastTag for fuel
purchases by retail and commercial customers.
Key points:
i.Through the partnership, the ICICI Bank FastTag commercial vehicle users will have the facility to use ONE tag
for fuel, toll, and parking payments.
ii.About FastTag:
• The FASTag is a reloadable tag that allows people to drive through FASTag lanes after automatic
deduction of toll charges from the prepaid or bank account without stopping for cash transactions.
• The tag uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and it will be fixed on the windscreen of the
vehicle once active.
ii.National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), and
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) are working together to make state and national highway toll
payments completely digital.
Electrical Vehicle (EV) Projects of HPCL:
i.It has launched its first-ever EV charger named ‘ChargeGrid Flare’ in collaboration with Magenta EV Systems
under its start-up development programme.
ii.It has proposed 5,000 electric vehicles (EV) charging stations in the coming 3 years.
iii.Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), Tata Power, and Magenta EV Systems are helping for setting up
charging infrastructure at its retail outlets.
About Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL):
Chairman and Managing Director-Mukesh Kumar Surana
About ICICI Bank:
Establishment – 1955(Incorporated in 1994)
MD& CEO – Sandeep Bakhshi
Tagline – Hum hai na, Khayal Apka
ICICI Bank Offers OD Facility to Sellers Registered on Amazon India

ICICI Bank partnered with Amazon India to offer an overdraft (OD) facility up to Rs 25 lakh to individual sellers
and small businesses registered on the e-commerce marketplace amazon.in.
• Objective: To enable easy and trusted access to credit for sellers at low costs.
Key Points:
i.The partnership will enable the ICICI bank customers who are registered with amazon.in as a seller to avail an
OD from the ICICI Bank through a fully digital process i.e from obtaining an application to sanction to
disbursement.The seller is redirected to ICICI Bank’s ‘InstaOD’ platform to avail this OD Facility.
ii.The process was controlled by API (Application Programming Interface) integration and the OD facility

functions based on the scorecard to instantly evaluate the credit worthiness of sellers based on their financial
profile, including Credit Bureau scores.
iii.The customers of other banks/new to ICICI Bank will be offered the OD after opening the current account with
the bank and KYC (Know Your Customer) validation.
About ICICI Bank:
Establishment – 1955 (Incorporated in 1994)
MD & CEO – Sandeep Bakhshi
Tagline – Hum hai na, Khayal Apka
Vistara Airlines-IndusInd Bank launched ‘Club Vistara IndusInd Bank Explorer’ credit card
On September 27, 2021, TATA SIA Airlines Limited, known by the brand name Vistara, joined hands with
IndusInd Bank to launch co-branded ‘Club Vistara IndusInd Bank Explorer’ credit card to enhance the travel
experience of customers.
Card with full of luxurious benefits:
The credit card will offer various benefits covering travel, financial, and insurance for customers viz.
i.Complimentary ‘Gold’ class membership to Club Vistara (CV), under which individuals can earn points on every
flight and can even redeem their earned CV points to avail flights.
ii.Up to 5 complimentary business class tickets on achieving spend milestones annually
iii.Complimentary access to over 600 airport lounges across the globe; and no foreign currency mark-up.
iv.Other benefits include rescheduling fee waivers on direct booking of Vistara flights.
v.Luxury gift vouchers worth Rs 25,000 or Oberoi hotel and resort gift vouchers; two complimentary movie
tickets of Rs 700 each per month along with dining vouchers worth Rs 3000 twice a year.
Financial Benefits:
The financial benefits include a complete waiver on fuel surcharge at any petrol pump across India; lifetime
waiver on late payment charges, cash withdrawal charges, and over-limit fees.
Insurance:
Complimentary personal air accident insurance cover of up to Rs 2.5 crore and insurance against loss or delayed
baggage, loss of passport, ticket, among others.
About Vistara:
It is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA).
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Leslie Thng
Headquarter– Gurugram, Haryana
Federal Bank Tie up with NPCI Launched RuPay Signet Contactless Credit Card
Federal Bank launched the Federal Bank RuPay Signet Contactless Credit Card in partnership with the National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Features of the card:
i.The card has the lowest Annual Percentage Rate (APR) starting from just 5.88 percent per annum.
• APR is the annual interest rate accrued on a credit card if the cardholder fails to pay the bill in full. The
industry average is 20-35 percent APR.
ii.Currently, the card is being offered to existing customers of the bank. The card could be availed from Federal
Bank’s mobile banking application FedMobile.
iii.The card is specially designed for millennial customers and it offers an 3-2-1 rewards structure personalised
for them.
Note – Earlier in September 2021, Federal Bank had partnered with fintech company OneCard to launch a mobile-
based credit card.
About Federal Bank:
Establishment – April 23, 1931 (as Travancore Federal Bank Limited), changed to The Federal Bank Limited on
December 2, 1949

Headquarters – Aluva, Kerala
MD & CEO – Shyam Srinivasan
Tagline – Your Perfect Banking Partner
Paytm ties with Ria Money Transfer to Become India’s 1st Platform to Accept International
Remittances Directly into Digital Wallet
Paytm Payments Bank has partnered with Ria Money Transfer, a cross-border money transfer firm and a
business segment of Euronet. It will facilitate users to receive money from their relatives abroad.
With this partnership, Paytm Payment Bank becomes the first digital wallet in India to accept deposits from
international remittances while Ria Money Transfer has become the first money transfer company that will
connect with 333 million Paytm’s wallet users.
• Ria Money has around 490,000 retail outlets globally. It has allowed its customers to transfer cash through
app or website as well.
Key points
i.The network will provide support to more than 3.6 billion bank accounts and 410 million mobile and virtual
accounts in the country.
ii.These mobile wallets are widely available in 96% of the countries worldwide , it will enhance financial inclusion
in India. The mobile wallet industry consists of around USD 2 billion a day, estimating that USD 1 trillion will be
transacted annually by 2023 at global level.
About the partnership
i.The abroad based customers can now efficiently transfer money to fully KYC (Know Your Customer) verified
Paytm wallet users in India through the Ria Money Transfer app or website.
ii.Every money transfer will be made on a real time basis.
About Paytm Payments Bank
Chairman– Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Incorporated– 2017
Headquarters– Noida, Uttar Pradesh
About Ria Money Transfer
Founded– 1987
Headquarters-Buena Park, California, United States
NABARD Approved Credit Plan for Yak Husbandry in Arunachal Pradesh

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has approved a credit plan for yak
husbandry in Arunachal Pradesh to support the herders to secure loans and strengthen their livelihoods.
Key Points:
i.The scheme was developed by the National Research Centre on Yak (NRCY).
• NRCY is a research organization that is engaged in the research and development of yak (Poephagus
grunniens L.) in India. It was established in 1989 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at
Dirang, West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
ii.The credit plan was verified by NABARD, it will enable the commercial banks to extend advances and it has
been included in the potential linked credit plans (PLCP) of Tawang, West Kameng, and Shi Yomi districts of
Arunachal Pradesh.
iii.The scheme will improve the economic dividends of yak herders in the Eastern Himalayas.
iv.It will also be supportive to overcome the declining trend of the yak population along with facilitating
profitable yak farming through the promotion of entrepreneurship.
• As per a 2017 report, the number of yaks across India declined by almost 24.7 percent between 2012 and
2019.
• Yak Population: The total yak population in India is about 58,000 in which the Union Territories of Ladakh
and Jammu & Kashmir have 26,000 followed by 24,000 in Arunachal Pradesh, 5,000 in Sikkim, 2,000 in
Himachal Pradesh and about 1,000 in West Bengal and Uttarakhand.

About Arunachal Pradesh:
Governor – Brigadier B. D. Mishra
Wildlife Sanctuary – Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary, D’Ering Memorial (Lali) Wildlife Sanctuary, Kane Wildlife
Sanctuary
Zoological Park – Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park
J&K Bank Received Rs 500 crore Capital from J&K Govt

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Bank today received Rs 500 Cr as capital from the Government of Union Territory
(UT) of J&K, through which the UT will acquire over 16.76 crore shares (6.06 percent) in the Bank.
• With the infusion of Rs 500 Cr, the J&K government’s equity share in the J&K Bank will increase to over 74
percent.
• In September, 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently allowed the J&K government to acquire over
16.76 crore shares in the Bank on a preferential basis.
Key Points:
i.In April 2021, J&K bank had stated the J&K government, as its promoter shareholder.
ii.In August 2021, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) exempted the J&K government from
complying with its norms on substantial acquisition of shares and takeovers from J&K Bank.
iii.The bank has recently issued the Employees Stock Purchase Scheme (ESPS – 2021), to raise capital of Rs 150 Cr
by issuing 7.5 crore equity shares to eligible employees of the bank.
About Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Bank:
Headquarters – Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
Chairman & Managing Director – Rajesh Kumar Chhibber
Tagline – Serving to empower
FINANCE NEWS
IMF Allocated USD 17.86 billion to India under SDRs
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) allocated a Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) 12.57 billion (equivalent to
around USD 17.86 billion at the latest exchange rate) to India in August 2021.
• The total SDR holdings of India now stands at SDR 13.66 billion (equivalent to around USD 19.41 billion at
the latest exchange rate).
The largest-ever SDR Allocation:
i.In August 2021, the Board of Governors of the IMF had approved a general allocation of about SDR 456
billion to its members in proportion to their existing quotas in the IMF.
ii.The SDR 456 billion is the largest ever SDR allocation by the IMF. It was approved by it on August 2, 2021
(effective on August 23, 2021).
iii.Under the general allocation, the share of India is SDR 12.57 billion (around 2.75 percent).
About Special Drawing Rights (SDR):
i.The SDR is an interest-bearing international reserve asset created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement the official
reserves of its member countries.
ii.The value of the SDR is based on 5 international currencies viz, the U.S. dollar, the euro, the Chinese renminbi,
the Japanese yen, and the British pound sterling.
iii.SDR is neither a currency nor a claim on the IMF. It is just a potential claim on the freely usable currencies of
IMF members.
• To date, a total of SDR 660.7 billion (US$ 943 billion) have been allocated.
iv.SDR holdings are one of the components of the Foreign Exchange Reserves (FER) of India. The SDR allocation
will supplement India’s FER, and reduce the reliance on external debt.

India became the 4th largest foreign exchange (Forex) reserves holder globally after China, Japan, and
Switzerland. India’s Forex reserves in the week ended July 16, 2021, rose by $835 million to touch a record high
of $612.73 billion.
About International Monetary Fund (IMF):
Headquarters – Washington, D.C, United States (US)
Managing Director – Kristalina Georgieva
Members – 190 Countries (Including India)
IDBI Intech Implements Innovative Anti Money Laundering Solution at LIC

IDBI Intech Limited, a technology-led business transformation organisation, has implemented its iAML (Anti
Money Laundering) solution at Life Insurance Corporation of India(LIC), an Indian statutory insurance and
investment corporation.
• IDBI Intech Ltd offers various specialised solutions in the banking, financial services and Insurance(BFSI)
sector.
About iAML:
iAML will provide an Enterprise-Wide Single View of Risk & Compliance at the transactions and customer level
harnessing advanced analytics, workflow and AI with a set of pre-built rules and scenarios.
Key Points:
i.IDBI Intech focuses on the strategic niche digital transformation of their clients.
ii.IDBI Intech has invested in the latest industry solutions for the BFSI Sector, with cutting edge technology,
customer satisfaction and market demands as top priorities.
iii.Next-generation technologies like blockchain, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence(AI) and Machine Learning
are utilised to provide solutions to their clients.
On July 20, 2021, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched a non-linked, non-participating, regular
premium, individual, health insurance plan named – ‘Arogya Rakshak’ to provide fixed benefit health insurance
cover against certain specified health risks.
The plan was launched by M Jagannath, Zonal Manager (South Central Zone) of LIC.
About IDBI Intech Limited:
MD & CEO– Surajit Roy
Headquarters– Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
Incorporated in 2000
About Life Insurance Corporation of India(LIC):
Chairman– M R Kumar
Simplilearn Partners with IIIT Bangalore & NPCI to Provide Advanced Executive Programme in
Cybersecurity
Simplilearn, one of the world’s leading certification training providers, has partnered with the International
Institute of Information Technology(IIIT), Bangalore and National Payments Corporation of India(NPCI) to
provide an advanced executive programme in cybersecurity.
• The program is designed to meet the skill requirements of mid-level management professionals of banking,
cybersecurity, and finance domains who have technical knowledge of the basics of cybersecurity.
Features of the program:
i.The 6 months program consists of a comprehensive curriculum co-created by IIIT Bangalore and Simplilearn.
ii.Under this partnership the learners will gain access to virtual classes conducted by experts and masterclass by
IIIT Bangalore faculties and experts from NPCI.

iii.The program focuses on industry-relevant skills in cybersecurity.
iv.The learners will receive a completion certificate from IIIT Bangalore and an internship completion letter
jointly offered by NPCI, Simplilearn and IIIT Bangalore.
v.Topics covered under the programme includes Enterprise infrastructure security, Application and web
application security, Ransomware and malware analysis and Ethical hacking and VAPT.
About Institute of Information Technology(IIIT), Bangalore:
Chairman– S Gopalakrishnan
Director– Debabrata Das
Established in 1999
Located in Bengaluru, Karnataka
About Simplilearn Solutions Private Limited:
Founder & CEO– Krishna Kumar
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Clix Housing Finance partners with IMGC for Mortgage Guarantee Backed Home Loans
The India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation (IMGC) is the country’s first and only mortgage guarantee company
that had entered into the partnership with Clix Housing Finance Limited (HFL) to offer mortgage-backed home
loan products for salaried and non-salaried customers in the affordable housing segment.
• IMGC is playing the role of lender in the field of affordable housing.
• Mortgage guarantee backed home loans will be provided at low EMIs and higher eligibility criteria with
minimal risk.
• The loans will broaden Clix HFL’s coverage and provide support to the flagship mission of the Government of
India “Housing for All by 2022”.
• At present, IMGC has partnered with more than 18 lenders including banks, housing finance companies,
NBFCs etc and guaranteed home loans around INR 12000 crore to more than 60,000 home loan borrowers.
About India Mortgage Guarantee Corporation (IMGC)
Chief Executive Officer- Mahesh Misra
PayNearby launched first-of-its-kind ‘NeoDukaan’ in partnership with RASCI

PayNearby has partnered with Retailers Association’s Skill Council of India (RASCI) to launch
‘PayNearbyNeoDukaan’, first-of-its-kind holistic store management tool, for the digital empowerment of its retail
partners and retail stores.
• It will provide multiple digital payment options like digital ledger for credit management, online wholesale
procurement options, among others.
Key Points:
i.Retailing is India’s largest industry, accounting for over 10% India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and 8% of
employment.
ii.PayNearby has digitally enabled more than 38 lakh plus retailers across 17,600 plus PIN (Postal Index Number)
codes.
• Its target is to digitally upgrade 100 million retailers by 2025.
About PayNearby Technologies Pvt. Ltd (PayNearby):
It is a Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Certified Fintech Company registered
under The Startup India program of the Government of India
Establishment– April 2016
Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Anand Kumar Bajaj
About Retailers Association’s Skill Council of India (RASCI):
It functions as the Apex Skill Development Council for the Retail Industry.
Chairman– Avijit Mitra

PFRDA Increased the NPS Entry Age from 65 to 70 Years
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) increased the maximum age for joining the
National Pension System (NPS) from 65 years to 70 years of age. Following the change in age, the NPS has revised
the guidelines on entry and exit options.
• The existing age of entry which is 18-65 years were revised to 18-70 years.
Who is eligible to join NPS after 65 years?
i.Any Indian Citizen, resident or non-resident and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) between the age of 65-70 years
are eligible to join NPS and continue their NPS Account up to the age of 75 years.
ii.Those Subscribers who have closed their NPS Accounts are also permitted to open a new NPS Account as per
increased age eligibility norms.
Revised Guidelines for the Customers joining NPS beyond the age of 65 years:
i.Choice of PF and Asset Allocation:
The customers could exercise the choice of Pension Fund (PF) and Asset Allocation with the maximum equity
exposure of 15 percent and 50 percent under Auto and Active Choice respectively.
ii.Exit Option:
If the corpus is equal to or less than ₹5.00 lakh
Maximum % of Amount could be Minimum % of Amount should
Type of Exit Withdrawn as Lump Sum be used for Annuity Purchase
Normal Exit (i.e exit after 3
years) 60% 40%
the Subscriber may opt to withdraw the
Normal Exit-If the corpus is entire accumulated pension wealth in lump
equal to or less than ₹5.00 lakh sum.
Premature Exit (i.e.Exit before
completion of 3 years) 20% 80%
the Subscriber may opt to withdraw the
Premature Exit-If the corpus is entire accumulated pension wealth in lump
equal to or less than ₹2.5 lakh sum.
Unfortunate Death of the
Subscriber Entire corpus payable to the nominee as a lump sum
Note – Annuity is the monthly payment that will be received by the subscriber from the Annuity Service Provider
after their exit from NPS.
iii.NPS Tier II Account:
The Subscribers are also made eligible to open Tier II Accounts for investing their disposable income to optimize
their returns.
• Tier-II savings account is a voluntary savings facility, which enables the customers to withdraw their savings
anytime.
Note – Tier-I Account is a non-withdrawable pension account that could be used to save for retirement.
The new guidelines are issued under Section 14 of the PFRDA Act 2013.
In July 2021, the PFRDA made amendments to the PFRDA (Pension Fund) Regulations, 2015 and modified the
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the pension fund management under the National Pension System (NPS)
to 74 percent from 49 percent.
About Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA):
Chairperson – Supratim Bandyopadhyay
EarlySalary Partnered with HDBFS to Improve Digital Lending

EarlySalary, a consumer lending platform, has partnered with HDB Financial Services Ltd (HDBFS), a Non-
Banking Financial Company (NBFC) to improve Digital Lending.

Key Points:
i.Objective: To improve the impact of Skill upgradation, Education Loans, and Health-care finance.
ii.The partnership will enable HDBFS to provide a seamless borrowing experience to customers across India by
providing them with easy finance, digital on-boarding, and customer support.
iii.So far, EarlySalary has disbursed around 2 Million loans and it intends to further disburse 1 Million loans in
FY22.
iv.EarlySalary is expecting the disbursements worth Rs 1,000 crore under the collaboration.
v.It also intends to leverage new-age technologies in the areas of data processing, artificial intelligence and
machine learning, and analytics for real-time analysis.
About HDB Financial Services Ltd (HDBFS):
It is the subsidiary of India’s largest private lender HDFC Bank.
MD & CEO – G Ramesh
About EarlySalary:
Headquarters – Pune, Maharashtra
Co-founder & CEO – Akshay Mehrotra
Visa in partnership with Innoviti Develop Stored Value Debit Card for Offline Payments
Visa has partnered with payment solutions firm Innoviti to enable the service of storing money in the cards upto
Rs 2,000. It will enable transactions without connectivity. It is mainly for making offline payments.Visa solution
will be first of its kind in India that will deliver such services.
• The new Visa cards will be equipped with a chip, which holds a stored value of a daily spend limit of Rs
2,000 and has a per transaction limit of Rs 200. It is mandated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Highlights
i.The Proof of Concept (PoC) has been implemented in association with Yes Bank and Axis Bank.
ii.These stored value cards will be different from prepaid cards as the authorization is based on the network
cloud.
iii.It will also work in rural areas where internet connectivity is abysmal.
Offline Visa cards are expected to increase the transition of payment from cash to digital.
iv.RBI is also promoting this initiative and urging other banks to come up with offline transaction facilities.
Innoviti Payment Solutions
MD & CEO-Rajeev Agrawal
Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
NPCI partners with Fiserv to launch RuPay API Platform – “nFiNi”

In September 2021, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) partnered with fintech firm ‘Fiserv’ to
launch “nFiNi”, a RuPay based Application Programming Interface (API) platform to boost Credit card-based
products in India.
• nFiNi is a BaaS (banking-as-a-service) programme, that will provide a wide variety of services to Indian
fintech companies & banks to distribute RuPay credit cards.
• 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.
Services under nFiNi – Support for digital user experience in Mobile apps, SMS notifications, instant digital card
provisions and other immediate transaction features.
Note – Currently, credit card providers MasterCard & American Express were barred from onboarding new
customers, due to non-compliance with RBI rules on data localisation.
i.The platform enables Fintech companies to co-create new Credit Card schemes sponsored by Banks registered
on nFiNi, to increase the use of credit cards in Urban & rural India.

ii.Companies can collaborate and frame new innovative credit card products for RuPay credit card customers.
In May 2021, NPCI onboarded PayCore, Turkey’s global payment solutions company as one of the certified
partners for ‘RuPay SoftPOS’ to drive cashless payments across the country.
About Fiserv:
General Manager (India & Sri Lanka) – Rishi Chhabra
Headquarter – Brookfield, USA
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
In 2012, NPCI launched ‘RuPay’ – an Indian Multinational Payment System
MD & CEO – Dilip Asbe
Paytm Money Partnered with WealthDesk To Launch “WealthBaskets”

Paytm’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Paytm Money, is launching a wealth and investment advisory marketplace on
its platform to offer curated advisory services and products to retail investors. Paytm Money has partnered with
start-up WealthDesk to offer investment portfolios called ‘WealthBaskets’ as the first step to build up the
advisory ecosystem. A ‘WealthBasket’ is a custom portfolio of stocks and exchange traded fund created by
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)-Registered investment professionals and users will be able to
invest in multiple Wealthbasket.
IRDAI Issues Composite Broking Licence to HIBIPL; Selling & Renewal Of Short-term COVID-19
Insurance Policies Permitted Till March 2022
A Composite Broking Licence from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is being
provided to Hero Insurance Broking India Pvt. Ltd. (HIBIPL). It will allow the firm to offer reinsurance
broking and risk management consultancy services to corporate clients.
Highlights
• This will increase the insurance penetration in the country.
• With this new composite license, the firm will provide major benefits in manufacturing insurance and other
employee insurance.
• The firm serves in around 2,700 locations across the country through field agents selling policies through a
point of salesperson (POSP) model.
About Reinsurance broking
A reinsurance broker is an intermediary individual or firm who is paid a fee or commission to find and place new
business on behalf of both the insured client and insurer. This can involve negotiating rates or contracts while
sourcing the best-suited policies on the market.
About Composite Broking:
Composite brokers are a combination of direct brokers and reinsurance brokers and therefore have a double role.
The minimum capital requirement for composite brokers is at least Rs. 5 crore, along with maintenance of a net
worth of 50 percent of the minimum capital requirement.
IRDAI Permits Insurers To Sell & Renew short term COVID-19 policies:
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) allowed insurers to continue selling and
renewing short-term Covid-19 specific health insurance policies till March 2022.
The exemptions granted general insurers for issuance of electronic policies as well as dispensing with physical
documents and wet signatures have been extended up to end-March 2022.
Background
• In 2020, IRDAI has allowed the companies to sell Corona Kavach Policies (Standard Indemnity based
Health Policy) and Corona Rakshak Policies (Standard Benefit based Health Policy).
• These policies are short term in nature, which has attracted a huge customer base due to its low premium
base.

About Hero Insurance Broking India limited
Principal Officer– Sanjay Radhakrishnan
Headquarters- New Delhi
About Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
Founded- 1999
Headquarters– Hyderabad, Telangana
Govt appointed 10 Merchant Bankers For Managing IPO of LIC

The Government of India has appointed 10 merchant bankers for managing Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Life
Insurance Corporation (LIC). The IPOs of LIC will be launched in the month of January to March 2022.
• The name of the 10 merchant bankers are: 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.
Key points
i.The work of merchant bankers in the case of IPOs is management of Promotional activities, Credit syndication,
Project counselling, and Portfolio management, etc.
ii.These merchant banks will form a coalition and give advice to the Department of Investment and Public Asset
Management (DIPAM) on timing and floor prices for the IPOs.
iii.The government also has selected Concept Communications as their advertising agency and Kfintech as the
Registrar and Share transfer agent of the IPO.
About Initial Public Offering (IPO)
• IPO is the selling of securities to the public in the primary market.
Primary market deals with new securities being issued for the first time. It is also known as the new issues
market.
• It is different from the secondary market where existing securities are bought and sold. It is also known as
the stock market or stock exchange.
About Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
Established– 1956
Chairman- M R Kumar
Managing Director- Pankaj Jain, M K Gupta, Raj Kumar, Siddhartha Mohanty, Ipe Mini
CricketCrazy.io: World’s First Cricket NFT Marketplace was launched

Cricket Foundation, a Singapore-headquartered blockchain-based platform launched world’s first cricket NFT
(Non Fungible Token) named CricketCrazy.io.
• Cricket Foundation has partnered with around 120 cricketers including Wasim Akram, VVS Laxman and
Lance Klusener
• The Cricket Token (CRIC) is listed on Indian and international crypto exchanges with a market cap of over
$200 million
Objective: To engage with the cricket fans and to create financial opportunities to the retired cricketers
Note: NFT is a unique digital asset designed to represent ownership of a virtual item.
About CRIC Token
i.CRIC Token is the medium of transactions for all applications built on the platform
ii.It is used in maintaining the security and integrity of the ‘Cricket Blockchain’ platform
About Cricket Foundation
i.The platform has about 50 plus unique moments from cricket history
ii.It will add about 5 NFTs daily
iii.Co-founder: Parthiv Patel
Type: Blockchain based platform

Tata Capital launches ‘Loan Against Mutual Funds’ Scheme
In September 2021, Tata Capital, the financial service wing of Tata Sons, launched a 1st of its kind digital banking
scheme called ‘Loan Against Mutual Funds’ (LAMF). The scheme offers instant loans ranging from ₹5 lakhs to ₹2
crores to customers on their existing Mutual Funds, maintained by various asset management companies.
• The loans can be availed as an overdraft facility or as a term loan to meet the personal & business loan
requirements of customers.
Features of LAMF:
i.Under LAMF, Tata Capital offers end-to-end digital loans starting from onboarding of customers till loan
disbursement.
ii.Auto-renewal facility can be availed after the tenure of loans exceeds 1-year
iii.The loans are customizable based on the tenure and portfolio of the Mutual fund.
About Tata Capital:
MD & CEO – Rajiv Sabharwal
IIFL Home Finance signs Co-Lending Agreement with PNB

IIFL Home Finance Limited (IIFL HFL) has signed a co-lending agreement with Punjab National Bank (PNB). It is
the 4th co-lending of IIFL HFL with the banks.
Objective- To increase the penetration of affordable housing loans and secured MSME (Micro Small and Medium
Enterprises) loans.
Highlights
i.The co-lending agreement with the PNB, India’s 2nd largest public sector bank where 80 percent of loan will be
provided by PNB and IIFL HFL will manage the loan sourcing, documentation collection and servicing work. It is
expected that the company has increased loans by around 25 percent.
ii.The main focus states are Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka.The low interest rate
of loans would be provided to its customers in 17 states.
iii.Earlier, the company has signed co-lending agreements with 3 different banks ICICI Bank, Central Bank of
India and Standard Chartered Bank.
ivIIFL HFL has facilitated credit linked subsidy benefits under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to over
44,700 beneficiary households in 17 states, with subsidy amount totalling Rs 1,068 crore.
About Punjab National Bank
Chief Executive Officer– S S Mallikarjuna Rao
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Founded– 19 May 1894
Tagline– ‘’The name you can bank upon’’
About IIFL Home Finance Limited
Chief Executive Officer- Monu Ratra
PFC issues India’s first-ever Euro Green Bond

Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC), the leading Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) in the power sector,
launched its first €300 million 7-year Euro Bond issuance on September 13 pricing 1.841%.
i.The issuance got participation from around 82 accounts and was oversubscribed 2.65 times by institutional
investors across Asia and Europe.
ii.The pricing achieved is the lowest yield locked in by an Indian Issuer in the Euro markets.
• It is the first ever Euro denominated Green bond issuance from India.
• It is the first ever Euro issuance by an Indian NBFC and the first Euro bond issuance from India since 2017.

About Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC):
It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power.
Head Office– New Delhi, India
Chairman & Managing Director– Shri Ravinder Singh Dhillon
Founded– 16 July 1986
IPPB Partnered with Tata AIG General Insurance, Bajaj Allianz to Distribute Non-Life Insurance
Products
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) partnered with Tata AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd. and Bajaj Allianz General
Insurance for the distribution of non-life insurance products across India.
• Under the partnership, IPPB will distribute affordable insurance products to the customers through its
network of 650 branches and over 136,000 banking access points.
• Objective: To address the protection needs of the unbanked and underserved customers.
• Around 2 lakh postal service providers (Gramin Dak Sevaks and postmen) who are equipped with micro-
ATMs and biometric devices will play a major role in distributing and promoting the insurance products.
Key Points:
i.Under the partnership, the IPPB will reach the customers through its unique doorstep service, in which the
postman would reach out to the doorstep of the customers in semi-urban and rural areas to provide insurance
products digitally in a simple, economical manner.
ii.The scope of the insurance products include healthcare and mediclaim products, personal accident, vehicle
insurance, amongst others.
In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 3A of the Government Savings Promotion Act 1873(5 of 1873),
the Finance Ministry has amended the Post Office Savings Account Scheme, 2019 & the Scheme was named as
“Post Office Savings Account (Amendment) Scheme, 2021′′.
About India Post Payments Bank (IPPB):
Establishment – 2018, under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
MD & CEO – J Venkatramu
Tagline – Aapka Bank, Aapke Dwaar
About Bajaj Allianz General Insurance:
It is a joint venture between Allianz SE and Bajaj Finserv Ltd
Headquarters – Pune, Maharashtra
MD & CEO- Mr. Tapan Singhel
NIPL Partnered with Liquid Group to Power UPI QR Acceptance in 10 Asian Markets
NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the international arm of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
has partnered with Liquid Group Pte. Ltd. (Liquid Group), to enable Unified Payments Interface (UPI) QR-based
payments acceptance in 10 markets across North Asia and Southeast Asia.
• The partnership will enable BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) App users to make UPI QR-based payments
at over 2 million merchants across North Asia and Southeast Asia from early 2022.
• Liquid Group is a leading cross border digital payments provider, which integrates an extensive network of
merchant acquiring partners in the 10 markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam,
Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.
About Unified Payments Interface (UPI):
i.It is an instant payment system developed by NPCI and it was built over the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS)
infrastructure.
ii.It allows the users to instantly transfer money between any two parties’ bank accounts (i.e. the inter-bank
transactions) without revealing details of one’s bank account to the other.

iii.The real-time payments technology UPI provides security in both person to person (P2P) and person to
merchant (P2M) transactions.
iv.In 2020, UPI allowed transactions worth $457 billion, which is equivalent to ~15 percent of India’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP).
About NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL):
It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NPCI, devoted to the deployment of NPCI’s UPI and RuPay, outside India.
Establishment – April 3, 2020
CEO – Ritesh Shukla
DFC and USAID Announce $55 million Credit Guarantee Programme to Address Economic Impact
of COVID-19 in India
United States (US) International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in collaboration with United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) jointly announced an 8-year sponsor programme with a credit
guarantee of USD 55 million (~ Rs 400 crores) named ‘India Covid Response Programme for Agriculture
Transition’ to address the economic impact of COVID-19 in India.
This initiative will offer customized financial solutions to entities interested in adopting climate-smart and green
solutions.
• Objective: To improve the linkages and increase the income of farmers while having a positive
environmental impact.
• Beneficiaries: Loans will be provided to Farmer Producer Organizations(FPO), agriculture- technology
companies (Ag-tech), Companies engaged in Clean Energy Sectors of agriculture, women and vulnerable
sections in India.
About the Programme
i.The programme will provide support to more than 200,000 small farm holders by giving them direct
grants from different international foundations like the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and
Development Office(CDO).
ii.Technical support– The Rabo Foundation is providing technical assistance in the program.
iii.Indian lenders companies- loans to farmers will be provided by Samunnati Financial, Maanaveeya, and
Avanti Finance.
• The programme will also address the health and economic needs of vulnerable farmer communities severely
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US International Development Finance
Corporation (DFC) have partnered with Kotak Mahindra bank (KMB) for USD 50 MIllion (≅ INR 372 crore) loan
Guarantee for Women Entrepreneurs and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across India
About Rabo Foundation:
It is a corporate foundation of Rabobank. Rabobank is a global leader in food and agriculture lending.
Established– 1974
Chief Executive Officer– Pim Mol
About USAID (United States Agency for International Development)
Established- 3 November 1961
Founder– John F. Kennedy
Headquarters– Washington, DC, United States of America
Administrator- Samantha Power
Flipkart Wholesale Partnered with Davinta to Offer Credit Facility for Retailers
Flipkart Wholesale, digital Business-to-Business (B2B) marketplace of Flipkart Group partnered with Davinta
Financial Services Private Limited (Davinta), an SME lending platform based in Bengaluru, to offer a credit
facility for retailers associated with Flipkart.

• The partnership between Flipkart Wholesale and Davinta will offer a “Buy Now Pay Later”(BNPL) credit
facility to the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Kiranas.
• Vyaapaar Shakti, the flagship product of Davinta, is a BNPL credit facility designed for small retailers.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS

1st Hurun India Future unicorn List 2021: India became world’s 3rd largest startup ecosystem,
after US & China
In accordance with the first Hurun India Future unicorn List 2021′ released by Hurun Research Institute, India
became the third largest Unicorn ecosystem in the world after the United States (US) and China as India
have 51 Unicorns worth $168 billion, and 32 Gazelles and 54 Cheetahs.
• This list is a ranking of India’s startups founded in the 2000s, having a value of US$200 million (Rs 1,500
crore), and have not yet been listed on the stock exchange.
• Number of Unicorns in the US and China is at 396 and 277 respectively. The United Kingdom (UK) is at
4th position with 32 unicorns and Germany at 5th spot with 18.
What are Gazelles and Cheetahs?
i.Gazelle is a startup founded after 2000 with a current valuation ranging from $500mn to $1bn, and has a
potential to go unicorn in 2 years.
ii.Cheetahs have an estimated valuation ranging from $200mn to $500mn and are likely to turn unicorn in 4
years.
Key Points:
i.Bengaluru (Karnataka) is the start-up capital of India with 31 startups followed by Delhi NCR-National
Capital Region (18) and Mumbai (13).
ii.Singapore-headquartered online retail store Zilingo is the most valuable gazelle with $310mn funding.
• It was founded in 2015 by Ankiti Bose and Dhruv Kapoor as an online B2B platform for small fashion
merchants.
• It is followed by Bengaluru-based Gaming company Mobile Premier League which takes 2nd spot with
$230mn funding. It was founded by Sai Srinivas Kiran and Shubham Malhotra in 2018.
iii.CoinSwitch Kuber is the only crypto start-up in the list.
iv.The domains of FinTech, E-commerce and SaaS (Software as a Service) comprises 49% of the list.
v.Pepperfry is the topmost cheetah with a total funding of $250 million, followed by DealShare and Mswipe
Technologies.
vi.The average age of founders in the list was 39 years.
• The founders of gaming startup Zupee, Dilsher Singh and Siddhant Saurabh are the youngest (25 years) on
the list.
vii.Most of the founders featured in this list are graduated/ post-graduated from either IIT (Indian Institute of
Technology) Delhi or IIM (Indian Institute of Management) Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
viii.A total of 12 startups are co-founded by women entrepreneurs, which includes five gazelles and seven
cheetahs.
Top Investors in these startups:
More than 300 investors including angel investors, corporates, AIFs, family offices and institutional investors
have invested into the Cheetahs and Gazelles.
• Sequoia is the top investor in these start-ups, followed by Tiger Global.
StartupBlink released the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2021, which ranks countries & cities depending on the
Startup Environment. In the country-wise ranking, India with a score of 8.833 was ranked 20th out of 100
countries. The United States (US) topped the index followed by the United Kingdom (UK) & Israel.

About Hurun India:
It is a research, media and investments group.
Chairman– Rupert Hoogerwerf
Managing Director– Anas Rahman
NSO: India’s GDP in Q1 FY22 Grow by 20.1%; Fiscal Deficit in April-July 2021 Reached 21.3% of
BE
As per the data of the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MoSPI), India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of financial year 2021-22 (Q1 FY22) (i.e. April
to June 2021) grew by 20.1 percent as compared to a contraction of 24.4 (-24.4) percent in Q1 FY21.
Key Points:
i.GDP Estimation in Q1 FY22:
• GDP at Constant Prices (2011-12): It is estimated at Rs 32.38 lakh crore in Q1 FY22, as against Rs 26.95
lakh crore in Q1 FY21 (a growth of 20.1 percent).
• GDP at Current Prices: It is estimated to be Rs 51.23 lakh crore in Q1 FY22, as against Rs 38.89 lakh crore in
Q1 FY21 (a growth of 31.7 percent as compared to a contraction of 22.3 percent in Q1 FY21).
ii.GVA at Basic Price Estimation in Q1 FY22:
• Gross Value Added (GVA) at Constant Prices: It is estimated at Rs 30.48 lakh crore, as against Rs 25.66
lakh crore in Q1 of FY21 (a growth of 18.8 percent).
• GVA at Current Prices: It is estimated at Rs 46.20 lakh crore as against Rs 36.53 lakh crore in Q1 FY21
(growth of 26.5 percent).
iii.Pre Pandemic Level Comparison: The GDP growth in Q1 FY22 was 9.2 percent lower than in the Q1 FY20 (i.e.
Prior to COVID-19 level) and the overall GVA in Q1 FY22 was 7.8 percent lower than the Q1 FY20.
• It shows that the economy has still not recovered to the FY20 level.
iv.The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector grew by 4.5 percent in Q1 FY22 from 3.5 percent in Q1 FY21.
Fiscal Deficit in April-July 2021 Reached 21.3% of Estimation
As per data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), India’s fiscal deficit during April – July 2021
(i.e. the 1st 4 months of FY22) stood at Rs 3.21 lakh crore or 21.3 percent of the budget estimate (BE) at the end
of July 2021.
• The fiscal deficit for FY22 was estimated by the centre at Rs 15.07 lakh crore.
Indicators April-July 2021
Total Receipts Rs 6.83 lakh crore/ 34.6% of BE
Expenditure Rs 10.04 lakh crore/28.8% of BE
Amount Transferred to State Govt as devolution of share of taxes Rs 1.65 lakh crore
The CGA’s revenue-expenditure data of the Union government for FY21 reported India’s fiscal deficit for FY21 at
9.3 percent / Rs 18.21 lakh crore of the gross domestic product (GDP), which is about Rs 27,194 crore lower than
the Finance Ministry’s revised estimation(RE) of 9.5 percent.
About Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI):
Minister of State Independent Charge – Rao Inderjit Singh (Constituency – Gurugram, Haryana)
About Controller General of Accounts (CGA):
i.CGA, in the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, is the Principal Accounting Adviser to the
Government of India.
ii.The Annual Appropriation Accounts (Civil) and Union Finance Accounts are submitted by CGA to Parliament
under Article 150 of the Constitution.
iii.Current CGA – Deepak Das (25th CGA, from August 1, 2021)

Zerodha gets SEBI’s nod to launch its AMC
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given its in-principle approval to the India’s largest retail
broking firm Zerodha to launch its Asset Management Company (AMC).
• With this approval, the company can launch its own mutual funds (MFs).
Key Points:
i.In February 2020, Zerodha had applied for a licence to start mutual fund operations.
ii.With this approval, it has joined entities like Samco Securities and Bajaj Finserv who recently received in-
principle approval from SEBI.
iii.At present, there are 45 mutual fund houses.
iv.The MFs industry’s assets under management (AUM) are at an all-time high of over Rs 35 lakh crore (Rs 35
trillion) in July-end 2021.
About Zerodha:
Founder and CEO (Chief Executive Officer)– Nithin Kamath
Headquarter– Bengaluru, Karnataka
FDI Equity Inflows up 168% to USD 17.57 billion in Q1 FY22

India’s Foreign direct investment (FDI) equity inflow grew by 168 percent in Q1 FY22 (i.e. April-June 2021) (USD
17.57 billion) compared to Q1 FY21 (USD 6.56 billion).
• The total FDI comprises equity inflows, reinvested earnings and other capital.
• The automobile industry has become the top sector with 27 percent share of the total FDI equity inflows.
Infosys Becomes 4th Indian Company to Reach 100 Billion USD M-Cap
Infosys became the 4th Indian company and 2nd Indian software company after Tata Consultancy
Services(TCS) to cross the 100 billion USD mark in terms of market capitalization(m-cap).
TCS, Reliance Industries and HDFC bank are other Indian companies that have crossed the 100 billion mark in
terms of m-cap.
Nasscom CoE-IoT partners with Taiwan-India AI Centre to Support Indian Tech startups
The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) Centre of Excellence for Internet of
Things (CoE-IoT) has signed an intent of cooperation with Taiwan-India Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Technology Innovation Research Centre to support the Indian tech startups to source hardware components
from Taiwan during their prototyping or production phases with an aims to provide incubation support,
mentorship and market access.
• This partnership will play a major role in enabling both countries to institutionalize industrial collaboration
to enhance our ability to source hardware components, increase investments and technical cooperation on
an equal and mutually beneficial basis.
Features of the partnership:
i.This partnership aims to strengthen the ties between Indian and Taiwanese companies and promote ease of
doing business.
ii.This will also enable the Taiwanese companies to establish business in India and increase the collaboration
between India and Taiwan to source hardware and electronic components leading to mutual success and greater
market access.
About NASSCOM CoE-IoT:
NASSCOM CoE-IoT – NASSCOM Centre of Excellence for Internet of Things (CoE-IoT was announced by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi in July 2015 as a part of the Digital India Initiative to jump start the IoT & AI ecosystem.
CEO– Sanjeev Malhotra

Sai Life Sciences Becomes Signatory of United Nations Global Compact
Sai Life Sciences, a leading global Contract Research, Development & Manufacturing Organization (CRO/
CDMO),has become a signatory of the world’s largest sustainability initiative, United Nations Global Compact
(UNGC).
• With this Signatory, it has committed itself to adopt the Ten Principlesof the UNGC on human rights, labour,
environment and anti-corruption, reinforcing the company’s commitment to corporate responsibility and
sustainability.
• Note –CEO & Managing Director of Sai Life Sciences-Krishna Kanumuri; Headquarter – Malkajgiri, Telangana.
Moody’s projects India’s GDP growth to 9.6% for CY2021; Morgan Stanley estimated at 10.5% for
FY22
The rating agency Moody in its August update to ‘Global Macro Outlook 2021-22’ projected India’s growth for
calendar year (CY) 2021 at 9.6% and 7% for 2022. As per the update, the easing of COVID-19 restrictions
gradually increases the growth in Indian economic activities.
G-20 (Group of Twenty) estimates:
i.They collectively grow by 6.2% as a whole in 2021 as against 3.2% contraction (-3.2%) in 2020. They will grow
4.5% in 2022.
ii.G-20 advanced economies will grow by 5.6% in 2021 while emerging economies will collectively expand by
7.2% in 2021.
Key Points:
i.It is expected that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will follow the current policies till December 2021
ii.Indian economy contracted by 7.3% (-7.3%) in FY21. For FY22, the Indian GDP (Gross domestic Product)
growth was expected in double digits but due to the second wave of the pandemic the projections have been
trimmed.
iii.In June 2021, Moody’s Investors Service projected 9.3% growth for FY22.
Morgan Stanley retains India GDP growth estimate at 10.5% for FY22
An American multinational investment bank and financial services Morgan Stanley maintained its estimate of
India GDP growth at 10.5% for FY22. As per the agency, by the end of Q2FY22 (quarter ending September2021)
economic activities will start getting back to normal.
• These activities will be supported by strong demand, increase in vaccination, favorable policy mix and robust
global growth.
Key Points:
i.GDP grew 20.1% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the Q2FY22 (quarter ending June 2021).
ii.On a two-year CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) basis, real GDP contracted 4.7% in Q2FY22.
iii.The agency cautioned to keep a watch on the pace of vaccination as any slowdown could increase risks and
impact negatively on economic growth.
iv.On a seasonally adjusted sequential basis, GDP declined 6.3% due to the second wave of COVID-19 during April
and May.
v.On the demand side, there is decrease in private consumption and fixed capital formation on a 2-year CAGR
basis while government consumption and exports rose.
Care Ratings has estimated India’s GDP growth forecast in FY22 at the range of 8.8 to 9%. The Indian economy
contracted by 7.3 percent (-7.3) in FY21.
About Morgan Stanley
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– James Gorman
Headquarters– New York, United States (US)
About Moody:
President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Rob Fauber
Headquarters– New York, United States (US)

TCS Becomes 2nd Indian company to hit USD 200 Bn M-cap after RIL
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) of TATA groups becomes the 2nd Indian company to hit the 200 Billion
USD market capitalization (M-Cap) mark. Reliance Industries (RIL)was the first Indian Company to achieve the
feat.
• Among the most valued software companies, TCS is ranked behind Accenture (USD 218bn) and ahead of IBM
(USD 123 bn).
• TCS, which completes 50 years, listed on the stock exchanges in 2004, crossed the USD 50-Bn market value
in December 2010, USD 100 Bn in April 2018 and USD 150 Bn in December 2020.
Amazon launches “Kisan Store” for doorstep delivery of Agricultural produces to Farmers
In September 2021, Amazon launched ‘Kisan Store’ – a facility that allows Farmers to purchase agricultural
products like seeds, farm accessories, plant protection, nutrition at Amazon Easy stores. Over 8000 products were
available for their purchase with doorstep delivery facilities.
• Digital payment modes facilities like Net Banking, UPI, Amazon Pay, and Debit & Credit Cards can also be
used for procurement.
• The website is available in 5 Indian languages – Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam.
OECD cut India’s FY22 GDP Growth Forecast to 9.7%

In its Economic Outlook, Interim Report September 2021, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) has reduced India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast in FY22 to 20 basis
points (bps) to 9.7 percent and for FY23 the GDP growth forecast was reduced by 30 bps to 7.9 percent.
• Inflation: OECD has increased the inflation forecast of India by 50 bps to 5.9 percent for FY22 and by 70 bps
to 5.5 percent for FY23.
• OECD has projected the Global GDP to grow by 5.7 percent in 2021 and 4.5 percent in 2022.
Key Points of the Report:
i.OECD reported large differences among the nations in the vaccination rate and the economic recovery.
ii.The consumer price inflation in India was 6.2 percent in FY21.
iii.The output shortfall in the G20 emerging-market economy at the end of 2022 is projected to be twice that in
the median G20 advanced economy, particularly high in India and Indonesia.
iv.The report mentioned India as the worst hit among major economies. The real GDP of India in the June quarter
(Q1 FY22) was 15 percent lower than the pre-pandemic forecast and around 7 percent lower than the (Q3 FY21)
December quarter.
v.As per the High-frequency activity indicators such as Google location-based measures of retail and recreation
mobility, the Indian market is continuing to rebound from its pre-pandemic levels.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) stated that 130 countries including G20
members, India & China have joined the G20-OECD Tax Framework Deal for Global Minimum Corporate Tax.
About Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):
It is an international organisation that works to build better policies for better lives
Headquarters – Paris, France
Secretary-General – Mathias Cormann
Members Countries – 38
ADB cut India’s FY2021-22 GDP Growth Forecast to 10%; Inflation Rate Increased to 5.5%
As per the latest economic outlook of Asian Development Bank (ADB) titled ‘the Asian Development Outlook
2021 Update Transforming Agriculture in Asia’, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast
for FY2021-22 was reduced to 10 percent from its earlier projection of 11 percent (April 2021) due to the
impact of COVID-19.
• The GDP growth forecast for FY2022-23 was increased from 7 percent to 7.5 percent.

• Inflation: The inflation forecast for FY2021-22 was increased to 5.5 percent from its earlier projection of
5.2 percent.
• The GDP growth forecast of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was unchanged at 8.1 percent in 2021 and
5.5 per cent in 2022.
• As per the report, India’s government spending and exports are expected to contribute more to FY21’s
growth.
• ADB Trims Developing Asia Growth Outlook to 7.1% from 7.3% for FY2021-22 and increased the growth to
5.4% from 5.3% for FY 2022-23
Note – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has projected India’s GDP growth for FY2021-22 at 9.5 percent.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
Headquarters – Manila, Philippines
President – Masatsugu Asakawa
Members Countries – 68
ICRA Revised India’s FY22 GDP Growth Forecast to 9%

The ICRA (formerly known as Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited) has
revised India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection in FY22 from 8.5 percent (June 2021) to 9
percent.
Key Points of ICRA’s Projections:
i.It has revised the GVA (gross value added) growth estimate for agriculture, forestry and fishing in the second
and third quarter (Q2 &Q3) of 2021-22 to 3 percent each from its earlier projection of 2 per cent.
ii.Government Spending: The government’s spending was contracted by 4.7 percent in April-July 2021 year-on-
year, and stood at 28.8 percent of the 2021-22 Budget Estimation.
• ICRA expects a higher amount of spending by the government in the second half of FY22.
iii.ICRA has stated COVID-19 vaccination, healthy advance estimates of Kharif (summer) crop and faster
government spending as the factors for improved projection of GDP. It expects higher GDP growth in the second
half of FY22.
About ICRA:
It is owned by Moody’s Corporation
Headquarters – Gurgaon, Haryana
MD & Group CEO – Mr. N. Sivaraman
S&P Retains India’s FY22 Growth Forecast to 9.5%

S&P Global Ratings Retained India’s Economic Growth Projection in FY22 to 9.5 percent. The rating agency has
reported a strong recovery in economic activity in India after the second wave of COVID-19.
• In June 2021, it revised India’s economic growth projection in FY22 to 9.5 percent from its earlier forecast of
11 percent.
• Households and micro and small enterprises were most affected by the latest economic downturn that was
caused by COVID-19.
• Currently, the reserve buffers and current-account shortfalls are better than in 2013.
Note – S&P had reduced the growth forecast of China for 2021 by 30 basis points to 8 percent.
About S&P Global Ratings:
Headquarters – New York, United States.
President and CEO – Douglas L. Peterson

MoU’s & AGREEMENTS

Meghalaya Govt Signed an MoU to Ease Financial Services in Rural Areas
The Finance Department of Meghalaya and Meghalaya Rural Bank(MRB) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) to provide support to 600 Business Correspondents (BCs) in the state.
• It was signed between Dr D. Vijay Kumar, Commissioner and Secretary, who represented the Finance
Department of the state and Tshering Deki, Chairperson of Meghalaya Rural Bank, Naingkhangvung Guite,
General Manager of OIC NABARD.
Highlight
• It will help to resolve the problem of access to finance in the rural remote areas. The support will be
provided by the Business Correspondent Agents (BCA) of Meghalaya State Rural Livelihoods Society
(MSRLS), Integrated Village Cooperative Societies (IVCS), Common Service Centre(CSC).
• The state government will deploy around 600 BCs in different MRBs across the state.
• The micro ATMs facility will also be provided. It will help in dispensing cash and making cash payments at
the door of the customer, focusing on Unbanked Village Employment Councils(VEC).
i.It will boost the financial inclusion and digitization as BCs will be responsible for opensong bank accounts and
promoting banking services in the rural areas.
ii.It will make it easy for withdrawal and deposition of savings and making payment of MGNREGA works , old age
pensioners, PM KISAN beneficiaries etc.
About Meghalaya
Zoological park- Lady Hydari park, Nehru park Cum Mini Zoo
Airport- Shillong Airport, Baljek Airport
Festivals- Shad Suk Mynsiem, Nongkrem, Behdeinkhlam festival
DAHD & MoRD signed MoU for Rural Economic Growth

On the lines of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahostav’, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked
between Department of Animal husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) of Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and
Dairying (MoFAHD), and Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) on September 1, 2021 for rural economic
growth.
Signatories:
It was signed by Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, DAHD; and Nagendra Nath Sinha, Secretary, Department of Rural
Development (DoRD), MoRD in the presence of Union Ministers Parshottam Rupala, MoFAHD and Giriraj Singh,
MoRD at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi.
What is in the MoU?
Under the MoU, the Self Help Group (SHG) platform or services of SHG members will be utilized as a livestock
resource person and primary service provider for the development of the Indian rural economy. This will be done
through the joint efforts of DAHD and National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), MoRD.
i.A new accredited model namely ‘A-HELP (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production)’
is introduced which will be implemented pan-India.
ii.This accreditation will be provided to the individuals already trained under DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya
Yojana-NRLM) for livestock (Pashusakhis) by providing further training as A-HELP workers.
Efforts taken by Government to help Farmers through livestock sector:
i.DAHD is providing employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through its different flagship programs like
AHIDF (Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund), DIDF (Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund),
NADCP (National Animal Disease Control Program) for FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease) and Brucellosis etc.
ii.Central Government approved the implementation of a Special Livestock Sector Package for focused
development of AHD in next 5 years starting from 2021-22.
iii.DoRD is also working for rural upliftment through various programmes involving more women.

iv.DAY-NRLM has been supporting the farm livelihood sector through pashusakhis who guide the Mahila Kisans
through Pashu Pathshalas and by providing services at the doorstep of farmers.
Other Participants:
MoS Dr. Loganathan Murugan, MoFAHD;, MoS Faggan Singh Kulaste, MoRD; and MoS Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, MoRD
In order to promote and facilitate investments in the Indian Dairy sector, DAHD on July 19, 2021 has set up a
Dairy Investment Accelerator under its Investment Facilitation Cell. The Investment Accelerator is a cross
functional team to act as intermediary with investors.
About Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying:
Union Minister– Parshottam Khodabhai Rupala (Constituency- Gujarat)
Ministers of State (MoS)– Sanjeev Kumar Balyan (Constituency- Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh), Dr. Loganathan
Murugan (Constituency- Tamil Nadu)
NMCG signs MoU with SAIARD for ‘Capacity Building on Integrated River Basin Management”
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG ) & South Asian Institute for Advanced Research & Development
(SAIARD ) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for creating an academic platform for researchers
and young minds and to boost Research and Developing capacity building hubs in the eastern region.
Highlights
• They will work together to build integrated river basin management, using geospatial technologies etc.
• With this MoU SAIARD will be considered as a regional capacity building centre for NMCG in the eastern
region of India.
Collaboration field
i.Conducting intensive studies in the integrated management of river basin, watershed management, urban
management, sustainable planning for revival of the rivers and other water bodies.
ii.Building policy making capacity for riverine ecosystem and Provide database support.
iii.Capacity building programme on geospatial technology and other areas for NMCG
iv.Development of GIS application based river research centre in the eastern and north-eastern region.
v.Development of Digital River Library, River museum and online news portal.
Additional information-
Another MoU was signed between National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and SAIARD.
Objective
To develop river sensitive master plans and urban sensitive master plans. SAIARD Centre for Urban and Build
Environment (CUBE) will be working in the front line along with NIUA for building programmes and support to
develop river sensitive master plans and urban river management plans.
About National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is a society registered on 12th
August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA).
• Aim To clean Ganges and its tributaries.
Director General- Rajiv Ranjan Mishra
Headquarters- Delhi
South Asian Institute for Advanced Research and Development (SAIARD),
It is a certified MSME and registered under NITI Aayog, Govt. of India. A premier academic cum research
institution.It was founded under the Trustee Registration Act.
Headquarter– Kolkata, West Bengal
Chairman– Dr. Biswajit Roy Chowdhury
Russia’s NSCMB signs MoU with CSIR-NIO for research in Marine Science
In August 2021, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO)
virtually signed a MoU with Russia’s A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern

Branch, Russian Academy of Science (NSCMB FEB RAS) towards collaboration in the field of Marine research.
Objective – To strengthen mutual cooperation in capacity building & advancement of research in the field of
marine science.
Key Areas of Cooperation – Blue Economy, Marine Ecology, Study deep-sea ecosystems in the Indian Ocean
Region, Pacific and Polar regions.
Signatories – Prof. Sunil Kumar Singh, Director of CSIR-NIO, Goa virtually signed the MoU with Prof. Inessa
Dyuizen of NSCMB FEB RAS
About National Institute of Oceanography (NIO):
Established – 1st January 1966
Headquarter – Dona Paula, Goa
Regional Centers – Kochi (Kerala), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)
About Russia:
In 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was disintegrated into 15 countries with Russia being the
largest among them.
Russian Capital – Moscow is located on the banks of river ‘Moskva’
India – US signs Agreement to Develop Prototype of ALUAV

India’s Ministry of Defence has announced that it signed a Project Agreement (PA) with the United States (US)
Department of Defence in July 2021, for co-development of Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV),
under the Joint Working Group Air Systems in the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).
Objective –The agreement was made in reference to the
collaboration between two countries in defence technology
through co-development of defence equipment and also aims on
co-production and co-development of future technologies for
Indian and US military forces.
Key Points:-
i.Under this PA, a prototype for ALUAV will be co-developed by
US’s Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Indian Air Force
and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
ii.Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) at DRDO , the Aerospace Systems Directorate at the Air Force
Research Laboratory (AFRL), Indian and US Air Forces act as the principal organisations for executing the PA.
iii.The PA signed for ALUAV, is an initiative under the Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E)
agreement signed between Indian and US in 2006, for co-development of Defence equipment.
Signatories – Air Vice Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari from Indian Air Force signed the agreement with Brigadier
General Brian R. Bruckbauer from the US Air Force.
Note – As per Sipri report, around 49% of India’s arms is imported from Russia.
India with USD 72.9 Billion is the 3rd Highest Military Spender in 2020, as per the ‘Trends in World Military
Expenditure, 2020’ report released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), USA with USD
778 Billion is the World’s largest Military spender.
About United States of America:
US Secretary of State – Antony Blinken
Capital – Washington DC
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State – Ajay Bhatt (Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
Defence Secretary – Ajay Kumar

India, Nepal Signed MoU to Reconstruct Projects Damaged by 2015 Earthquake
India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) for the reconstruction of 14 cultural heritage
and 103 health sector projects across different districts of Nepal, which were damaged by the 2015 earthquake.
• The projects will be reconstructed at a cost of 420 crore Nepalese Rupees (~$36 million).
Key Points:
i.The reconstruction project agreement was signed between the Indian Embassy in Nepal and Nepal’s Central
Level Project Implementation Unit (Building) of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA).
ii.The MoU was signed in the presence of Karun Bansal, First Secretary (Development Partnership and
Reconstruction) of the Indian mission and Shyam Kishore Singh, Project Director, CLPIU (Building), Nepal.
iii.The Indian government has allocated a grant of $250 million under the post-quake package, including USD 50
million each for education, cultural heritage, and other sectors, including $100 million for the housing sector.
iv.In total, the Nepal government has undertaken 71 education sector projects, 28 cultural heritage sector
projects, 147 health facilities, and the construction of 50,000 houses with India’s grant assistance.
v.2015 Earthquake: In April 2015, the Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) killed nearly
9,000 people, injured around 22,000 people. It has devastated more than 800,000 houses and schools.
About Nepal:
Capital – Kathmandu
Currency – Nepalese rupee
President – Bidya Devi Bhandari
Prime Minister – Sher Bahadur Deuba
NeGD Signed MoU with NLU, Delhi and NLIU, Bhopal to establish Cyber lab for Online Capacity
Building Programme
National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY),
Government of India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Law University(NLU),
Delhi and National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal to establish a Cyber Lab for the “Online capacity
building Programme on Cyber Law, Crime Investigation and Digital Forensics”.
• Abhishek Singh, President & CEO of NeGD, and Prof. Srikrishna Deva Rao from NLU, Delhi, and Prof. (Dr.) V.
Vijayakumar from NLIU Bhopal signed the MoU on behalf of NeGD, and NLU and NLIU respectively.
Aim:
To revive a response from a wide spectrum across the law enforcement including senior officers of Law
Enforcement Agencies and also from Judiciary.
Goal:
To enable Police Officers, State Cyber Cells, Law Enforcement Agencies, Prosecutors and Judicial Officers to
acquire requisite skills to deal with Cyber Forensics cases efficiently & effectively as per the Indian Cyber Law
while adopting global best practices, standards and guidelines.
Collaboration NeGD with NLIU and NLU:
i.This collaboration of NeGD with NLIU and NLU will offer a 9 months online Post Graduate(PG) Diploma to 1000
Officials through its Learning Management System (LMS)
ii.The participants of the programme will get a practical training session and personal contact program at a
designated cyber lab at the campus of NLU Delhi.
iii.The cyber lab equipped with Hybrid architecture will support virtual and physical modes of capacity building
in Cyber Law, Cybercrime Investigation and Digital Forensics
iv.Other law schools/ universities like National Law School of India University (Bangalore), Rajiv Gandhi National
University of Law (Patiala) will be onboarded in the hub for future endeavours.
v.The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) will develop the e-content based on the support received from
faculty members.
vi.NLIU, the lead academic partner for the course, will award the PG Diploma Certificate to the participants.

About National e-Governance Division (NeGD):
National e-Governance Division (NeGD) was created by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology as
an Independent Business Division under the Digital India Corporation.
President & CEO- Abhishek Singh
Created in 2009
APEDA signs MoU with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research to Boost Export
The Agricultural and Processed Food Product Export Development Authority (APEDA) has signed an
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)- Indian Institute of
Millet Research(IIMR) to increase export production by increasing quality and processing.
Objective:To increase the export production with necessary links in supply chain, technical warehouses , clinical
research and awareness.
Note –United Nations declares 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYM).
Key Points
i.It would promote the commercial processed varieties developed by ICAR-IIMR. IIMR will help in enhancing
value addition and nutrients.
ii.A joint coordination committee will be formed. Which will consist of representatives from APEDA and ICAR-
IIMR.
iii.Development and implementation in improving facilities like
traceability, Artificial intelligence, etc. they would promote millet exports. For start-ups, export compliance is also
taken into consideration.
iv.Creation of a Millet Export Promotion Forum with the joint support of major stakeholders. The forum will
identify export clusters for getting increased and value added produce and it will link stakeholders with
FPOs(Farmer Producer Organization).
v.In order to increase export production APEDA has also signed a series of MoUs with Tamil Nadu Agricultural
University, Coimbatore, University of Agricultural Sci
ences, Bengaluru, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and others.
About Agricultural and Processed Food Product Export Development Authority (APEDA)
It was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority Act, 1985. It functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Headquarters-New Delhi, Delhi
Chairman- Dr. Madhaiyaan Angamuthu
Indian Institute of Millet Research(IIMR)
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana
Director-Dr. Vilas A Tonapi
Ladakh signs MoU with BRO for Road Network upgradation

On 3rd September 2021, the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for construction & upgradation of its road network. The UT has also
allocated 7 road & tunnel construction projects to BRO, reviewing its expertise in construction over hilly areas.
i.The successful completion of these road infrastructure projects will boost the tourism sector in the UT, thereby
strengthening its economy.
Note – In August, BRO constructed the World’s highest motorable pass at Umling La Pass in eastern Ladakh at an
altitude of 19,300 feet.
Signatories – Chief Engineer, Project HIMANK, Brig. Arvinder Singh, Chief Engineer Project VIJAYAK Brig. Ashish
Gambhir; and Chief Engineer, Public Works (Roads & Buildings) Ladakh P.C. Tanoch
About Ladakh:
Lieutenant Governor (LG) – Radha Krishna Mathur (also the 1st LG of Ladakh)
Capital – Leh
In 2019, Ladakh was established as an Union Territory with 2 districts – Leh & Kargil

About Border Roads Organisation (BRO):
Director General – Rajeev Chaudhary
Established in 1960 under the Ministry of Defence
Tripartite Karbi Anglong Agreement inked between Union & Assam State Govt with KAAC
In order to foster peace and prosperity in Assam, on September 4, 2021, the Central Government has signed a
tripartite Karbi Anglong Agreement/Memorandum of Settlement under which all conditions of the Karbi
people will be fulfilled in a stipulated time.
• Karbis are a major ethnic community of Assam.
Signatories:
It was signed between the Central Government, Assam Government, and Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council
(KAAC) in the presence of Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA); Union
Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ministry of Shipping and Waterways; Assam chief minister Dr. Himanta Biswa
Sarma; and Chief Executive Member of KAAC, Tuliram Ronghang, among other representatives in New Delhi.
What is in the agreement?
i.Investment of Rs 1,000 crore by the Union and Assam government for development of the Karbi Anglong area in
the next 5 years
ii.Provide reservation for the people of Karbi for the first time
iii.Rehabilitation for the surrendered militants
iv.Setting up of Karbi Welfare Council by the Assam government Council for focussed development of Karbi
people living outside KAAC area.
v.Greater devolution of autonomy to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, protection of identity, language,
culture, etc. of Karbi people and focussed development of the Council area, without affecting the territorial and
administrative integrity of Assam.
vi.The Consolidated Fund of the State will be augmented to supplement the resources of KAAC.
Reason behind this agreement:
On 23 February 2021, over 1,000 cadres of five different organizations of Karbi Anglong laid down their arms to
join the mainstream. They also surrendered a total of 338 weapons and 11000 rounds of ammunition including
AK-series rifles, M16 rifles, LMGs, rocket launchers etc. The 5 organizations are:
• People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK),
• Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF),
• Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers (KPLT),
• Kuki Liberation Front (KLF) and
• United People’s Liberation Army (UPLA)
So, as per the Central Government policy those who give up arms are to be brought into the mainstream. Their
relevant demands are also fulfilled in order to maintain peace and get rid of old problems in Assam which have
been marked by marked by killings, ethnic violence, abductions and taxation since the late 1980s. This agreement
will cater to this scenario and bring an end to this violence.
• Earlier the Government had signed the Bodoland Peace Accord (Assam), Bru Rehabilitation
Agreement and National Liberation Front of Tripura (Tripura) where 80% of the agreement conditions
were fulfilled.
Key Points:
i.Indian government is focusing on Northeast Region under its ‘Insurgency free prosperous North East’ to make
it developed, peaceful and progressive.
Earlier agreements:
ii.The tripartite agreement was signed twice in 1995 and 2011 too but due to lack of concerns by the
governments peace could not be established in Karbi-Anglong.

About Karbi Anglong:
It is the largest district in Assam and also an autonomous district under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian
Constitution. It is divided into two parts — East Karbi Anglong (EKA) and West Karbi Anglong (WKA) — with its
administrative headquarters at Diphu town in EKA.
• It comprises various tribal and ethnic groups including the Kukis, Dimasas, Garos, Rengma Nagas, Tiwas and
Karbis.
• The Karbi Anglong District Council (KADC), which safeguards the rights of the tribal people, was upgraded to
KAAC in April 1995.
• In this district, inter-tribe clashes were common making it one of the most volatile regions of Assam.
Click here to read full agreement
i.Cachar district of Assam won the Silver SKOCH Award under the Health category at the national level for its
‘Pushti Nirbhor’ project on transforming and developing Nutri gardens at houses in Dinnathpur Bagicha Village,
near the India-Bangladesh border in Cachar. ‘Pushti Nirbhor’ means nutrition-dependent.
About Assam:
Governor– Professor Jagdish Mukhi
Wildlife sanctuaries: Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, and Bherjan – Borajan –
Padumoni Wildlife Sanctuary
Zoological Park- Assam State Zoo (Green Lung)
In a first, Punjab inks MoU with AMCHAM India to promote investment

On September 4, 2021, the Punjab state government and the American Chamber of Commerce in
India (Amcham India) signed a first-of-its-kind Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the virtual
29th annual general meeting of the Amcham India.
• It will promote investment in the state and enhance ease of doing business for the US (United States)
member companies.
• There will be formation of a joint working group (JWG), which will include members from Invest Punjab and
Amcham India.
Signatories:
The MoU was signed by the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Invest Punjab, Rajat Agarwal and the programme
director of Amcham India, Wing Commander Rajiv Anand, in the presence of Punjab’s principal secretary,
investment promotion, Hussan Lal.
Key Points:
i.Global companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Quark, Cargill, Tyson, John Deere, Gates, Schreiber, Pepsi, Coca Cola,
Teleperformance, Compu-Vision Consulting and Netsmartz Infotech are among the 20 firms which chose Punjab
as their preferred investment destination.
ii.Invest Punjab or Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion was set up by the state government in 2013 for
facilitation of investors who want to set up a business in Punjab.
About Punjab:
Chief Minister– Captain Amarinder Singh
Airports– Sahnewal Airport, Pathankot Airport, and Patiala Airport
Heritage Sites– Beas Conservation Reserve, Keshopur-miani Community Reserve, and Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary
Himachal Pradesh Govt Signed 27 MoUs Worth Rs 3307 Crore with Various Industrial
Organisations
The Government of Himachal Pradesh has signed 27 Memorandums of Understanding(MoUs) worth Rs
3307 crore with various industrial organisations which are capable of providing direct and indirect employment
opportunities to more than 15000 people.
Rakesh Kumar Prajapati Deputy Commissioner, Kangra at Dharamshala signed the MoU on the behalf of the
government of Himachal Pradesh.

Features of the MoUs:
i.6 MoUs worth Rs 1000 crore were signed to establish
ethanol plants in Himachal Pradesh. This is in line with the
target of the government of India for blended fuel and
making India self-reliant.
ii.The State government of Himachal Pradesh offers distinct
advantages to the investors such as Affordable land cost,
high quality and reliable power supply, proactive and
accessible administration.
Additional info:
i.The state government has received proposals to make investments in various sectors such as ethanol, medical
devices, education and skill development, pharmaceuticals, paper manufacturing, food processing, healthcare,
automobile, electronics manufacturing and industrial infrastructure.
ii.The government of Himachal Pradesh has also made provisions of incentives and concessions in its industrial
investment policy 2019 to establish private industrial areas and theme parks.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Chief Minister– Jai Ram Thakur
Wildlife Sanctuary– Gamgul-Siyabehi Wildlife Sanctuary; Kais Wildlife Sanctuary; Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife
Sanctuary
Zoological park– Dhauladhar Nature Park (Gopalpur Zoo); Renuka Zoo
TANGEDCO signs MoU with IREDA for Renewable Energy Projects

On 6th September 2021, Tamil Nadu Generation & Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO), the state
Power distribution company of Tamil Nadu, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian
Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA) to receive technical expertise in renewable energy (RE)
projects.
Signatories – Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of IREDA and TANGEDCO CMD Rajesh
Lakhoni, in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
i.TANGEDCO will receive technical expertise for RE projects and assistance for debt raising through developing
financial models and conducting pre-market surveys.
Tamil Nadu Energy Targets:
Tamil Nadu targets to create 25,000 MW of new energy capacity in the next 10 years at an estimated cost of
₹1,32,500 crores.
• 20,000 MW of Solar power projects
• 3,000 MW of pumped storage Hydroelectric projects
• 2,000 MW of Gas-based power plants
About IREDA:
IREDA is a Mini Ratna company under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
CMD– Pradip Kumar Das
About Tamil Nadu:
Governor – Banwarilal Purohit
Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu is the Southernmost point of the Indian Mainland.
The coastline of Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh is known as “Coromandel Coast”
AIIA Signed MoU with NICM Western Sydney University Australia to Appoint Academic Chair in
Ayurveda
All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) of Ministry of Ayush has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with NICM Western Sydney University Australia to appoint an Academic Chair in Ayurveda.

Signatories
It was signed between Professor Tanuja Nesari, Director, All India Institute of Ayurveda, Ministry of Ayush and
Vice-Chancellor and President, Western Sydney University, Australia, Professor Barney Glover.
The appointment of the chair is jointly funded by the Ministry of Ayush and Western Sydney University and
anticipated to commence early in 2022.
Roles and Functioning-
i.It will facilitate academic and research collaboration activities in Ayurveda, which includes herbal medicine and
yoga. It will design short/medium term courses and educational guidelines.
ii.Chair will conduct academic workshops related to the Ayurveda system and promote its effective usage in
Australia.
iii.The Ayurveda Academic Chair will be based at West mead campus, Western Sydney University NICM health
and research institute for 3 years tenure.
About Ministry of Ayush
Minister- Sarbananda Sonowal
Minister of State- Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai (Surendranagar, Gujarat)
Gujarat Govt Signed MoU with Amazon India to boost E-commerce Exports
Amazon India, a leading e-commerce company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Industries and Mines Department, Government of Gujarat to boost the e-commerce exports from Gujarat.
• The MoU was signed by Ranjithkumar, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Commissioner and
Abhijit Kamran, global selling head, Amazon in the presence of Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Features of MoU:
i.Under this MoU, Amazon will train and onboard MSMEs from Gujarat on Amazon Global Selling, enabling them
to sell their unique Made in India products to Amazon customers across the globe.
ii.Amazon will also conduct training, webinars and onboarding workshops for exporters from major MSME
clusters like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch and Rajkot among others.
iii.The workshops will focus on sharing expertise and providing training to MSMEs about B2C e-commerce
exports and selling their products through 17 foreign marketplaces of amazon.
iv.This partnership will benefit the gems and jewellery, apparel and textiles, and handicraft sectors of Gujarat.
Note:
Gujarat, India’s leading exporter, contributes to more than 21% of the total exports (2020-2021) of India.
About Gujarat:
Governor– Acharya Devvrat
Wildlife Sanctuary– Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary; Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary; Ratanmahal Sloth Bear Sanctuary
Zoological park– Rajkot Municipal Zoo (Pradyuman Zoological Park); Sayaji Baug Zoo (Kamati Baug)
‘NSCN – Khaplang’ signs Ceasefire Agreement with Central government

On 8th September 2021, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Khaplang (NSCN-K), a militant group led
by Niki Sumi, signed the new ceasefire agreement with the Indian government in New Delhi. NSCN-K accepted to
adhere to all the existing ceasefire agreement for a period of 1-year till 8th September 2022.
• The ceasefire agreement is a great step in Naga peace process, thereby making Insurgency-free Nagaland.
• The government has signed ceasefire agreements with NSCN (NK), NSCN (R) and NSCN (K)-Khango.
Signatories – Piyush Goyal, Additional Secretary (NE) to Home Ministry and Nikato Pilot Sumi & Abel Zingru
Thuer representing NSCN (K).
i.Previously, NSCN (K) had signed a ceasefire agreement with the Indian government, which was later unilaterally
abrogated by the terror group in 2015, when it killed 18 Indian Army soldiers in Manipur.
ii.The National Investigation Agency had announced a reward of ₹10 lakhs on Niki Sumi, the head of NSCN (K).
iii.The NSCN (K) operates to establish a sovereign state with all Naga inhabited areas in India & Myanmar under
one administrative setup.

Note – Days before, in September 2021, the Central Government signed a tripartite Karbi Anglong
Agreement/Memorandum of Settlement with Assam’s ‘Karbi’ ethinic group to fulfill all their needs.
Background of Extremist Groups & Political issues in Nagaland:
Demand – Establishing ‘Greater Nagalim’ – a sovereign state that houses all Nagas, and official recognition of
Naga National Flag & Naga Yezabo (Constitution).
• The proposed Greater Nagalim includes parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam and Myanmar.
‘Nagas’ are made of over 19 major tribes, which includes – Aos, Angamis, Changs, Konyaks, Kukis, Lothas, Mikirs,
Phoms, Sangtams.
Famous Peace accords in Nagaland:
• Shillong Accord (1975) – Naga National Council (NNC) agreed to give up arms.
• Ceasefire Agreement (1997) – NSCN-IM signed ceasefire agreement with Indian Government
In March 2021, Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Ministry launched a capacity building and performance
tracking application, “i-Learn” for Community Health Officers (CHOs) in Nagaland.
About Nagaland:
Nagaland attained statehood in December 1963
Mount Saramati is the highest peak in Nagaland
In the Parliament, Nagaland is represented with 1 Lok Sabha and 1 Rajya Sabha seats
IIT Bombay signs MoU with IIA to extend collaboration on “GROWTH – India Telescope” for 5-
years
In August 2021, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay virtually signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), for extending the research collaboration on “GROWTH –
India Telescope”, for a period of 5-years.
i.At present, IIT Bombay students remotely use the telescope to develop observatory & data processing tools, and
study various astronomical bodies.
• Notably, IIT Bombay students discovered – ‘2020 QG’, the closest known asteroid that flew past the Earth
without impacting.
About GROWTH- India Telescope:
i.In 2018, IIA & IIT Bombay jointly set-up the ‘GROWTH-India Telescope’, a 0.7m wide-field telescope in Ladakh,
the project is supported by DST-SERB and the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum.
ii.It is India’s 1st fully-robotic Optical Telescope, that is used to study various cosmic sources like – Gravitational
waves, young supernovae and near-earth asteroids.
Projects under IIA:
• IIA develops the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph for the Aditya-L1 mission.
• IIA is India’s nodal center for ‘Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)’ project. TMT is a project under international
partnership between CalTech, Universities of California, Canada, Japan, China and India.
IIT Bombay was the Top ranked Indian University as per the QS World University Rankings 2022, where
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in USA was ranked as the World’s No. 1 University (for the 10th
consecutive time).
About IIT Bombay:
Director – Subhasis Chaudhuri
Established in 1958 with technical expertise from USSR
Location – Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA):
Director – Annapurni Subramaniam
Location – Bangalore, Karnataka

IIA Observatories
• Vainu Bappu Observatory – Javadi Hills, Tamil Nadu
• Indian Astronomical Observatory – Leh, Ladakh
SPI and GIZ Tied up with MNRE to Extend role in Decentralised Renewable Energy
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) tied a partnership with Smart Power India (SPI), an arm of
Rockefeller Foundation & Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to encourage
Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) innovations.The partnership was the part
of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in the lines to become Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Key Points:
i.It is projected that about half of India’s population will still be living in rural areas in 2050, therefore it is
necessary to improve rural per capita income for economic development of the country.
ii.The DRE powered innovation will lessen the gap in the centralised electricity supply system and will help in
generating income activities in rural areas.
iii.SPI is developing more than 1000 mini- grid plants set to provide reliable electricity to 25 million people and
provide electricity 24×7 in rural and remote areas of the country.
iv.The Indian government’s electrification plans, which predominantly focus on household electrification, have
been complemented in two ways.
About Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE):
Minister – Raj Kumar Singh (Arrah, Bihar)
Minister of State- Bhagwanth Khuba (Bidar, Karnataka)
OneWeb & Hughes Network System Signed MoU to Distribute Satellite Services in India & US
Bharti group backed OneWeb and United States (US) company Hughes Network System has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a collectively hosted session at Satellite 2021 in Maryland,US for Low
Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite service in US and India.
• It is a strategic agreement for distributing satellite
service networks in India to large enterprises, small
and medium businesses, government, telecoms and
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the rural and
remote parts of the country.
About the Agreement-
i.OneWeb and Hughes will collaborate to expand the
distribution of Satellite Network at global level, with
Hughes offering OneWeb’s low-latency, high-speed
connectivity for markets such as enterprise, government,
commercial aviation and maritime, cellular backhaul, and community Wi-Fi hotspots.
ii.EchoStar, the parent company of Hughes, is an investor in OneWeb, building its initial constellation of 648
LEO Satellites. Service will be soon started in this year of 2021 to the Arctic region including Alaska, Canada and
the United Kingdom.
iii.By late 2022, OneWeb will be offering its high-speed, low latency connectivity services, globally.
About satellite Internet Network and LEO Technology
i.Positioning of Satellites: LEO satellites are positioned around 500km-2000km from earth, compared to
stationary orbit satellites which are approximately 36,000km away.
ii.Latency: Latency, or the time needed for data to be sent and received, is contingent on proximity.
iii.As LEO satellites orbit closer to the earth, they are able to provide stronger signals and faster speeds than
traditional fixed-satellite systems.
About OneWeb
Chief Executive Officer– Neil Masterson
Headquarters- London, United Kingdom

CIL Signed MoU with Assam to Strengthen Health Infrastructure
Coal India Limited(CIL), owned by the Ministry of Coal has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with
the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Assam to strengthening the health infrastructure at
the Silchar Medical College &Hospital(SMCH), Silchar
• SMCH is the only Medical College and Hospital in Barak Valley Region, Assam.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam and Keshab Mahanta,
Health Minister of Assam.
This is a part of the CIL’sCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative through which CIL will contribute Rs. 5
crores to set up an ICU facility and medical gas pipeline in SMCH which will benefit around 40 lakh people of
Assam.
Additional info:
i.In financial year, under ‘Mission Praana Vayu’, CIL is establishing 32 Oxygen Plants at 30 Hospitals at a cost of
Rs.46 Crores.
iii.CIL and its subsidiaries have spent around Rs 269 crores on COVID-19 relief projects, 48% of its total CSR
Expenditure for the financial year 2020-2021.
About Coal India Limited(CIL):
Coal India Limited (CIL) the state-owned coal mining corporate came into being in November 1975.
Chairman– Pramod Agrawal
Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal
About Assam:
Governor– Prof. Jagdish Mukhi
Wildlife Sanctuary– East Karbi Anglong Wildlife Sanctuary; Nambor – Doigrung Wildlife Sanctuary; Amchang
Wildlife Sanctuary
Airports– Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport; Dibrugarh Airport
IIT Kanpur signs MoU with Indian Air Force for academic collaboration
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and Indian Air Force (IAF) Signed an Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for Collaboration in the field of Academics and Research in the domain Aerospace
Technology & for the establishment of the Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh, VSM Class I MBE, Chair of
Excellence and Research Scholar Program (RSP) for Indian Air Force Officers at the IAF Headquarters, New
Delhi, Delhi.
• The partnership will establish long term relationship for academic and research-based interactions and
interchange of technical knowledge to foster knowledge development and promote breakthrough
innovations in the domain of Aerospace Technology.
About the Program:
I.The Chair of Excellence will promote teaching, research and technology development in Aerospace
Technologies, Aircraft Structural Integrity, Aircraft Health Monitoring, and other allied subjects in the fields of
Aeronautics and Aviation.
ii.It will facilitate development of training programs for IAF personnel which will help them with dissemination of
knowledge and novel ideas to innovate new technologies.It will also provide research grant to Ph.D scholars of
Aerospace Engineering of IIT Kanpur working in these areas.
iii.The Program will allow the qualified serving officers from the IAF will be eligible for direct admission to Ph.D,
M.Tech and eMasters Programmes at IIT Kanpur.
iv.The MoU was signed in the presence of Air Marshal Vibhas Pande AVSM VSM, Air Officer-in-Charge
Maintenance (AOM) and Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT Kanpur by Air Vice Marshal Rajeev Sharma,
Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Education) and Head of Education Branch of IAF and Prof. Jayant Kumar Singh, Dean
Resources and Alumni, IIT Kanpur.

About Indian Air Force (IAF)
Air Chief Marshal – Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria
Amazon Pay ties up with Kuvera to offer wealth management service for the first time
Amazon Pay, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon in partnership with Kuvera, Investment platform will provide
wealth management services to its 50 million customers across India.
It is the first ever wealth management tie-up for amazon across the world.
• Kuvera will offer its services, products and technology knowledge to Amazon Pay users in order to facilitate
investments into Mutual funds, Fixed deposits.
Additional Info: Google with Indian fintech startup Setu has recently announced that it will allow its Indian
Customers to open fixed deposits through its digital payments app Google Pay.
Amazon Pay
Formation: 2007
Headquarters – Washington, United States
Director of India: Vikas Bansal
About Kuvera
Founder & CEO: Gaurav Rastogi
Founded: 2016
Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka
AM/NS India, NSIC signed MoU to support MSMEs in Steel Sector

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with
National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) to provide critical steel products to the Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises(MSMEs) in the steel sector.
• This is a first of its kind MoU signed by NSIC with a private steel company.
• The MoU was signed by Ranjan Dhar, Chief Marketing Officer of AM/NS India, and P. Udayakumar, Director
(Planning & Marketing) of NSIC.
i.The team of AM/NS India and NSIC will develop a network to deliver critical products to the MSME segments.
ii.Under this MoU, NSIC will provide access to its marketing network and infrastructure and provide financial
support to market AM/NS India products to the relevant markets.
iii.Through this Partnership, MSME customers will avail special pricing determined by the NSIC, AM/NS India and
prevailing market conditions.
About National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC):
NISC is a certified Government enterprise under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MoMSME).
CMD– Vijayendra
Established in 1955
About ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India):
AM/NS India, a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, is an integrated flat carbon steel
manufacturer.
CEO– Dilip Oommen
Headquarters– Surat, Gujarat
DP World signed MoU with TN Govt for Rs 2000 crore projects

The government of Tamil Nadu (TN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai-based DP
World for an investment of Rs 2000 crore to establish a series of projects in Tamil Nadu.
The MoU was signed in the presence of MK Stalin, Chief Minister(CM) of Tamil Nadu(TN) and officials of DP

world.
Features of MoU:
i.The proposed investment of DP world will be used to establish container terminal, cold storage and seafood
processing zone and Free trade zone with integrated rail siding, minor ports in the Eastern Coast of TN and Inland
Container Depots (ICDs) in Erode, Karur and Tirupur.
ii.These projects are estimated to create job opportunities for more than 4500 people which includes 1500 direct
and 3000 indirect.
Additional info:
i.In 2019, DP World signed an MoU with the TN Government to invest Rs 1000 crore in establishing a free trade
warehousing zone (FTWZ) and Integrated Chennai Business Park (ICBP) in Vallur, Ponneri Taluk, Tiruvallur
District.
ii.The FTWZ was inaugurated in July 2021.
About DP World:
Group Chairman & CEO– H.E. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem
Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Incepted in 1972
Skyroot Aerospace, a 1st spacetech startup to sign Framework MoU up with DOS
Skyroot Aerospace, a Space technology startup, becomes the first private company to formally sign a Framework
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Space (DOS).
• Under this agreement, the startup company can undertake multiple tests and access facilities at
various ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) centers. ISRO will also provide technical expertise for
testing and qualifying their Space launch vehicle systems and subsystems,
Signatories:
The agreement for the same was inked by R Umamaheswaran, scientific secretary at ISRO (Indian Space
Research Organisation), and chairman at Interim IN-SPACe Committee, and Pawan Chandana, CEO of Skyroot
Aerospace.
• IN-SPACe is an authorization and regulatory body under DOS for enabling private entities to undertake space
activities in India.
Key Points:
i.Skyroot is developing Vikram series of rockets to carry small satellites into space. It has already test fired its
solid propulsion rocket engine named Kalam-5, it’s bigger version will power rockets.
ii.In 2020, Agnikul Cosmos founder and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Srinath Ravichandran and R
Umamaheswaran signed a non-disclosure agreement to test and qualify its small rocket that is capable of
launching 100 kg satellites into low earth orbit. A formal agreement for the same is also expected soon.
About Skyroot Aerospace
Headquarter– Hyderabad, Telangana
MoA&FW signs 5 MOUs with private companies to initiate pilot projects for Digital Agriculture
On September 14, 2021, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
(MoA&FW) signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 5 private companies at KrishiBhavan, New Delhi
for pilot projects.
• The companies are CISCO, Ninjacart, Jio Platforms Limited, ITC (formerly India Tobacco Company Limited)
Limited and NCDEX e-Markets Limited (NeML).
• These MoUs envisage the modernization of the Agriculture sector that will further aid in increasing the
income of farmers.
About Pilot Projects:
JIO Platforms Limited:
Jio through its agri platform ‘JioKrishi’ aids in digitizing the agro ecosystem and to empower the farmers.

• Pilot Project– Jalna and Nashik districts of Maharashtra
ITC Limited:
It is engaged, inter-alia, in agri business through one of its business divisions called Agri Business Division. ITC
has earlier pioneered a unique internet-based initiative called the ‘eChoupal’ network (hereinafter called e-
Choupal). Now, it has proposed to build a Customized ‘Site Specific Crop Advisory ‘ service.
• Pilot Project – Sehore and Vidisha districts of Madhya Pradesh
CISCO
Cisco, along with industry partner Quantela, has developed Agriculture Digital Infrastructure (ADI) solution,
which includes hardware and software components for better farming and knowledge sharing.
• Pilot Project– Kaithal (Haryana) and Morena (Madhya Pradesh).
NeML
It is the leading National Spot Exchange in India. It proposed a digital marketplace to aid in enhancing the
livelihood of farmers and promote inclusive development in the agriculture sector in India.
• Pilot Project– Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), Devanagere (Karnataka) and Nasik (Maharashtra).
Ninjacart
63Ideas Infolabs Private Limited, operating under the brand name Ninjacart, is a technology based fresh produce
supply Chain Company. It will develop and host the Agri Marketplace Platform (AMP), which will bring together
all the participants in the post-harvest market linkage.
• Pilot Project– Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh), Anand (Gujarat) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh).
Click here for to read more about MoU partners
Key Points:
i.The pilot projects will support farmers to take informed decisions on sowing, seeds variety and best practices to
adopt to maximize the yield.
ii.The above MoUs are on the lines of the Digital agriculture mission that has been initiated for 2021 -2025 by
the Central government for projects based on new technologies like artificial intelligence, block chain, remote
sensing and GIS technology, use of drones and robots etc.
iii.MoA&FW is also creating a federated Farmers Database which will be linked by the land records of farmers
from across the country and a unique Farmer ID will be created.
• This database will have details of farmers along with benefits and support of various schemes of the Central
& State Government.
• This information can be accessed for providing benefits to farmers in the future.
In July 2021, a digital platform ‘Kisan Sarathi’ was jointly launched by Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister
for Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw to help farmers get ‘right information at the right
time’ in their desired language.
About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Narendra Singh Tomar Constituency– Morena, Madhya Pradesh),
Minister of State– Sushri Shobha Karandlaje (Udupi Chikmagalur, Karnataka), Kailash Choudhary (Barmer,
Rajasthan)
MoT sanctions Rs 200 cr for tourism development in NE region

Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Railways Catering and
Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to promote domestic tourism and development of new tourism products at two-
day Conference of Tourism and Culture Ministers of North Eastern States held in Guwahati, Assam on
September 13 and 14
• Under the ‘Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive’ (PRASAD) scheme, Union Minister
for Tourism G Kishan Reddy sanctioned Rs 200 crore for the tourism development in the North Eastern
Region.
• Rs 68,020 crore had allocated to north eastern states in the Union budget of 2021-22 for the development of
North Eastern Regions.

Objective – Under various schemes and flagship initiatives, the tourism ministry is taking an effort to provide
branding and marketing assistance to the northeast region.
Other notable initiatives:-
Around 16 projects were sanctioned by the Ministry for the region under Swadesh Darshan
Scheme.Projects includes
In Manas Wildlife Circuit – Pobitora ,Nameri, Kaziranga ,Pani, Dihing, Dibru, Saikhowa.
In Tezpur Heritage Circuit – Tezpur , Majauli , Sibasagar
About the Schemes
i.Swadesh Darshan Scheme focuses on the integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits.
ii.PRASAD Scheme aims at integrated development of pilgrimage destinations in a prioritised, planned, and
sustainable manner in order to provide a complete religious tourism experience.
Assam govt Signs Agreement with SIDBI to set up an Innovation Fund to Promote Start-ups
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in association with the Assam Government launched
an innovation fund to promote start-ups. Under the Cluster Development Fund(CDF) an agreement of Rs 350
crore was signed between Chairman cum Managing Director of SIDBI Sivasubramanian Ramann Principal
Secretary of Industries and Commerce and Public Enterprises K K Dwivedi in the presence of the Chief Minister.
Highlights
• It will promote ‘One district- One- product initiative‘ .
• Under this fund a critical gap in infrastructure and logistics will be plugged to promote identified products in
each district for export.
• SIDBI will also promote Self Help Groups (SHGs) to the enterprises level and bring them into the formal
sector of economy.
• SIDBI will propose a fund and use its venture capital subsidiary to manage the fund in order to promote
innovation in start-ups.
About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):
Established- 2 April 1990
Headquarters- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Chairman and Managing Director- Sivasubramanian Ramann
About Assam:
Airport– Lilabari Airport, Silchar Airport
Ramsar site– Deepor Beel (2002)
Festival– Me-Dum-Me-Phi, Baishagu, Ambubachi Mela
Ayush Ministry signs MoU with USA to enhance export potential of Traditional Medicine
In September 2021, the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) under the
Ministry of Ayush signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with USA’s American Herbal Pharmacopoeia to
boost the export potential of Indian Traditional Medicine products in US Market.
• Both countries will collaborate on framing the Safety & Standards for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and
Homeopathy (ASU&H) drugs for quicker adaptation in the US market.
i.Under the collaboration, a Joint Committee will be framed for developing an action plan along with development
of Monographs in Traditional Medicine.
ii.A Monograph will be developed, containing technical data on Indian Traditional Medicine & Herbal products,
with various Botanical Reference Samples.
iii.The Countries will work on promotion of Traditional Medicines in the international level for Global acceptance.
About Ministry of Ayush:
The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) was established on
9th November 2014
Union Minister – Sarbananda Sonowal
Minister of State – Munjapara Mahendrabhai

Agnikul Cosmos Signs Framework MoU with DOS under ISRO to Develop Space Launch Vehicle
The Scientific Secretary of ISRO (Indian Space Research Institute) and Chairman,interim IN-Space(Indian
National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) committee, R Umamaheswaran signed a Framework of
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of Department of Space, under ISRO with aerospace start-
up Agnikul Cosmos CEO(Chief Executive Officer) Srinath Ravichandran.
• The agreement would provide Agnikul Cosmos to
access to expertise and advanced facilities of ISRO for
the development and testing of space launch vehicles.
Highlights
i.It enables Agnikul, to get the access of advanced
technology and various testing facilities at ISRO centres
such as testing and qualification of its single-piece 3D
printed Semi Cryo engine and other systems.
iii.The technical expertise of the National Centre for
Combustion R&D (Research and Development) of IIT(Indian Institute of Technology) Madras, Chennai (Tamil
Nadu) would be provided to Agnikul.
DoS also signed a similar MoU with Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace for access to ISRO facilities and
expertise towards the development and testing of subsystems/systems of space launch vehicles.
Additional Info :
i.ISRO Chairman, K Sivan inaugurated the spacecraft research privately funded propulsion lab at Bellatrix
Aerospace located at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru campus, Karnataka.
About ISRO (Indian Space Research Institute)
Founder– Vikram Sarabhai
Chairman– Kailasavadivoo Sivan
TRIFED signed with Big Basket,Purti Agrotech to promote Van Dhan Products
The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) made an
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with e-grocery platform Big Basket and Purti Agrotech of Jharkhand for
the promotion and sale of natural Van Dhan products. These two initiatives will become operational from October
2, 2021.
MoU with Big Basket
TRIFED and e-grocery platform Big Basket entered into an agreement for the promotion and sale of natural Van
Dhan products through Big Basket.
• To promote tribal entrepreneurship, enhancing inclusive and balanced development of tribals on a whole.
Purti Agrotech collaboration
TRIFED is also collaborating with Purti Agrotech of Jharkhand for developing pearl cultivation.
Objective
i.To promote the art of growing pearls among tribal entrepreneurs and tap the potential of the market.
ii.To create a market for the unique craft and assist Purti Agrotech in developing a more professional and
business-oriented enterprise.
About TRIFED
Founded: 1987
Headquarters: New Delhi
Parent agency: Ministry of Tribal Affairs
About Big Basket
Founded: 2011
Parent organization: Tata Digital Limited
Founders: Hari Menon, Vipul Parekh, VS Ramesh, VS Sudhakar, Abhinay Choudhari

DGCA and EASA signed an Agreement for Safety, Environment protection Standards
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) signed an
agreement to work on an arrangement through which they will set common safety and environmental protection
standards.
Objective– To promote cooperation,understanding of each other’s regulatory systems. It will also promote an
exchange of aeronautical products, services and personnel.
Highlights
• It will provide India an opportunity to become a centre for designing and manufacturing aircraft and
engines.
• DGCA and EASA will work together in achieving common safety and environment protection standards by
exchanging aeronautical products, services and personnel.
About the Agreement
i.The manufacturing organisation has the right of access to the approved design data relevant for production
purposes.
ii.The manufacturing organisation cooperates with the organisation responsible for the type design in assessing
information on the design, manufacture, and operation of the aircraft engine.
About Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA):
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Parent agency- Ministry of Civil Aviation
About European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA):
Executive Director- Patrick Ky
Headquarters– Cologne , Germany
Founded– 12 July 2002
DFPD of MOCAF&PD signed MoU with CSC to enhance FPSs income

On September 20, 2021, Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) under Ministry of Consumer
Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MOCAF & PD) signed a model memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
CSC e-Governance Services India Limited (CSC).
• The MoU will let the Fair Price Shops (FPSs) to provide CSC services through interested Fair Price Shop
(FPS) dealers. This will increase the business opportunities and income of FPS.
Signatories:
Jyotsna Gupta, Deputy Secretary (Public Distribution), DFPD; and Sarthik Sachdeva, Vice President, CSC in the
presence of Sudhanshu Pandey, Secretary, DFPD and Dinesh Kumar Tyagi, Managing Director, CSC.
How can FPSs work as a CSC Service Centre?
Firstly CSC will identify feasible activities like Utility Bill payments, PAN (Permanent Account Number)
Application, Passport Application, Election Commission Services etc. that can provide additional income to the
FPSs by facilitating the consumers.
• After this CSCs will sign bilateral MoUs with the State Governments for providing interested FPS dealers’
access to Digital Seva Portal (DSP) for delivery of CSC services.
• The ration card services can also be included under CSC but only at the discretion of the State Government.
Odisha Tie-up with UNICEF, CPR to Provide Sanitation Facilities; Signed MoU with Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation for Agriculture Development
The department of Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) and the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water
(PR&DW), under the government of Odisha, signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with UNICEF (United
Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) and Centre for Policy Research (CPR) for urban-rural
convergence on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) and Plastic Waste Management (PWM) to
provide sanitation facilities in villages around urban areas of the state.

Highlights
i.In the first part, 7 districts of Odisha viz, Angul, Balasore, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Khurda, Mayrbhanj, and
Sambalpur will get facilities on a pilot basis and the state plans to extend it to all 30 districts within a year.
ii.The initiative will enhance the decentralisation system in the state by making Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI)
and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) implement provisions of preventing river and groundwater pollution.
iii.PRI will be tagged to city amenities like Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTPs) and Material Recovery
Facilities (MRFs) for efficient faecal sludge and plastic waste administration.
iv.The state has already operationalised 58 FSTPs and it plans to cover 114 ULBs with 118 functional plants by
March 2022. So far, 167 MRFs have been made functional in the State through Self Help Groups (SHGs).
v.The Wealth Centres in every ULBs comprising each Micro Compost Centres (MCCs) and MRS will facilitate
wastewater management.
Odisha Govt signed Mou with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Agricultural Developments
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development under
the government of Odisha signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation to support sustainable and inclusive agriculture transformation.
Objective- To strengthen agriculture programmes by accessing expertise, technology, and high-impact
innovations and bring sustainable production.
Highlights
i.Under the partnership, the Gates Foundation will provide support to accelerating data use and policy
implementation to build a sustainable climate-smart and integrated farming economy.
ii.Odisha Government has adopted an integrated approach to manage farmland, livestock, forests, and fisheries to
address the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.
The State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) of Odisha and Telangana have been ranked 1st in The Transparency
Index: Rating of Pollution Control Boards on Public Disclosure report released by the Centre for Science and
Environment (CSE), a Delhi based non-profit Organisation.
About United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
Establishment – 11 December 1946
Headquarters – New York, United States
Executive Director – Henrietta H. Fore
About Odisha
Airport- Rourkela airport
Heritage site– Sun temple (1984), Bhitarkanika Mangroves (2002), Chilika Lake (1981)
Festival- Utkala Divas, Durga Pooja, Kalinga Mahotsav
DAHD signs deal with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support livestock
As a part of on-going celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
(DAHD) signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to
support India’s livestock sector.
• Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala signed the deal
Objective:
i.To support the nation’s food and nutritional security and protect the economic wellbeing of small-scale livestock
producers.
ii.The Gates Foundation will provide technical assistance to the department to ensure sustainable growth and
prosperity of India’s livestock sector.
Note: As a part of the partnership National One Health platform will be established with an aim.
National One Health
i.To improve coordination, productivity, and support livelihoods of small-scale producers.
ii.It allows tracking and resolution of animal and human health challenges and will prevent possible infection and
disease outbreaks.

About Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
CEO: CEO Mark Suzman
Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States
CIL’s NCL Partners with NTPC to Install 50MW Solar Power Project in MP; CIL signed MoU with
Dept of Sport to Improve Sports Infrastructure
Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited(CIL) has partnered with NTPC Limited to
install 50 megawatts (MW) solar power project at Nigahi coal mines of NCL in Singrauli district, Madhya
Pradesh(MP).
• NCL and CIL NTPC UrjaPvt Ltd (CNUPL), a joint venture of CIL and NTPC have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for the installation of the 50MW solar power project. The entire project will be
coordinated by the CNUPL.
• SK Verma, General Manager (E&M) of NCL and B K Panda, CEO of CNUPL signed the MoU.
Note:
This project will support the efforts of CIL to achieve 3000MW solar power by 2023-2024 and to become a net-
zero company.
About the partnership:
i.As the project consultant, NTPC will assist NCL to get a bidder for this project and NCL will work with the bidder
to execute the project.
ii.NTPC has invited the bids with the pre-bid date set on 7th October 2021 and the tender opening date on 22nd
October.
iii.The project is estimated to be completed within a period of 1 year.
CIL signed MoU with Dept of Sports to improve sports infrastructure in India:
Coal India Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Sports under the
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to enhance the sports infrastructure in India.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Dr
Anil Kumar Jain, Coal Secretary.
Features of MoU:
i.Under this MoU, the Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) Program of CIL will contribute Rs 75 crore towards
the National Sports Development Fund which will be used for the construction of 3 hostels for sportspersons.
ii.The 3 hostels with a combined capacity of 350 sportspersons will be constructed at
• Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior
• Sports Authority of India’s centre, Bhopal
• Sports Authority of India’s centre, Bengaluru
Key Points:
i.The project which is set to be completed by 2023 will benefit the athletes by creating a conducive eco-system
through focused training under the national-level coach.
ii.Initially, CIL has released Rs 25 crore for the project.
On April 23, 2021, Coal India Limited(CIL) has signed its first solar power purchase agreement for the sale of 100
MW solar power with Gujarat UrjaVikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) with a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for 25
years.
• CIL entered into a PPA and supply the 100 MW power generated to GUVNL within 18 months with a capital
investment of Rs 442 crore.
• The 100 MW project will be executed through a Solar EPC Contractor (engineering, procurement, and
construction).
About Coal India Limited(CIL):
CIL is a state-owned coal mining corporate.
Chairman– Pramod Agrawal
Established in November 1975

About Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL):
NCL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coal India Limited(CIL).
CMD– P K Sinha
Headquarters– Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh
Tamil Nadu signs 24 MoUs worth Rs 2,120.54 Crore During Tamil Nadu Exports Conclave in
Chennai
On September 22, 2021, Tamil Nadu (TN) Exports Conclave was organized at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai (TN)
which was inaugurated by the state Chief Minister (CM) Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin.
• The conclave saw the signing of 24 memoranda of
understanding (MoU) between the TN
government and industries through which Rs
2,120.54 crore will be raised and create jobs for
41,695 people.
About Tamil Nadu Exports Conclave:
i.It was organized by various Departments of
Government of TN and Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of
India to showcase the strengths of TN in exports.
ii.It was a part of ‘Trade and Commerce Week’ from September 20-26, 2021 which is celebrated nationwide to
commemorate the 75th Independence Day.
Sectors covered under MoUs:
Chemicals, IT/ITES (Information Technology Enabled Services), Steel, Leather, Apparels and General
Manufacturing.
• The units for the same are likely to come up in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Madurai,
Salem, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Thoothukudi, Dindigul and Tirunelveli districts.
Key Points regarding MoUs:
i.Of the 24 MoUs, 14 were signed with the 100% export-oriented units i.e. Industries Department (14). These will
create investment of Rs 1,880.54 crore, employment opportunities for 39,150 persons.
ii.The remaining 10 were signed on behalf of the Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with a
cumulative investment of Rs 240 crore, and provide employment to 2,545 individuals.
iii.The MSME Trade and Investment Promotion Bureau (M-TIPB) signed a MoU with Flipkart for promotion of
e-commerce among MSMEs through a supplier development programme.
iv.The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce and M-TIPB inked MoU for collaboration between the MSMEs in
TN and German businesses to facilitate linkages, interaction, technology collaboration and export opportunities
for the MSMEs.
Click here for full MoU details
Other Releases during the conclave by CM:
i.Release of Tamil Nadu Exports Promotion Strategy as the state aims to increase its exports to USD 100 billion by
2030.
ii.Release of MSME (Micro, small & Medium Enterprises) Exporters Handbook which provides comprehensive
information about various export clearances and processes required for MSMEs, in a simple format.
iii.The CM also handed over the first two allotment orders to companies that have proposed to open units at
a polymer park in the State. The park has been established on 240 acres at Voyalur near Ponneri.
iv.As the TN government cancelled the 1% market cess on cotton and waste cotton, the Cotton Corporation of
India (CCI) will now set up Cotton Depots for the first time in TN.
Rosatom, a Russian state-run Nuclear Energy Corporation & Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), a
Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) have started the construction

work on Units 5 & 6 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu. Kudankulam is India’s largest
nuclear power station.
About Tamil Nadu:
Governor– Ravindra Narayana Ravi
Wildlife sanctuaries– Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, and Kalakad Wildlife
Sanctuary
Zoological parks- Children’s Park, Kurumbapatti Zoological Park, and Chennai Snake Park
Telangana signs deal with Wingsure to provide AI based crop insurance

The Telangana(TS) Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wingsure, an insurtech
venture spin-out of SRI International.
• As a part of the MoU, Wingsure will provide deep-tech-based personalised crop insurance products and
advisory services to small, underserved farmers in the State.
• It will ensure hyper-local data correlation with deep technology to deliver numerous services for the
individual smallholders.
Note: This alliance is among the first in the global farming ecosystem and will help Telangana to promote social
inclusion and digital transformation in Indian agriculture.
Economic Empowerment
i.It will support the government’s objectives to promote economic empowerment and offer opportunities for
collaboration, innovation of value chains, growth, and job creation.
About Telangana
Chief Minister: Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao
Wildlife Sanctuaries: Pranahita Wildlife Sanctuary in Adilabad, Pocharam Sanctuary in Hyderabad and Manjira
Wildlife Sanctuary in Sangareddy
Zoological Parks: Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad. It houses around 1,500 species of birds, animals, and
reptiles. Vana Vigyan Kendra Mini Zoo (Kakatiya Zoological Park) located in Warangal. The Central Zoo Authority
of India ordered the zoo to be converted into a national zoological park in 2010.
ICRISAT signs deal with WFP to improve food security in India

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-
Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to improve food, nutrition security and
livelihoods in India against the impacts of climate change.
• The deal was signed between WFP India representative and Country Director Bishow Parajuli and ICRISAT
Director General Dr Jacqueline Hughes on September 24.
Objective
i.To bolster food security, nutrition and livelihoods that are resilient to climate change.
ii.To focus on climate-resilient food security, nutrition and livelihoods, especially for smallholder farmers and
ecologically vulnerable communities.
iii.To generate ideas and frameworks for policy positions relevant not just for India but regional and global food
problems.
About ICRISAT
It stands for International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.
Headquarters: Patancheruvu, Hyderabad, Telangana
Director: Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes
Parent organisation:Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
About World Food Programme (WFP)
Headquarters: Rome, Italy
Head: David Beasley
Parent organisation: United Nations

India signs Pact for construction of Social Housing Units in Maldives
On September 23, 2021, EXIM (Export Import) Bank of India completed its agreement with Fahi Dhiriulhun
Corporation Limited (FDC) of Maldives to provide a Buyers Credit of ∼$228 million for the construction of 4000
Social Housing Units in Hulhumale’ Phase II.
• The construction will be undertaken by India’s National Buildings Construction Company (NBCC) and JMC
Projects (India).
• A total of 2800 units of 3 bedrooms and 3 toilets, and, 1200 units of 2 bedrooms and 2 toilets will be
constructed under this.
Signing Ceremony:
The virtual signing ceremony was attended by Maldives’ Minister of Economic Development Fayyaz Ismail,
Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer and India’s High Commissioner to Maldives Sunjay Sudhir, along with
representatives from EXIM Bank, FDC, NBCC and JMC.
Other Projects in Maldives with Indian Assistance:
i.India had extended over $ 2 billion in concessional loans to undertake infrastructure development projects
which include the following:
• Bridge project- Maldives largest infrastructure project connecting 4 islands in Greater Male; expansion of
airports; port infrastructure; Roads and reclamation; and sports infrastructure along with Social sector
projects.
ii.NBCC is involved in executing the largest Indian grant project in the Maldives – National College for Policing and
Law Enforcement Studies (NCPLES) in Addu City.
Union Cabinet approves the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India and Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure,
Government of Maldives on cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development.
About Maldives:
Capital – Male
Currency – Maldivian rufiyaa
President – Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
India, UAE aims to sign CEPA by March 2022

India and UAE have formally launched negotiations on the India-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
• UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and Indian Commerce Minister Piyush
Goyal decided to hold the first round of CEPA negotiations on September 23-24.
• Both sides aim to conclude negotiations by December 2021 and sign a formal agreement in March 2022.
Aim
i.The new agreement is expected to increase bilateral trade in goods to $100 billion within five years of the signed
agreement and increase trade in services to $15 billion.
ii.It will create new jobs, raise living standards, and provide wider social and economic opportunities in both
nations.
Additional information
i.The UAE is currently India’s third-largest trading partner with bilateral trade valued at $59 billion in 2019-20
second-largest export destination after the US, with exports valued at $29 billion.
ii.India was the UAE’s second-largest trading partner in 2019, with bilateral non-oil trade valued at $41 billion.
iii.The UAE is also the eighth-largest investor in India, having invested $11 billion between April 2000 and March
2021, while investment by Indian companies in the UAE is estimated at over $85 billion.
iv.UAE is a major supplier of crude oil to India will shipments valued at $10.9 billion in 2019-2020.

About United Arab Emirates (UAE)
President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham
MeitY Startup Hub inks pacts with AISPL to promote startups

Amazon Internet Services Pvt Ltd (AISPL) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MeitY
Startup Hub, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), to promote technology innovation and
the sustainable growth of start-ups in India. AISPL undertakes the resale and marketing of Amazon Web Services
(AWS) Cloud services in India.
Aim of the collaboration
• MeitY Startup Hub and AWS will work together to identify start-ups with deep technology capabilities and
empower them to find solutions to address the biggest problems in India.
• Through the AWS Startup Ramp programme, the start-ups will gain access to AWS Credits, a community of
experts, technical training and support covering cloud architecture, cost optimisation, security, and
scalability readiness.
• The MeitY Startup Hub will organise government-backed innovation challenges to help start-ups focused on
the public sector scale their solutions.
• Initially, the collaboration will focus on start-ups addressing healthcare, agriculture, public safety,
transportation, smart cities and citizen engagement.
• It will provide mentoring, technical expertise, cloud credits, skill enhancement programming, and other
resources provided to start-ups.
About MeitY Startup Hub
It is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY)
CEO: Jeet Vijay
About Amazon Web Services (AWS)
i.CEO: Adam Selipsky
ii.Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States
ZSI Signed MoU with Natural History Museum of UK

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Natural History Museum (NHM), London, United Kingdom (UK), signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formulate strategies for long term scientific documentation and
conservation of faunal diversity through international exchange.
• The MoU was signed for 5 years by Dhriti Banerjee, the 1st lady Director of ZSI and Douglas Gurr, Director,
NHM, London.
Species Diversity in India:
i.India holds 2.4 percent of the world’s land with 8.1 percent of species diversity, which makes India one of
twelve mega diversity countries of the world.
ii.On average 350-400 species new to science from India are being discovered by ZSI scientists and others
working on natural history and conservation.
iii.India is one of the megadiversity countries in the world with around 45,000 species of plants and more than
100,000 of the animals.
Key Points:
i.Under the MoU both ZSI and NHM, London are committed to implement the 1973 Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),
and relevant national and regional laws and regulations.
ii.Taxonomists, conservation biologists, policy makers and other stakeholders of both the countries will work
together to collect, study and conserve faunal specimens. They will also exchange associated scientific data and
images between them.

iii.They also plan to conduct joint fieldwork expeditions, transfer of duplicate animal material and associated data
capacity-building in the areas of Systematic Zoology and Conservation to ensure greater long-term conservation
of animal genetic resources in India.
Participants: David Gower, Head of Vertebrates Division Department of Life Sciences, NHM, London and John
Jackson, Head of Science, Policy and Communication and Rosalind Glass, Executive Assistant to the Director and
Board of Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.
A team of researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Mount Carmel College(MCC) – Bengaluru, and
National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar discovered Euphlyctis Kerala, a new
species of genus Euphlyctis (skittering frog) from the surroundings of the Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary,
Kothamangalam, Kerala.
About Zoological Survey of India (ZSI):
i.It is the premier institution on animal taxonomy in India under the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate
Change of Government of India.
ii.It is the largest repository of Fauna in the entire south and Southeast Asia region and it has 16 Regional Centres
and has around 5 million animal collection holdings, 20,000 type collections.
Establishment – July 1, 1916
Headquarters – Kolkata
Director – Dhriti Banerjee
India, Bhutan sign a pact for Joint Development of Small Satellites

Scientific Secretary of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), R Umamaheswaran and Jigme Tenzing,
Director of the Department of Information Technology and Telecom (DITT), Royal Government of Bhutan,
virtually signed an Implementing Arrangement (IA) to co-operate in the development of a joint small satellite.
• Participants: Ambassador of India to Bhutan Ruchira Kamboj, Ambassador of Bhutan to India Major
General Vetsop Namgyel have participated in the event.
Highlights:
i.The current agreement was in the line of MoU signed between Bhutan and India on Collaboration in Peaceful
Uses of Outer Space under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC) in 2020. The
DITT and ISRO will develop joint satellites.
ii.It will enhance the innovation, development and technology transfer between the countries.
iii.It is the new area of bilateral partnership in the space sector between India and Bhutan.
Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS):
It was set up under the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1959 to govern the exploration and use of
space for the benefit of humanity. It has two subsidiary bodies such as Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and
Legal Subcommittee.
About ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization):
Founded- 15 August 1969
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Chairman – Kailasavadivoo Sivan
About Bhutan:
Capital – Thimphu
Prime Minister – Lotay Tshering
Currency – Bhutanese ngultrum
HAL, Alliance Air inked pact to deploy Civil Do-228 Plane in Arunachal Pradesh
On September 26, 2021, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) inked a leased agreement with Alliance Air
Aviation Limited for the deployment of two HAL’s Civil Dornier-228 (Do-228) aircraft in Arunachal Pradesh (AR).
This deal envisages enhancing Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) in the region as it will connect remote parts of
AR.

Signatories:
It was signed by Apurba Roy, General Manager, Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), HAL
and Arun Kumar Bansal, Head of Engineering, Alliance Air Aviation Limited in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The event was also attended virtually by AR Chief Minister (CM) Pema Khandu along with other officials.
About HAL Do- 228:
It is indigenous 19-seater multirole utility aircraft featuring short take-off and landing, and ability to land and
take-off from semi-prepared runways.
• It will be used for VIP (Very important person) transport, passenger transport, air ambulance, flight
inspection roles, cloud seeding, and recreational activities like para jumping, aerial surveillance,
photography and cargo applications.
Points to be noted:
i.HAL’s Transport Aircraft Division, Kanpur looks after manufacturing of Hindustan-228 aircraft.
ii.Alliance Air is an Indian regional airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India.
In June, 2021, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar inducted the first 3 of 16 Indigenous Advanced Light Helicopters
(ALHs) MK III into Indian Coast Guard (ICG) to assist in coastal surveillance, rescue operations, and further
enhance coastal security.
About Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL):
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)– R Madhavan
India, Oman inked pact to boost Maritime Security Cooperation

On September 27, 2021, an agreement was signed between the Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman for the
exchange of white shipping information and to boost maritime safety and security cooperation.
Signatories:
It was signed by Chief of Navy Staff (CNS) Admiral Karambir Singh and his counterpart from Oman Admiral Saif
bin Nasser bin Mohsen Al-Rahbi at Maritime Security Center (MSC), Muscat during the ongoing visit of the CNS to
Oman.
What is in the Agreement?
There will be facilitation of information exchange between the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre (IFC)
and Oman’s MSC for merchant shipping traffic.
Point to be noted:
The biennial Naseem Al Bahr is a maritime exercise between India and Oman which has been conducted since
1993. It was last conducted in 2020 off Goa and the next edition is scheduled in 2022.
4th Indo-US Health Dialogue : India, USA sign two MoUs to improve medical facilities
India, US signs two MoUs during the two-day 4th Indo-US Health Dialogue 2021 hosted by India. Union Minister
for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the closing session of Indo-US Health Dialogue.
Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs)
• India’s Health & Family Welfare Ministry and USA’s
Department of Health and Human Services signed a
MoU for cooperation in the field of Health and
Biomedical sciences.
• Another MoU was signed between Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR) & National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for
cooperation with the International Centre for
Excellence in Research (ICER).

4th Indo-US Health Dialogue 2021
• The two-day Dialogue leveraged as a platform to deliberate upon multiple ongoing collaborations in the
health sector between the two countries.
• The issues related to areas of concern pertaining to strengthening of epidemiological research and
surveillance, vaccine development, One Health, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, health systems and
health policies etc. were discussed.
Objective of the MoUs
i.To benefit the on-going collaborations in the health sector.
ii.To actively engage with other lndo-Pacific countries on Covid response, vaccine development, sharing of best
practice, supply chain management and revival of economies.
iii.To build a strong sustainable healthcare system with skilled healthcare professionals.
iv.To managing health emergencies, supporting digital health and innovation, mental health interventions,
research coupled with production related to diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines considering India offering its
low-cost research network and huge production capacities.
India and medicine
i.India supplies nearly all the world’s high-quality generic medicines and is the largest manufacturer of anti-TB
drugs.
ii.Leveraging on this capability, India can supply affordable high-quality medication for patients the world over.
About ICMR
It stands for Indian Council of Medical Research
Headquarters: New Delhi, India
Director General: Balram Bhargava
About NIAID
It stands for National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Headquarters: Maryland, United States
Director: Anthony S. Fauci
India, US sign Mutual Recognition Agreement for Faster Export Clearance

The chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIC), M Ajit Kumar and Acting Commissioner of United
States (US) Customs & Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, Troy Miller signed a Mutual
Recognition Arrangement (MRA) to recognise each other as Authorised Economic Operators(AEO).
Benefits of MRA agreement
i.This agreement would enhance the export of both the countries and provide faster clearances through customs
procedures.
ii.It will also boost the supply chain security and trade facilitation.
About CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes)
i.It works under the Department of Revenue, Finance Ministry, Government of India. CBIC is a statutory body
established under the Central Boards of Revenue Act, 1963.
ii.It engages in policy formulation of matters concerned with the levy and collection of central excise duties,
customs, central goods and services tax and IGST, administration of these taxes, prevention of smuggling and also
narcotics to the extent prescribed.
iii.The CBIC was previously known as the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).
About US (United States)
President-Joe Biden
Currency- United States dollars
Capital- Washington DC

TCS signs IT Transformation deal with German bank NORD/LB and Partnership Agreement with
Newgen to Facilitate BSB Project in Israel
The Indian Information Technology (IT) company Tata Consultancy Services(TCS) has been selected by
NORD/LB (Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale) as the strategic partner for its IT transformation.
NORD/LB is a German Landesbank and one of the largest commercial banks in Germany.
At present, TCS partners with over 100 leading German corporations which also include 20 of the DAX40
( Deutscher Aktien Index—is a stock index of Germany).
Key points
i.It is a 5 year partnership, TCS will work with the bank and facilitate simplification and transformation of its
application estate business in financial, wholesale and retail banking.
ii.TCS will also provide its IT and consultancy services to the bank. It will enhance the deep penetration in the
financial market, global delivery capabilities, customer focus and strong transformation capabilities of the bank.
Newgen partners with TCS to Facilitate Banking Service Bureau Project in Israel
Newgen Software is collaborating with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for their Flagship Banking Service
Bureau (BSB) Project in Israel. They deploy an enterprise-wide content repository and a multi-channel,
multilingual communication suite for the BSB in Israel.
Key points
i.BSB will get the service of TCS core banking solution (TCS BaNCSTM) and Newgen will provide its digital
transformation products, including Contextual Content Services (CCS) and omnichannel customer engagement.
ii.Newgen and TCS are enabling Israel’s central bank to transform the country’s banking sector by building
a cloud-hosted centralized platform to provide end-to-end banking solutions.
iii.This partnership will help the Israels central bank to build a robust content repository for secure document
access as well as a comprehensive customer communication platform.
About NORD/LB (Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale)
Headquarters: Hanover, Germany
Chair of Managing Board: Thomas Bürkle
Founded: 1 July 1970
About Newgen Software
Managing Director and Chairman-Diwakar Nigam
Founded– 1992
About TCS (Tata Consultancy Services)
Chief Executive Officer– Rajesh Gopinathan
Founded– 1 April 1968
Karnataka to sign three MoUs with Infosys for welfare of students

Karnataka’s Department of Higher Education and the Information Technology (IT) major will collaborate and sign
three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Infosys for prioritising skill development among students as
per National Education Policy (NEP-2020).
• The decision was made during a meeting convened with Infosys officials chaired by Minister for Higher
Education Dr CN Ashwatha Narayana at Vikasa Soudha in Bengaluru, on September 28.
• The ‘NEP community’ will be established to facilitate the exchange of best practices among institutions
Objective of the collaboration
i.To utilise ‘Infosys Springboard’, comprising over 3,000 skill development courses for college students.
ii.To avail ‘Campus Connect’ for digital learning of college faculty and professional guidance for students.
iii.To give 15,000 de-bonded computers from Infosys to colleges.
iv.To create healthy competition among students by including the introduction of gesture computing and
biometrics for smart classrooms, utilising virtual reality and augmented reality for training, etc.
v.To mentor institutions to implement NEP framework and achieve talent acceleration with collaboration
between Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) and Infosys.

About ‘Infosys Springboard
i.It is an integrated digital literacy platform.
ii.It comprises effective digital learning solutions, technology-based life skill courses, gamification, live classes,
industry certification, maker’s lab, career guidance.
About Infosys
CEO: Salil Parekh
Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka
About Karnataka
Chief Minister: Basavaraj Bommai
Wildlife sanctuaries: Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, it was established 1994 and it is the first Sloth Bear Sanctuary
in India and Asia.
Gudekote Sloth Bear Sanctuary, it was established in 2013 and it is the second Sloth Bear Sanctuary in India and
Asia.
Jogimatti WildLife Sanctuary located in Chitradurga and it was established in 2015.
COMMITTEES & MEETINGS

MoD constitutes 15-member High Level Expert Committee for review of NCC
On September 16, 2021, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) constituted a High Level Expert Committee, under the
chairmanship of former Member of Parliament (MP) Baijayant Panda, for a comprehensive review of National
Cadet Corps (NCC). The committee will be responsible for suggesting measures to empower NCC cadets to
contribute more effectively towards national development.
• The committee will also recommend best practices of similar international youth organizations for inclusion
in the NCC curriculum.
Composition of Committee: 15 members
It has 13 members and 1 member secretary, along with Chairperson. Therefore, in total it’s a 15 member
committee.
Baijayant Panda, former Member of Parliament Chairperson
Col. (Retd) Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Member of Parliament Member
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Member of Parliament Member
Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group Member
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Cricketer Member
Sanjeev Sanyal, Principal Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance Member
Prof. Najma Akhtar, Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia Member
Prof. Vasudha Kamat, Former VC, SNDT Women’s University Member
Mukul Kanitkar, National Organizing Secretary, Bhartiya Shikshan Mandal Member
Maj. Gen. Alok Raj (Retd) Member
Milind Kamble, Chairman, DICCI Member
Rituraj Sinha, MD, SIS India Limited Member
Ms. Vedika Bhandarkar, Chief Operating Officer, Water.org Member
Anand Shah, CEO, Databook Member
Mayank Tewari, JS (Trg), DoD Member Secretary
About NCC:
The NCC is the largest uniformed organisation which aims at developing character, discipline, a secular outlook
and ideals of selfless service amongst young citizens.

Rajnath Singh Constituency – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Minister of State– Ajay Bhatt (Constituency – Nainital–Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
Govt constitutes a Committee to frame New Law for Drugs, Cosmetics and Medical devices
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has constituted an 8 member panel to frame new laws for
drugs, cosmetics and medical devices. It is chaired by V. G Somani, Drugs Controller General of India(DCGI).
Objective: The committee will frame new laws for medicines, cosmetics and medical devices in a bid to replace
the existing Drugs and Cosmetics Act which was formed in 1940.
Order Titled- ‘Constitution of Committee for Framing of New Drugs, Cosmetics and Medical Devices Act’.
The members-
Rajiv Wadhawan (director, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare), Dr. S.E. Reddy (member) A.K. Pradhan (joint
drug controller), drugs controllers of Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and IAS officer NL Meena. The committee is
allowed to co-opt members if it requires.
Highlights
• The import, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs , cosmetics and medical devices is being regulated
under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. It was amended in 2008.
• The committee will re-examine the current act and submit a draft document for a de-novo Drugs, Cosmetics
and Medical Devices Bill by November 30, 2021.
• It will involve other stakeholders such as manufacturers, scientists, doctors and patient groups would have
been beneficial.
The medical devices were brought within the regulatory ambit by the Health Ministry last year by treating them
as a category of drugs to regulate them. As of today, 37 medical device categories have been notified.
Background: At present, there are no legal provisions to compensate people who have faced medical problems
because of faulty devices or implants. Niti Aayog’s draft proposed a penalty of up to Rs 1 crore on the
manufacturers or importers. But it never saw the light of day.
Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) heads the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
i.CDSCO is the central drug authority in India. It is a national level regulatory body under the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare.
ii.The body is responsible for approving licenses for certain categories of drugs.
Headquartered-New Delhi, Delhi
MIB constitutes Committee to Review Guidelines of Journalist Welfare Scheme; Headed by Ashok
Kumar Tandon
On September 2, 2021, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) constituted a 11-member committee
to review the existing guidelines of the Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS). The Member of Prasar Bharati
Board, Ashok Kumar Tandon, is named as its chairperson.
• The committee will submit its recommendation within 2 months.
Reason behind this formation:
There are two key reasons which are as follows:
i.Revision of quantum of ex-gratia payment: The media domain has lost a large number of journalists due to
COVID-19, therefore it is required to revise the quantum of ex-gratia payment in case of death as well as in other
cases under the scheme.
• Presently, JWS provides one time ex gratia on urgent basis to journalists and their families.
• MIB also provided ex-gratia payment 5 lakh each to the families of journalists who unfortunately died due
to COVID-19 and such assistance has been given in over 100 cases.
ii.Broadening of Working Journalists definition: It will revise and broad-basing the definition of working
journalist for the purpose of the Scheme keeping in view the Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Condition

Code-2010 as well as Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code ) Rules,
2021.
• The committee will also look into the aspect of differentiation between accredited and non-accredited
journalists for availing benefits under the scheme.
Members of Committee:
i. Sachidanand Murthy, Resident Editor, The Week
ii. Shekhar Aiyar, Freelance Journalist
iii. Amitabh Sinha, News 18
iv. Sishir Kumar Sinha, Business Line
v. Ravinder Kumar, Special Correspondent, Zee News
vi. Hitesh Shankar, Editor, Panchjanya
vii. Ms. Smriti Kak Ramachandran, Hindustan Times
viii. Amit Kumar, Times Now
ix. Ms Vasudha Venugopal, Economic Times
x. Kanchan Prasad, Addl. DG, Press Information Bureau (PIB)
In July 2021, Former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the virtual
‘India Pavilion’ during the 74th Cannes Film Festival, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
jointly with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
About Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB)
Union Minister– Anurag Singh Thakur (Constituency- Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh)
MoS– Loganathan Murugan (Constituency- Tamil Nadu)
MoE forms National Steering Committee to develop National Curriculum Frameworks; Headed by
K Kasturirangan
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has formulated a 12-member National Steering Committee (SC) for the
development of National Curriculum Frameworks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• It will be chaired by Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, an Scientist who headed the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) from 1994 to 2003.
• The tenure of the SC will be of 3 years w.e.f .September 21, 2021.
• The SC will be assisted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
Director Sridhar Srivastava (Current).
Members of SC:
Mahesh Chandra Pant, Govind Prasad Sharma, Najma Akhtar, TV Kattimani, Michel Danino, Milind Kamble, Jagbir
Singh, Manjul Bhargava, MK Sridhar, Dhir Jhingran, Shankar Maruwada
What is the National Curriculum Frameworks?
It serves as a guideline for syllabus, textbooks, teaching and learning practices in India. Currently our education
system is following the 4th national curriculum framework that was published by the NCERT in 2005.
Responsibilities of Committee:
i.It will be responsible for the development of four National Curriculum Frameworks with regard to NEP 2020
viz.:
• National Curriculum Framework for School Education
• National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
• National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education
• National Curriculum Framework for Adult Education
ii.The committee will also consider the State Curriculum Frameworks and will also hold discussions with subject
experts, scholars, educationists, etc. for the development of above mentioned Frameworks.
iii.The implications of COVID-19 will also be examined while formulating in order to safeguard future from the
this kind of Pandemic.

Point to be noted:
Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan is a recipient of the Padma Shri (1982), Padma Bhushan (1992) and Padma
Vibhushan (2000). He was also Chairman of the Drafting Committee of NEP, 2020.
On July 16, 2021, Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Tribal Affairs Minister, Arjun Munda, jointly
launched a training program for school teachers named ‘School Innovation Ambassador Training Program’
(SIATP).
Ministry of Education (MoE):
Union Minister– Dharmendra Pradhan (Constituency- Madhya Pradesh)
Ministers of State (MoS)– Annpurna Devi (Constituency- Kodarma, Jharkhand); Dr Subhas Sarkar (Constituency-
Bankura, West Bengal); and Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (Constituency- Inner Manipur, Manipur)
Krishan Pal Gurjar Chaired the 6th BRICS Energy Ministers Meeting 2021 held virtually
On September 2, 2021, Minister of State (MoS) Krishan Pal Gurjar, Ministry of Power virtually chaired the 6th
meeting of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Energy Ministers 2021 under the Chairship of
India.
• It was attended by the Energy ministers of BRICS and other delegates.
Adoption of Joint Communique:
The meeting saw an adoption of a joint communiqué consisting of the BRICS mutual Cooperation in Energy Access
and Affordability; Cooperation in Energy Security and Clean Technology; Cooperation in Energy Efficiency;
Cooperation for Energy Transitions; Cooperation in Renewable Energy.
• Under the BRICS Energy Cooperation Framework, the implementation of its Road Map up to 2025 will
continue to be monitored by the Committee of Senior Energy Officials.
Click here to read full Communique
Concluding event of Energy Dialogue:
It should be noted that this meeting was the concluding event as part of the energy dialogue between member
countries since April 2021. Under this dialogue, various events like hydrogen webinar, building energy efficiency
and battery storage were conducted with the participation of a large number of experts from BRICS nations.
Key Points:
i.Emphasis were laid upon the need of promoting energy efficiency and renewables to climate change effects.
ii.The efforts of energy professionals from BRICS nations were appreciated ensuring regular power supply
despite COVID-19 adverse impacts.
iii.India reiterated its focus on the ‘one sun, one world, one grid’ initiative proposed by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
• Under Power ‘Power for All’ by 2022, India achieved universal access. A total of 28 million consumers added
in 18 months, a fastest expansion of access anywhere in the world.
Launch of BRICS Energy Reports & Directory 2021:
The MoS also virtually launched the BRICS Energy Report 2021, BRICS Energy Technology Report 2021, and
BRICS Energy Research Directory 2021.
Points to be noted:
i.For 2022, the Presidency of BRICS will be taken over by China.
ii.The 25th World Energy Congress (WEC) will be held in Saint-Petersburg, Russia in October 2022.
On 2nd July 2021, India virtually hosted the 6th BRICS Culture Ministers meeting 2021 under the chairship of
Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism. The meeting saw the participation of the
Minister of Culture from the BRICS member countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). The meeting
was conducted under the theme – “Bonding and Harmonizing Cultural Synergy”

About BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa):
2021 Chair– India
Theme for India’s Chairship– ‘BRICS @ 15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and
Consensus’
India virtually hosted 8th meeting of Agriculture Experts of BIMSTEC countries 2021
On August 31, 2021, India virtually hosted the 8th Meeting of Agriculture Experts of Bay of Bengal Initiative for
Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Countries 2021 Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
• The meeting was chaired by Dr Trilochan
Mohapatra, Director General (DG) of Indian Council
of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary
(Department of Agricultural Research-DARE).
• It was co-chaired by Thanda Kyi, Deputy Director
General, Department of Planning, Ministry of
Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Myanmar.
Key Points:
i.The discussions were held on the transformations that
are happening in the agriculture and food systems
globally.
• The cooperation in the areas of high impact transboundary diseases of livestock and poultry; aquatic animal
diseases and biosecurity in aquaculture and digitalization to promote precision farming was also discussed
in the meeting.
ii.Agricultural Experts from member countries favoured the strengthening of cooperation in the in agriculture
and allied sectors for food and nutritional security.
iii.It should be noted that India offers six slots of scholarships each for Master and PhD programmes in
agriculture and its other initiatives for capacity development and training.
iv.The UN (United Nations) Food System Summit 2021 was also highlighted during the meeting which will be held
virtually during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States (US) on September 23, 2021.
Other Participants:
The senior officials of DARE and ICAR Headquarters, and representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
along with experts of Agricultural Ministries from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and
Thailand participated in the meeting.
About BIMSTEC:
BIMSTEC is a link between South and South-East Asia on 14 priority areas with 5 countries from South Asia viz.
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and 2 countries from South-East Asia viz. Myanmar and Thailand.
Hardeep Singh Puri Chairs 40th Meeting of National Capital Region Planning Board and Launch of
Pariman Geo-Portal
Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural Gas chaired the 40th
meeting of the National Capital Region Planning Board(NCRPB) virtually.
Highlights
• Hardeep Singh Puri launched the Combined
Reciprocal Common Transport
Agreement (CRCTA) for the carriage facilities
among the governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi
and Uttar Pradesh. It will boost the seamless
movement of passenger vehicles in the NCR.
• Combined Reciprocal Common Transport
Agreement (CRCTA) launched by Hardeep Singh Puri

who also a chairman of National Capital Region Planning Board(NCRPB).
• Facility of Single point of taxation for all motor cabs, taxis, autos, buses, etc. This move will help in
decongesting the traffic.
• The Draft Regional Plan-2041 (DRP- 2041) was discussed, which aims to enhance the inter state
connectivity, trade and services and transportation.
Online geo portal- “Pariman” based on remote sensing and GIS technology developed by NIC for NCR( National
Capital Region) Planning Board was launched.
Objective- To cover information of sectors like land use, transport, industries, water, power, health etc presented
as Line, Point and Polygon features. Help in sub- regional planning.
Participants :- Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana, Siddharth Nath Singh, Minister of Khadi & Gram
Udyog, Kapda, MSME and NRI Deptt., Uttar Pradesh; Shri Shanti Kumar Dhariwal, Minister of Urban Development,
Rajasthan; Shri Satyender Jain, Minister of Urban Development, Govt. of NCT Delhi. Besides, Secretary (HUA),
Govt. of India, the Chief Secretary, Govt. of Haryana; Member Secretary, NCRPB and other senior officers of the
Central Govt., and NCR.
About NCR (National Capital Region)
NCR is the metropolitan region that covers the entire Delhi territories and many adjacent districts from the
surrounding states of UP, Rajasthan & Haryana.
Under- National Capital Region Planning Board Act, 1985
PM Chaired the 37th PRAGATI Meeting 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 37th edition of PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely
Implementation) meeting and reviewed 8 projects and 1 scheme (One Nation – One Ration Card).
• PRAGATI is an ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) based communications multi-modal
platform involving both the Centre and state governments.
• It enables the PM to discuss the issues with the concerned central and state officials with full information
and the latest visuals of the ground-level situation.
• The cost of 8 projects amounting to Rs 1,26,000 crore pertaining to 14 states.
Parshottam Rupala Chaired National Level Meeting with all State Animal Husbandry/Veterinary
Ministers;Launched NLM Portal
Under the chairmanship of the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam
Rupala, a National Level Meeting with all State Animal Husbandry/Veterinary Ministers was conducted.
Government of India granted Special Livestock Sector Package with an outlay of Rs. 9800 crore for next 5 years
leveraging total investment of Rs. 54,618 crore.
During the launch,Union Minister Parshottam Rupala launched the portal for the National Livestock Mission
(NLM).It is developed by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in collaboration with the
Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Participants
Apart from the state Animals Husbandry’s ministers, meeting was attended by Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan,
Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State,
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and other dignitaries.
Highlights
• According to the Cabinet decision, the National Livestock Mission(NLM) and Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM)
plans will have new components of breeder farm entrepreneurs and fodder entrepreneurs.
• 50% capital subsidy will be provided to the farm producer for increasing the production and supply of high
genetic merit heifers under RGM.
• The NLM will help in creating employment in rural areas and also building better lifestyle opportunities for
youth and livestock farmers. By providing 50% subsidy via hub spoke model, it will enhance the work
towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.

• The online portal will enable a customized workflow between State Implementing Agency (SIA), Lenders and
Ministry as required under the Scheme.
About the Livestock
i.Data from the different survey suggested the livestock sector is growing and developing at a Compound annual
growth rate(CAGR) of 8.15% from 2014-15 to 2019-20. India’s CAGR is higher than many developing economies.
ii.National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) will boost the supply of milk procurement, processing,
marketing etc. The Livestock Disease and Control programmes will reduce the risk of animal mortality by giving
prophylactic vaccination against diseases in animals.
iii.A report released titled- ” Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2020″. It gives estimated data of major
livestock products such as eggs, milk, meat and wool.
About Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries-
Minister- Parshottam Rupala (Rajya Sabha,Gujarat)
Minister of State- Sanjeev Kumar Balyan ( Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh), L Murugan(Tamil Nadu)
India, US agree to collaborate on Emerging Fuels during US-India SCEP 2021

The Ministerial meeting of the United States (US)-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) 2021 held
virtually was co-chaired by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri , Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with the
US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to launch the revamped U.S.-India SCEP.
• During this, both nations have agreed to expand their energy partnership by adding the emerging fuels to the
list of areas of cooperation as a 5th pillar.
• The other four pillars of cooperation in this list are power and energy efficiency, oil and gas, renewable
energy and sustainable growth.
Key Points:
i.A India-US Task Force on Biofuels will be set up to look after cooperation in the biofuels sector.
ii.The Gas Task Force will be rechristened to India-US Low Emissions Gas Task Force, which will continue to
forge collaboration between the US and Indian companies to support India’s vision of a gas-based economy.
iii.There will be strengthening of the electric grid in India including through smart grids, energy storage, flexible
resources, and distributed energy resources as part of the second phase of the Partnership to Advance Clean
Energy (PACE)-R initiative anchored on the Indian side by the Department of Science & Technology.
iv.Both sides have initiated institutionalisation of India Energy Modeling Forum with the constitution of Six Task
Forces for carrying out research and modelling in different areas.
v.Joint Committees have been set up to deliberate on Energy Data Management, Low Carbon Technologies and
Just Transition in the Coal Sector.
Points to be noted:
i.India’s renewable energy target is 450 GW by 2030.
ii.It should be noted that the SCEP was launched on the lines of the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda
2030 Partnership announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden at the Leaders’ Summit
on Climate held in April 2021.
As per the 70th edition of BP’s report named ‘Statistical Review of World Energy 2021’, the United States (US)
became the 4th largest supplier of crude oil and natural gas to India in 2020.
About United States of America (USA):
Joe Biden is the 46th President of USA
US Secretary of State – Antony Blinken
No of States in USA – 50
WEF to host 5 day annual meet in Davos in Jan 2022

The World Economic Forum (WEF) announced that its next annual meeting with the theme ‘Working Together,
Restoring Trust’ will be held at Davos-Klosters in Switzerland from January 17-21, 2022.

• It the first major in-person congregation of the world leaders in almost two years since the deadliest
pandemic hit the world.
• The yearly gathering in 2021 was skipped due to safety and health concerns
Objective:
i.To accelerate stakeholder capitalism, harness the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and ensure a
more inclusive future of work.
ii.To emphasis on rebuilding trust and shaping a more sustainable future
iii.To bring together forward-thinking leaders to drive multi stakeholder collaboration
iv.To address the world’s most pressing economic, political and societal challenges
v.To tackle climate change, build a better future for work
Note:
Ahead of the Annual Meeting 2022, the Forum will host the fifth Sustainable Development Impact Summit with
the theme ‘Shaping an Equitable, Inclusive and Sustainable Recovery’, virtually from September 20-23, 2021.
About World Economic Forum (WEF)
Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland
CEO: Jeremy Jurgens
Founder: Klaus Schwab
Founded: January 1971
Motto: Committed to improving the state of the world
Piyush Goyal Addresses the G-33 Virtual Informal Ministerial Meeting; Hosted By Indonesia
Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles Piyush
Goyal addressed the G-33 Virtual Informal Ministerial Meeting .The informal Ministerial Meeting was
organized by Indonesia & chaired by Muhammad Lutfi, Minister of Trade, Republic of Indonesia.
Objective – To discuss the ‘Agricultural Priority Issues of G-33’ and the Way Forward for the 12th Ministerial
Conference (MC-12) scheduled to be held from 30th November to 3rd December 2021.
Focus areas
i.Find a permanent solution to Public Stockholding (PSH) for food security purposes.
ii.Finalization of Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) with World Trade Organization (WTO).
iii.Reforms in the Agriculture sector at global level. As WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture ( AoA) mainly benefits
developed economies, there is a need to ensure a rule based, fair and equitable order.
Highlights
• The G-33 Joint Ministerial Statement adopted in the meeting to resolve trade related issues with WTO.
• The meeting conferred the Special and Differential Treatment by WTO as an integral part in trade
negotiation globally.
About Agreement on Agriculture (AoA)
The Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) is a WTO treaty that was negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and formally ratified in 1994 at Marrakesh, Morocco.
About G-33
The grouping is called Friends of Special Products in agriculture. It is a coalition of developing countries. It was
established in the Cancun ministerial conference, Doha Round of WTO. The G33 has proposed special rules
for developing countries at WTO negotiations, like allowing them to continue to restrict access to their
agricultural markets.
Member Countries – 47
Recommendations of 45th GST Council Meeting held at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

On September 17, 2021, the 45th meeting of GST (Goods & Service Tax) Council was held at Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh, under the chairmanship of the Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance.
• The Council has made the various recommendations related to extension of existing concessional GST rates
on certain COVID-19 treatment drugs, reduction of GST rates on various other medicines, revision and

clarification of GST rates of various Goods and Services, several measures relating to GST Law & Procedures,
etc.
Following is the compiled a list of Key Recommendations:
I.Recommendations relating to GST rates on
Medicines
i.The existing concessional GST rates (till 30th
September, 2021) on Covid-19 treatment drugs extended
to December, 31 2021.
• The drugs covered under this are Amphotericin B
(nil), Remdesivir (5%), Tocilizumab (nil), and Anti-
coagulants like Heparin (5%).
ii.There will be a reduction of the GST rate to 5% for 7
Covid-19 treatment drugs up to December, 31 2021.
• The drugs taken under this consideration are Itolizumab, Posaconazole, Infliximab, Favipiravir, Casirivimab
& Imdevimab, 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose, and Bamlanivimab & Etesevimab.
iii.There will also be a reduction in the GST for the medicine Keytruda, used for the treatment of cancer, to 5%
from 12%.
iv.The concessional tax for medical equipment will end on September 30, 2021.
v.The existing 12% IGST on import of medicines Zolgensma for spinal muscular atrophy; Viltepso for Duchenne
muscular dystrophy; and other medicines used in treatment of muscular atrophy is waived. These drugs cost up
to Rs 16 crore.
II.Recommended rate changes in relation to Goods w.e.f. October 1, 2021:
The increase in GST rate will help mines and industries to adjust their accumulated Input Tax Credit (ITC) due to
inverted duty structure, which was otherwise not eligible for refund.
GST Rate on following goods to be increased:
i.Increase of 5% to 18% on ores and concentrates of metals such as iron, copper, aluminum, zinc and few others;
waste and scrap of polyurethanes and other plastics.
ii.Increase of 12/18% to 18% on Cartons, boxes, bags, packing containers of paper, and kinds of pens from
12/18% to 18%.
iii.Increase of 12% to 18% on Railway parts, locomotives & other goods in Chapter 86; and miscellaneous goods
of paper like cards, catalogue and printed material (Chapter 49 of tariff) .
iv.Increase of 5% to 12% for Specified Renewable Energy Devices and parts.
GST Rate on following goods to be decreased:
i.GST rate reduced to 5% on Retro fitment kits for vehicles used by the disabled
ii.GST rated reduced to 5% from 12% for Fortified Rice Kernels, Biodiesel supplied to OMCs (Oil marketing
companies) for blending with Diesel.
iii.IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax) exemption has also been given on goods supplied at the Indo-
Bangladesh border haats.
Others:
i.Supply of mentha oil from unregistered persons has been brought under reverse charge. It export with payment
of IGST and getting refund of the same will not be allowed.
ii.Brick kilns would be brought under special composition scheme with threshold limit of Rs. 20 lakhs w.e.f. April
1, 2022.
• There will be a 6% GST rate on Bricks without ITC under the scheme. GST rate of 12% with ITC would
otherwise apply to bricks.
iii.The Correction in Inverted Duty structure in Footwear and Textiles sector will be implemented from January
1, 2022 i.e. new footwear and textile rates.
iv.Carbonated fruit beverages and carbonated beverages with fruit juice will attract a GST rate of 28% plus
compensation cess of 12%.
v.Brewers’ Spent Grain (BSG), Dried Distillers’ Grains with Soluble [DDGS] and other such residues, falling under
HS code 2303 attract GST at the rate of 5%.

III.Recommended rate changes in relation to Services w.e.f. October 1, 2021:
i.From January 1, 2022, food delivery apps will collect and deposit 5% GST with the government, in place of
restaurants, for deliveries made by them. This will not affect the end consumer.
ii.Ice cream parlor that sells already manufactured ice- cream will attract GST at the rate of 18%.
iii.Admission to amusement parks having rides etc. attracts a GST rate of 18%.
iv.There is an increase in GST rate to 18% from 12% for Licensing services/ the right to broadcast and show
original films, sound recordings, Radio and Television programmes; and for printing and reproduction services of
recorded media where content is supplied by the publisher.
v.The GST is reduced to NIL from 18% for Services by way of grant of National Permit to goods carriages on
payment of fee; Skill Training for which Government bears 75% or more of the expenditure; Services related to
AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2022.
vi.Coaching services to students provided by coaching institutions and NGOs under the central sector scheme of
‘Scholarships for students with Disabilities” is exempt from GST.
Others:
i.Validity of GST exemption on transport of goods by vessel and air from India to outside India is extended upto
September 30, 2022.
ii.The regime of paying compensation to states for revenue shortfall due to subsuming their taxes in the uniform
GST, will end in June 2022.
• The cess which is currently levied on top of the GST rate on certain luxury and sin goods to fund the
compensation amount for states will continue to be levied till March 2026.
iii.The services by way of grant of mineral exploration and mining rights attracted GST rate of 18% w.e.f. July 1,
2017.
IV.Recommendations relating to GST law and procedure:
i.Requirement of filing FORM GST ITC-04 under rule 45 (3) of the CGST Rules are relaxed as follows:
• Taxpayers whose annual aggregate turnover in preceding financial year is above Rs. 5 crores will fill ITC-
04 once in six months
• Taxpayers whose annual aggregate turnover in preceding financial year is upto Rs. 5 crores will fill ITC-04
annually
ii.Unutilized balance in CGST and IGST cash ledger can be transferred between distinct persons (entities having
same PAN but registered in different states), without going through the refund procedure, subject to certain
safeguards.
iii.There is no need to carry the physical copy of tax invoice in cases where invoice has been generated by the
supplier in the manner prescribed under rule 48(4) of the CGST Rules, 2017.
iv.Only those goods which are actually subjected to export duty will be covered under the restriction imposed
under section 54(3) of CGST Act, 2017 to avail refund of accumulated ITC.
v.Rule 59(6) of the CGST Rules to be amended with effect from January 1, 2022.
V.Setting up of GoM:
i.The Council decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to examine the issue of correction of inverted duty
structure for major sectors; rationalize the rates and review exemptions from the point of view of revenue
augmentation, from GST.
ii.It also decided to set up a GoM to discuss ways and means of using technology to improve compliance through
improved e-way bill systems, e-invoices, and FASTag data.
iii.Both the GoMs will submit their reports in two months.
About GST Council:
As per Article 279A (1) of the amended Constitution, the GST Council was constituted by the President within 60
days of the commencement of Article 279A (September 12, 2016).
• The First Meeting of the council was held on September 22-23, 2016 in New Delhi
• It is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and includes representatives from all states and UTs.
i.The GST Day is annually observed across India on 1st July. The day marks the commemoration of the
unprecedented reform of Indian taxation – GST. The year 2021 marks the observance of the 4th GST Day.

ii.On July 09, 2021, the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, removed the position of
chairman from the IPO (Initial Public Offer) bound – Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and it will have
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), by making amendments over the LIC Act 1956.
About GST (Goods & Service Tax):
It is an indirect tax which has replaced various indirect taxes in India such as the excise duty, VAT, services tax,
among others. It has 3 components:
i.CGST(Central Goods and Services Tax) – tax collected by the Central Government on an intra-state sale.
ii.SGST(State Goods and Service Tax) – tax collected by the state government on an intra-state sale.
iii.IGST(Integrated Goods and Services Tax) – tax collected by the Central Government for an inter-state sale.
India chairs the 6th BRICS YSF and BRICS tax authorities’ virtual meet
India chairs the 6th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Young Scientist Forum (YSF) for the year
2021.The event was hosted by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), in collaboration with the National
Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru (NIAS). The forum represented the four areas such as Health care,
Energy, Cyber and Innovations.
• Sanjay Bhattacharyya of India, Secretary (CPV&OIA) & BRICS Sherpa delivered a keynote address at BRICS
Young Scientist Forum.
• India recently chaired the 13th BRICS Summit with the theme BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for
Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus.
Note: BRICS group includes five major emerging countries- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Health Care
i.In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, BRICS Scientific Ministries joined hands to support collaborative
research in multiple areas.
ii.Funding agencies from BRICS countries, including the Department of Science and Technology and the
Department of Biotechnology from India, are co-investing about USD 10 million to support collaborative projects.
iii.India agreed to operationalise the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre as a virtual network.
Energy
i.India recently crossed the 100GW of renewable energy milestone and aims to meet the target of 450 GW by
2030.
ii.Development of technical cooperation should be a strategic priority for BRICS countries especially in clean and
renewable energy, storage technologies, distribution, energy efficiency and applications.
Cyber
i.Through Digital India Programme, India has fostered innovation and enterprise and transformed the lives of its
citizens in unprecedented ways.
ii.India’s Direct Benefit Transfer scheme, enabled by our national identity programme, Aadhar, has provided
social security to millions.
Innovation
i.India took a number of initiatives under BRICS partnership viz. iBRICS Network, BRICS Global Research
Advanced Infrastructure Network (BRICS GRAIN), BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Architecture to
foster scientific collaboration on research, development and innovation facilities.
India chairs BRICS tax authorities’ virtual meet
Under the chairship of India, the tax authorities of the BRICS countries held a virtual meeting with a theme
‘Redefining the Business Processes of Tax Administration amidst challenges posed by Covid-19and in the Digital
Era’, to discuss the challenges faced by the tax administrations of the member countries in the digital era and the
Covid pandemic situation.
• Government of India, Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj presided over the meeting.
• The aim of the meeting was to share experiences and devise strategies to overcome the challenges
• During the meeting various decisions were taken including digitisation of tax administration, leveraging
technology for tackling tax evasion, changing the role of tax administration to enhance voluntary compliance
by taxpayers.

About BRICS
Founded: June 2006
Members: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
Objective: To promote peace, security, development and cooperation.
Iran became the 9th Full Member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
In September 2021, Iran was appointed as the 9th permanent member state of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) at the 21st Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
• Prior to getting the permanent membership of SCO, Iran was one of the Observer member states of SCO. Iran
received observer status in 2005.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
i.It is a permanent intergovernmental international
organisation formed on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China). It
is the successor of Shanghai Five, a mutual security agreement
formed in 1996 between China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia, and Tajikistan.
ii.SCO strengthens mutual trust among the member states,
promotes their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the
economy, research, education, transport, etc.
ii.Members of SCO:
• Permanent Member States: India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan. (Currently added – Iran)
• Observer Member States: Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia.
• Dialogue Partners: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, and Sri Lanka.
About Iran:
Capital – Tehran
President – EbrahimRaisi
Currency – Iranian rial
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually chaired 13th BRICS Summit 2021
On September 9, 2021, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi chaired the 13th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India,
China, and South Africa) Summit 2021 virtually on the theme ‘ BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for
Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus’ .
• The summit saw the adoption of the ‘New Delhi
Declaration’.
Participants:
The Summit saw the participation of all other BRICS Leaders
– President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, President Vladimir Putin
of Russia, President Xi Jinping of China, and President Cyril
Ramaphosa of South Africa.
• The meeting will also be attended by India’s National
Security Adviser (NS) Ajit Doval, President of the New
Development Bank (NDB) Marcos Troyjo, the pro tempore chair of the BRICS Business Council, Onkar
Kanwar and pro tempore Chair of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, Sangita Reddy.
Highlights of Meeting:
i.All BRICS Leaders agreed to continue their cooperation towards achieving strong and inclusive growth in a post-
pandemic.

ii.Indian PM appreciated the cooperation received from BRICS partners which led to the initiation of several new
initiatives including the first BRICS Digital Health Summit; the first BRICS Ministerial Joint Statement on
multilateral reforms; a BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan; an Agreement on cooperation in field of remote-
sensing satellites; a virtual BRICS vaccine Research & Development Centre; BRICS Alliance on Green Tourism, etc.
• Despite COVID-19 in 2021, over 150 BRICS meetings and events were organised.
iii.Indian side called for enhanced BRICS cooperation under the motto of ‘Build-back, Resiliently, Innovatively,
Credibly and Sustainably’ where:
• Build-back is enhancing speed and accessibility of vaccination
• Resilience is diversifying pharma and vaccine production capacities
• Innovation is using digital tools for public good
• Credibility is ensuring reform of multilateral institutions
• Sustainably is articulating cooperation on environmental and climate issues.
iv.BRICS partners agreed to accelerate implementation of the BRICS Action Plan on Counter-Terrorism.
v.The summit also supported India’s perspective on Afghanistan where there is strong condemnation of
terrorism. India emphasizing not to use Afghan territory for terrorism or for drug trafficking in the ongoing
developments.
Points to be noted:
i.This is the second time PM Narendra Modi chaired the BRICS Summit. Earlier he had chaired the Goa Summit in
2016.This is the third time that India will be hosting the BRICS Summit after 2012 and 2016.
ii.The Indian Chairship of BRICS this year coincides with the 15th anniversary of BRICS.
iii.Russia had hosted the 2020 BRICS meeting.
On July 8, 2021, the 12th meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) S&T (Science &
Technology) Steering Committee was hosted by Department of Science and Technology (DST), India where Indian
was represented by Sanjeev Kumar Varshney, Advisor & Head International Cooperation.
About BRICS(Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa):
2021’s Chair – India
Krishan Pal Gurjar attends 15th East Asia Summit ;Anupriya Patel attended 9th EAS-EMM
15th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers Meeting with the theme ‘We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper’ was held
virtually. Minister of State for Power, Krishan Pal Gurjar attended the meet on behalf of India and provided a brief
status of the Indian energy transition plans, policies, challenges and efforts towards decarbonisation.
• The meeting aimed at coordinating efforts of ASEAN
countries in pursuing the goal of energy security and
energy transition to benefit the people of the region.
• India confirmed that ASEAN is a region of great
importance. Engagement with ASEAN has been and will
remain a critical element of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and
strategy.
Commerce and Industry Minister attends 9th ESA-EMM
meet
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel attended 9th EAS-EMM (East Asia Summit-
Economic Ministers’ Meeting) virtually.India is willing to collaborate with East Asian partners in the production
of generic drugs and medical technologies used for treatment of COVID-19 patients, as also in the area of vaccine
production.
• 9th EAS-EMM was attended by ASEAN secretariat , ASEAN member states along with China, South Korea,
Australia, New Zealand, India, the U.S., Russia, and ERIA (the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and
East Asia).

i.India is looking forward to an early outcome on the TRIPS Waiver proposal for vaccines, therapeutics and
diagnostics.
ii.Considering the encouraging trend, WTO had also revised its projection for global trade volume growth in 2021
to 8% compared to the 7% earlier.
iii.India is a part of the “Supply Chain Resilience Initiative” launched in September, 2020.
iv.To revive the global growth with trade requires strengthening the Multilateral Trading System, with WTO at its
core, based on the principles of openness, fairness, transparency, inclusivity and non-discrimination.
About ASEAN
8th August of every year is observed as ASEAN day.
ASEAN Motto – One Vision,One Identity, One Community
Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia
Founded: In 1967, Bangkok, Thailand
Member States: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam
I&B Minister Anurag Thakur addressed Summit for Information and Democracy
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur participated virtually at the Summit for
Information and Democracy on the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly(UNGA) High-Level Week
organised at the Consulate General of France, New York in USA.
• The Minister stressed on the need to engagement with
member countries to address misinformation during an
infodemic and learn from each other to understand the
issues and to find suitable solutions to address them.
• India was also among the co-authors of a first of its kind
Cross-Regional Statement on “Infodemic” in the Context
of COVID-19.
Objectives of the Summit
i.To create an International Observatory on Information and
Democracy responsible for analysing global information trends.
ii.Fostering ties between the International Partnership for Information and Democracy and international
organisations.
International Partnership on Information and Democracy
i.It is an intergovernmental non-binding agreement endorsed by 43 countries around the world to promote and
implement democratic principles in the global information and communication space.
ii.India is founding member and signatory of International Partnership for Information and Democracy
iii.It was launched in New York on 26 September 2019, in the framework of the Alliance for Multilateralism. With
an aim to promote freedom of opinion and expression and access to free, pluralistic and reliable information.
South Africa to host 10th Global MIL Week from Oct 24
The tenth edition of UNESCO’s Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week with the theme Media and
Information Literacy for all , will be hosted by South Africa from 24 to 31 October 2021.
• Global MIL Week 2021 highlights will include the eleventh MIL and Intercultural Dialogue Conference and
sixth Youth Agenda Forum.
• It was initiated in 2012, is led by UNESCO in cooperation with the UNESCO MIL Alliance, the UNESCO-UNAOC
MIL and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) University Network, and other partners.
About UNESCO
Director General: Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters: Paris, France

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Attended 11th UK-India EFD
11th India-United Kingdom (UK) Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) was held virtually on September 02,
2021. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the
Indian Delegation whereas UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak led the
UK Delegation.
Investments in Green Projects:
i.Under the EFD, both the countries have signed a USD 1.2-
billion package of public and private investment in green
projects and renewable energy to boost India’s green growth
objectives.
ii.Public Financing: The green investments also include the $1
billion investment by CDC Group, the UK’s Development Finance Institution, into climate-related projects in
India over 2022-26.
iii.GGEF: New additional investment of around USD 200 million was added from a range of international
investors into the joint Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF), which invests in Indian renewable energy.
iv.CFLI: A new Climate Finance Leadership Initiative (CFLI) India partnership has been agreed upon, in which
CFLI India will work with financial institutions, corporates, and existing sustainable finance initiatives, to
accelerate efforts to mobilize private capital into India.
• The partnership will be led by the CFLI and supported by the UK Government and the Government of India.
Key Points:
i.The UK has welcomed India’s decision of increasing the FDI cap in the insurance sector from 49 percent to 74
percent. Click here to know more
ii.Global Leadership: India is chairing the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and set to chair
the G20 Presidency in 2023, whereas the UK presides over the G7 and COP26.
iii.The UK and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Migration and Mobility Partnership for
mutual exchanges and sharing of information and talents from both sides
iv.Over the last 5 years, Indian firms have raised £13.41 billion in masala, dollar and green bonds listed on the
London Stock Exchange (LSE). Both the nations have set a target to double the trade by 2030.
v.UK banks are the first international banks to set up in GIFT City. The next EFD is expected to be held in London
in 2022.
On July 8, 2021, the 1st meeting of the United Kingdom (UK)-India Financial Markets Dialogue (FMD) was held
virtually to deepen bilateral ties in the financial sector. It was led by senior officials from the Indian Ministry of
Finance and Her Majesty’s Treasury from the UK.
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman (Rajya Sabha MP representing Karnataka)
Minister of State (MoS) – Pankaj Chaowdhary (Constituency – Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh), Bhagwat Kishanrao
Karad (Rajya sabha MP representing Maharashtra)
About United Kingdom:
Capital – London
Prime Minister – Boris Johnson
Currency – Pound sterling
Agriculture Minister Addressed CII’s 16th Sustainability Summit 2021; India Became Asia’s 1st
Country to Launch a Plastics Pact
Narendra Singh Tomar, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, addressed the 16th
Sustainability Summit 2021 of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) named ‘16th Sustainability Building a
Resilient Future Leveraging Science, Technology & Finance’.
• India has entered into the top 10 list of agricultural produce exporters.

Recent Initiatives under the Agriculture sector:
i.So far under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, around Rs 1,57,000 crore has been deposited in the bank
accounts of more than 11 crore farmers of India.
ii.The Prime Minister (PM) has launched the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the benefit of other
industries including food processing.
iii.To make agriculture profitable for small and medium farmers, infrastructure is being developed near the
farms. An Agriculture Infrastructure Fund of Rs 1 lakh crore has been created and through which, Projects worth
more than Rs 4000 crores have been approved.
iv.The farmers also benefited through the Kisan Rails and the Krishi Udaan Yojana.
• India’s 1st Kisan Rail was commenced on 7 August 2020 from Devlali (Maharashtra) to Danapur (Bihar).
• So far (up to July 2021), 1,040 Kisan Rail services have been operated over 72 routes across India.
• Krishi Udaan scheme was launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on international and national routes to
assist farmers in transporting agricultural products.
Note – UK is India’s biggest European research partner, with £400 million of joint investment in research and
innovation since 2008.
The Sustainability Summit:
i.It is the annual flagship event of the Confederation of Indian Industry in sustainability, launched in 2006 to raise
the bar of dialogue, practice and performance of the sustainable business.
ii.The 16th Sustainability summit is designed to build discussions on the importance of green finance, science and
technological innovations that will step up actions for a green and inclusive recovery.
India Became Asia’s 1st Country to Launch a Plastics Pact
World-Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF India) and the CII have collaborated to develop a platform named
‘India Plastics Pact (IPP)’ to promote a circular system for plastics.
• The pact was launched by the British High Commission in India, Alexander Ellis, at the 16th Sustainability
Summit 2021 of the CII.
• The pact is supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Worldwide Responsible Accredited
Production (WRAP).
• India became the 1st Asian country to develop a plastics pact.
• India annually generates 46 million tonnes of plastic waste, of which 40 percent is not collected. Around
half of all plastics produced in India are used in packaging.
Key Points:
i.Objective: To keep plastic packaging in the economy and out of the natural environment by developing a unified
national framework for a circular economy.
ii.Founding Members: 27 businesses and supporting organisations, including major fast-moving consumer
goods (FMCG) brands, manufacturers, retailers and recyclers made their commitment to the IPP as founding
members.
iii.IPP’s targets to be achieved by 2030:
IPP define a list of unnecessary or problematic plastic packaging and items and take measures to address them
through redesign and innovation.
• 100 percent of plastic packaging to be reusable or recyclable
• 50 percent of plastic packaging to be effectively recycled
• 25 percent average recycled content across all plastic packaging.
On July 15-16, CII organized the second edition of Digital Conference & Exhibition ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Self-
Reliance for Renewable Energy Manufacturing’ virtually in collaboration with the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy (MNRE) under its RE-INVEST agenda and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
(DPIIT).
About Confederation of Indian Industry (CII):
Director General – Chandrajit Banerjee

PM Addressed the 6th EEF; Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Participated in EEF; OVL, IOC
Signed MoU with Russia’s Gazprom
In September 2021, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually addressed the plenary session of
the 6th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) i.e. the 2021 edition of EEF, which was held in Vladivostok, Russia.
• The main theme for the EEF 2021 is: ‘Opportunities
for the Far East in a World under Transformation’.
The Forum’s programme is divided into four
thematic pillars: ‘The New Economy: What Changes
and What Stays the Same’, ‘The Far East: New
Challenges and Opportunities’, ‘Our Shared
Responsibility in a Changing World’, and ‘Youth EEF’.
• Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing
and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri visited Russia
to participate in the EEF. President of Russia
Vladimir Putin also present in the EEF.
PM’s Address:
i.The PM stressed the importance of greater economic and commercial engagement between the two nations in
line with the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’.
ii.He pointed out the health and pharma sectors as important areas of cooperation and stressed their importance
under COVID-19. Other potential areas of economic cooperation such as diamond, coking coal, steel, timber, etc
are also mentioned by him.
iii.He lauded Russian President’s vision for the development of the Russian Far East and noted about India’s ‘Act
East Policy’.
iv.He mentioned about the Mazagon Docks Limited’s future partnership with ‘Zvezda’ for construction of
commercial ships.
v.PM extended an invitation to Governors of the 11 regions of the Russian Far East to visit India.
Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s Participation in the 6th EEF
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri led the Indian delegation of Indian oil and gas
companies to have a 5-day visit to Russia from September 1 to 5, 2021. Under the visit, he attended the 6th EEF in
Vladivostok, Russia.
• He participated in the India-Russia Business dialogue within the framework of EEF.
• During the 5-day visit he also visited Sakhalin-I oilfield in Russia. He also met the officials of Russian
petrochemicals company Sibur and Novatek Gas industry company, Novatek.
• An online meeting between Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani and Governor of Sakha-Yakutia province
of Russia was also held on the sidelines of EEF.
OVL, IOC Signed MoU with Russia’s Gazprom
ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), and the Indian Oil Corporation
(IOC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia’s Gazprom for cooperation in the
hydrocarbon sector. The MoU was signed at the 6th EEF.
Investment under Oil and gas:
i.Russia is the largest investment destination for the Indian oil and gas companies.
ii.To date the Indian public sector companies have made investments of ~ USD 16 billion in Russia, including in
the Far East and East Siberia and in oil and gas assets such as Sakhalin-1, Vankor and Taas-Yuryakh.
iii.India also plans to import more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia to overcome the dependence on the
Middle East.
Note – In 2020, IOC signed a deal with Russian oil major ‘Rosneft’ to buy up to 2 million tonnes, or 40,000 barrels
per day (bpd) of crude.
About Eastern Economic Forum (EEF):
i.EEF was formed in 2015 by decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to support the
economic development of Russia’s Far East and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

ii.It includes a number of business dialogues with leading partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and ASEAN.
iii.In 2019, he participated as the Chief Guest at the 5th EEF, which was the 1st visit by an Indian Prime Minister
to the Far East Region of Russia.
The 12th Edition of Biennial bilateral maritime Exercise ‘INDRA Navy-21’ was held between the Indian Navy &
Russian Federation Navy in the Baltic Sea from July 28-29, 2021.
About Russia:
Capital – Moscow
Currency – Russian ruble
President – Vladimir Putin
Prime Minister – Mikhail Mishustin
About Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG):
Union Minister – Hardeep Singh Puri (Constituency – Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Rameswar Teli (Constituency – Dibrugarh, Assam)
Om Birla Addressed the 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament 2021 in Vienna, Austria
The 5th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (5WCSP) 2021 was held in Vienna, Austria from
September 7-8, 2021 . The Loksabha Speaker Om Birla participated in the conference, organized by the
Austrian Parliament, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations (UN).
Note- Austrian Parliament is the first national parliament in history to co-host the World Conference of Speakers
of Parliament.
Indian Delegation
The Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Harivansh with Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary-General, Lok Sabha, Dr Ajay
Kumar, Joint Secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat and Rajeev Dutta, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Speaker of Lok
Sabha,other senior officers also participated.
The theme of the Conference is Parliamentary leadership for more effective multilateralism that delivers
peace and sustainable development for the people and planet.
Highlights
• The 5WCSP took place in two parts. First part was held in August 2020 virtually and second part in-person
held in Vienna.
• In August, 2020 Om Birla attended the inaugural ceremony of 5WCSP.
• The conference will be followed by the first Global Parliamentary Summit on Counter-Terrorism to be
held on September 9 in Vienna, Austria.It is jointly organized by IPU and the UN.
• The Conference was held 5 years once, the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament was held in
2015 in New York, United States.
About Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
i.IPU is an international organisation of national parliaments. It was established in 1889 in Paris.
ii.It works with close co-operation with the United Nation (UN), regional parliamentary organisations,
international intergovernmental organisations and non-governmental organisations for the arbitration of conflict.
Secretary General- Martin Chungong
Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar Addressed 74th session of WHO-SEARO; hosted by Nepal

Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State(MoS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) represented
India and addressed the 74th session of the World Health Organization- South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-
SEARO) through a virtual conference.
• The 74th session WHO SEARO was organized by Nepal from 6th to 10th September 2021.
• The meet also focuses on the inclusion of treating non-communicable diseases including mental health and
other programmes at the primary health care level.

Note:
South-East Asia comprises one-fourth of the world’s population. The Region has been prioritizing the elimination
of measles and rubella by 2023.
Address of Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar:
MoS Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar highlighted the major measures and strategies planned to build back better to
achieve Universal Health Care and Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) related to health and to strengthen
health system resilience for the future.
Ministerial Declaration:
i.During the 74th session of WHO SEARO, the countries of the WHO South-East Asia region adopted a ministerial
declaration that resolves to strengthen health system resilience for ensuring health security, achieve universal
health coverage and achieve SDG for health.
ii.The declaration also commits to engagement with communities and making essential health services and public
health programmes accessible to them during the COVID-19 pandemic.
74th session of the WHO-SEARO:
i.The Regional Committee for South-East Asia is the WHO’s governing body in the South East Asia region.
ii.It is composed of representatives from 11member states of the region as well as Associated Members.
iii.The committee meets annually to formulate policies and consider, revise and endorse new initiatives.
About World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region:
Regional Director– Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi, India
Members– 11 Member States (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia,
Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste).
India hosted First-Ever 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with Australia

On September 11, 2021, India hosted the 1st ever 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with Australia in New Delhi. In this
regard, Australia’ s Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women and Peter Dutton, Minister
of Defence Minister visited India.
• From the Indian side it was attended by Union
Ministers Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA), and Rajnath Singh, Ministry
of Defence (MoD).
• Discussions and mutual consents were made on the
issues including economic security, cyber, climate,
critical technology, supply chains, and the Afghanistan
crisis.
• The Dialogue concluded with a joint statement, Click
here to read the joint statement.
Highlights of Dialogue:
i.This 2+2 dialogue is the outcome of India-Australia leaders’ virtual summit in June 2020 to elevate bilateral
relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
• There both nations also signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support.
ii.It should be noted that Australia will contribute $10 million to India’s initiative towards disaster-resilient
infrastructure as Australia is exploring collaboration with India on low emission technologies in order to ensure a
clean energy future.
iii.Both nations are also working towards an ‘early harvest trade deal’ that will act as a base for comprehensive
economic cooperation agreement.
iv.Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to quadrilateral cooperation between Australia, India, Japan and the
United States (US).
v.The next 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue will be held in 2023.
Key Points:
i.Marise Payne laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.

ii.Notably, India has such a framework for talks with a very few nations comprising the US and Japan, and Russia.
On July 29, 2021, JSW Future Energy Ltd, the wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Energy, made a framework
agreement with Australian Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) Pty Ltd to produce green hydrogen fuel.
About Australia:
Capital– Canberra
Currency– Australian dollar
India–Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) to be held alongside every DefExpo; 2nd IADD to be held in
2022
On September 13, 2021, the Central Government of India proposed to institutionalize the India Africa Defence
Dialogue (IADD) during successive DefExpos to be held biennially.
• In this regard, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi will
act as the knowledge partner of IADD and will provide necessary support for enhanced defence cooperation
between the both nations.
Key Points:
i.As a follow-up with the above proposal, the 2nd IADD will be held in 2022 on the sidelines of the DefExpo that is
scheduled to be held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat in March 2022. It will be hosted by Union Minister Rajnath Singh,
Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the theme ‘India – Africa: Adopting Strategy for Synergizing and Strengthening
Defence and Security Cooperation’.
ii.Indo-Africa defence relations are based on the two guiding principles viz. ‘SAGAR-Security and Growth for All in
the Region’ and ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam-The World is One Family’.
How will this dialogue be helpful?
It will boost the existing partnerships between African countries & India and will explore new areas of
convergence for mutual engagements which include capacity building, training, cyber security, maritime security
and counter terrorism.
Background:
The above decision has been taken on the sidelines of ‘Lucknow Declaration’ that was adopted during the
1st India Africa Defence Ministers Conclave (IADMC) or IADD in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in conjunction with
DefExpo on February 6, 2020. It was co-organised by MoD and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Rajnath Singh Constituency– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Minister of State (MoS)– Ajay Bhatt (Constituency – Nainital–Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
CII’s 3rd Life Sciences Conclave 2021 held virtually; India to Grow $150 Billion Bioeconomy by
2025
On September 17, 2021, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) virtually organized the 3rd Life Sciences
Conclave 2021 on the theme ‘Taking Indian Lifes Sciences to the Global Stage’. The event was attended
by Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology & Department of Science and Technology.
• During this CII released a report ‘Taking India’s Life Sciences to the Global Stage – “Make in India” to fuel 4x
growth in Biosimilars and Vaccines by 2026’.
Key Points from Report:
i.The report provided measures to grow the biosimilars market from $550 million to $5-6 billion, and accelerate
vaccines from $2 billion to $4–5 billion.
ii.It recommended three points of actions viz. need for an innovative Mindset to Action; transform from cost
competitiveness to cost leadership; and reinstating the image of Indian made pharmaceuticals
iii.India will become a $150 billion market by 2025.

‘Dushanbe Declaration’ adopted during 21st Summit of SCO Council of Heads of State
On 17th September 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually participated in the 21st Meeting of the Council
of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO) that was held for the first time through hybrid format
from Dushanbe, Tajikistan. During the meeting, SCO
member countries adopted the ‘Dushanbe Declaration’ to
promote counter terrorism & stability in Afghanistan.
• External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar represented
India in the meeting at Tajikistan, which was chaired by
Tajikistan President – H.E. Emomali Rahmon.
Highlights of PM Modi’s address:
i.PM discussed the problems caused by extremism in Afghanistan in the SCO region, and suggested promoting of
moderation & scientific thoughts among Afghan youths.
ii.India announced to share digital technologies through open-source solutions for the development of Afghan &
SCO members.
iii.The PM also suggested the importance of connectivity projects in the region for peaceful development.
iv.He also participated in the Outreach session on Afghanistan between SCO and the Collective Security Treaty
Organisation (CSTO) after the SCO Summit.
Outline of ‘Dushanbe Declaration’:
• SCO member states expressed support for Afghanistan as an independent, neutral, united, democratic and
peaceful state, free of terrorism, war and drugs.
• To support an inclusive government in Afghanistan with representation from all ethnic groups & minorities.
• Enhancing joint efforts to prevent terror financing & suppressing its spread across the globe.
• Promotion of culture & heritage among people, to develop a tourism environment among SCO member
countries.
In July 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participated in the annual Defence Ministers Meeting of SCO, that
was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):
Secretary-General – Vladimir Norov
Headquarters – Beijing, China
Chairship of 2021 – Tajikistan
Members – 8 (India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)
India Virtually Hosted 1st India-UK Consular Dialogue

On September 22, 2021, India virtually hosted the 1st India-United Kingdom (UK) Consular Dialogue. The
Indian delegation was led by Devesh Uttam, Joint Secretary in
the Ministry of External Affairs and the UK delegation was led
by Jennifer Anderson, Director Consular Services, Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Office.
Key Points:
i.India-UK Consular Dialogue is a part of the India-UK 2030
Roadmap, in which both countries discussed ways to strengthen
people-to-people contacts between them.
• India-UK Roadmap 2030: In May 2021, India and UK
have adopted ‘Roadmap 2030’ at the India-UK Virtual Summit 2021, for elevating relations between the two
countries to ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’.
• The 2030 roadmap envisages enhanced defence and security cooperation, robust trade, investment and
technological collaboration.

ii.The dialogue provides consular access and early resolution of consular grievances through systematic
information sharing, and cooperation on visas, extradition cases and mutual legal assistance.
iii.The Consular cooperation will develop working-level arrangements to promote safe travel for the millions of
Indian and British nationals who travel between the two countries.
iv.The next round of the Consular Dialogue was scheduled to be held in 2022, in London.
‘Exercise Konkan- 2021’, a bilateral Naval Exercise held between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Britain in
Portsmouth, United Kingdom (UK).
About the United Kingdom (UK):
Capital – London
Prime Minister – Boris Johnson
Currency – British Pound Sterling (GBP)
INDEX
RANKING
AMUL Ranks 18th and France’s ‘Lactalis’ Tops in Rabobank 2021 Global Dairy Report
As per the 2021’s Global Dairy Top 20 report released by a Dutch multinational banking and financial services
company Rabobank, the France based dairy major company – ‘Lactalis’ became the World’s number 1 dairy
company in terms of market capital. Lactalis replaced Switzerland’s Nestle , which remained as the global leader
in the dairy sector for decades.
• Notably, India’s well known co-operative brand ‘AMUL’ under the cooperative body Gujarat Cooperative
Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) also was placed at the 18th position, from its previous 16th rank in
2020.
• Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) has become the first Indian dairy Industry to
spot in the global top 20 list released by Rabobank. .
Global position in 2021 Company Country of Origin
1 Lactalis France
2 Nestle Switzerland
3 Dairy Farmers of America USA
18 Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation India
Notable points on Dairy Sector:
• India is the World’s largest Milk producing country.
• New Zealand is the World’s largest Milk exporter, while China is the top Milk importing country.
Findings of the report:
i.Among the Top 20 companies, there was a 0.1% (in terms of USD) decline in 2021 compared to 2020, which is
around 1.9% decline in terms of Euro.
ii.Rabobank in its annual ‘Global Dairy Top 20’ report, also states that the decline in turnover is mainly due to
slowed merger & acquisition activities in 2020 due to COVID-19.
iii.Lactalis, positioned at 9th place in 2000 moved to 1st because of its special focus on Organic methods of dairy
production.
iv.Between 2001 to 2020, the top 20 dairy companies have doubled their turnover, with an average annual
growth of 3.8%.
About Rabobank:
Rabobank is a leading financial institution that offers financial solutions towards sustainable food and agriculture
practices.
Founded – 1895
Headquarters – Utrecht, Netherlands

About Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation(GCMMF):
GCMMF, also known as AMUL, was established in 1973
Managing Director – RS Sodhi
Headquarter – Anand, Gujarat
THE World University Rankings 2022: 3 Indian Universities in top 400, Topped by UK’s Oxford
In accordance with the ‘Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2022’, 3 Indian universities
made it to the top 400 global rankings. Among them, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru (Karnataka) is
on the top and continues to be between 301-350 cohort.
• It was followed by IIT (Indian Institute of
Technology)-Ropar (Punjab) which also retained
its position in the 351-400 group.
• Mysuru (Karnataka) based private university JSS
Academy of Higher Education and
Research made its debut in the global rankings
while grabbing a place in the 351-400 group.
Individual Rankings:
The individual ranking was provided to the first 200 in
the global list. Notably, Universities that published high-
impact research on Covid-19 have found place in this list. This University Rankings is topped by the United
Kingdom’s (UK) University of Oxford for the 6th consecutive year.
• It was followed by the United States’ (US) California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Harvard
University at rank 2nd, and Stanford University at rank 4th. UK’s Cambridge University is placed at
5th position alongside US’ Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
• From Asia, China’s Peking University and Tsinghua University topped the list with a global joint ranking of
16.
• The maximum universities in the top 200 list are from the US (57) followed by the UK (28), and Germany
(22).
Table showing Top Global and Indian Universities:
Rank University Name Country/State
301-350 Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru (Karnataka)
351-400 IIT (Indian Institute of Technology)-Ropar Punjab
351-400 JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research Mysuru, Karnataka
1 University of Oxford UK
2 California Institute of Technology (Caltech) US
2 Harvard University US
4 Stanford University US
5 Cambridge University UK
5 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) US
Key Points:
i.India is home to 35 universities in the global top 1,000 list.
ii.IIT Indore (Madhya Pradesh) is placed in the group of 401-500 while Alagappa University (Tamil Nadu) and
Thapar University (Punjab) were in the 501-600 cohort.
iii.10 Indian Universities, including Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi Technology University (DTU), Jamia
Millia Islamia (New Delhi) and Panjab University (Chandigarh) were listed in the 601-800 band.
• Delhi University slipped from last year’s ranking of 601-800 to the 801-1,000 band.
iv.Saudi Arabia entered the world top 200 for the first time, with King Abdulaziz University reaching 190th place.

v.The top 7 IITs, including at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kanpur, did not participate in the above rankings for the
second consecutive year as they are not satisfied with the ranking methodology.
About World University Rankings 2022:
It included 1,662 universities across 99 countries and territories. It is the largest and most diverse university
rankings to date.
• The rankings are premised upon the 13 indicators that measure an institution’s performance across four
areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.
i.The Global Cybersecurity Index 2020 (GCI 2020) – 4th Edition was released by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency for Information & Communication Technologies (ICT). India with
a score of 97.5 has been ranked 10th in the Index. The US topped the index, UK & Saudi Arabia shared the 2nd
spot while Estonia took the 3rd rank.
About Times Higher Education (THE):
It is a magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education.
Former Name– The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES)
First issue– October 1971
Headquarter– London, United Kingdom (UK)
MoE Dharmendra Pradhan released 6th NIRF Rankings 2021 for HEIs; IIT-Madras Topped
Overall
On September 9, 2021, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE) released the 6th NIRF
(National Institutional Ranking Framework) Rankings 2021 of Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) of India in 11
categories from New Delhi.
• The ranking has been topped by IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Madras, Tamil Nadu in the overall
category which is followed by IISc (Indian Institute of Science) Bengaluru, Karnataka at 2nd and IIT Bombay,
Maharashtra at 3rdplace.
Basis of Ranking:
The rankings for all Indian colleges and universities given by the Ministry were based on 5 parameters with 100
marks each viz. teaching, learning, and resources; Research and Professional Practice; Graduation Outcome;
Outreach And Inclusivity; and Perception.
• Each of these five parameters has 2 to 5 sub-parameters. A total number of 16 – 18 sub-parameters are used
for ranking.
• The following two additional sub-parameters were included in methodology developed for ranking
institutions under “Research Institutions”:
i.Research Papers published in journals covered in the First Quartile of Journal Citation Report (JCRQ1)
ii.H Index
Categories of ranking:
The ranking consisted of 4 categories, namely Overall, University, College and Research Institutions and 7
subjects viz. Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Architecture, Medical, Law and Dental in 2021.
• Research institutions have been ranked for the first time in India Rankings 2021.
Key Points:
i.IIT- Madras retains 1st position in Overall Category as well as in Engineering for the 3rd consecutive year.
ii.IISc, Bengaluru tops the University as well as Research Institution category introduced for the first time in India
Rankings 2021.
iii.All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi retains top slot in Medical for the 4th consecutive
year.
iv.Jamia Hamdard tops the list in Pharmacy subject for the 3rd consecutive year.
v.Miranda House College, New Delhi kept 1st position amongst colleges for the 5th consecutive year.
vi.IIT Roorkee replaced IIT Kharagpur to grab top position for the first time in Architecture subject.

vii.National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore retains its first position in Law for the
4th consecutive year.
viii.Colleges in Delhi dominate ranking of colleges with five colleges out of first 10 colleges from Delhi.
ix.IIM Ahmedabad tops in Management subject.
x.Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal, secure 1st position in “Dental” category.
Rank Institute City/State Score
Top 3 Colleges
1 Miranda House College New Delhi 75.42
2 Lady Shri Ram College For Women New Delhi 69.44
3 Loyola College Chennai, Tamil Nadu 69.28
Top 3 Universities
1 IISc Bengaluru, Karnataka 82.67
2 Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) New Delhi 67.99
3 Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 64.02
Top 3 Research Institutes
2 IIT-Madras Chennai, Tamil Nadu 86.01
3 IIT-Bombay Mumbai, Maharashtra 80.93
Top 3 in Overall
Top 3 in Engineering Subject
2 IIT-Delhi New Delhi 88.96
Top 3 in Management Subject
1 Indian Institute of Management (IIM)- Ahmedabad Gujarat 83.69
2 IIM-Bangalore Bengaluru, Karnataka 83.48
3 IIM-Calcutta Kolkata, West Bengal 80.04
Top 3 in Pharmacy Subject
1 Jamia Hamdard New Delhi 78.52
2 Panjab University Chandigarh 77.99
3 Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) -Pilani Pilani, Rajasthan 75.57
Top 3 in Medical Subject
1 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi 92.07
2 Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh 82.62
3 Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore, Tamil Nadu 75.33
Top 3 in Law Subject
1 National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bengaluru, Karnataka 78.06

2 National Law University (NLU) New Delhi 74.55

3 NALSAR University of Law Hyderabad, Telangana 72.39
Top 3 in Architecture Subject
1 IIT-Roorkee Roorkee, Uttarakhand 82.65
2 National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut Kozhikode, Kerala 76.5
3 IIT-Kharagpur Kharagpur, West Bengal 76.14
Top 3 in Dental Subject
1 Manipal College of Dental Sciences (MCODS) Udupi, Karnataka 81.3
2 Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth (DPU) Pune, Maharashtra 80.72
3 Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS) Chennai, Tamil Nadu 78.33
Click here for Official List
Institutions Participation in Ranking:
200 institutions are ranked in engineering discipline, 100 each in Overall, University and College categories, 75
each in Management and Pharmacy, 50 each in Medical and Research Institutions, 40 in Dental, 30 in Law, and 25
in Architecture.
Other Participants during launch event:
MoS Annpurna Devi, MoE; MoS Dr. Subhas Sarkar, MoE; MoS Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, MoE; Prof. Dhirendra Pal
Singh , Chairman, UGC (University Grants Commission); Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE (All India
Council for Technical Education); Prof. K.K. Aggarwal, Chairman, NBA (National Board of Accreditation) among
others.
i.Indian Institute of Management(IIM), Ahmedabad topped among the Indian Universities in the Centre for World
University Ranking (CWUR)’s World University Rankings 2021-22 & IIM-Ahmedabad was ranked 415th
globally.Harvard University topped globally.
ii.Manama, the Capital city of Bahrain topped the AIRINC Global 150 Cities Index for Financial Attractiveness
ranking for the 3rd consecutive time. Indian Cities of New Delhi & Mumbai were the only two to be listed in the
Index.
About National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF):
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Education (MoE)
IIM Ahmedabad Adjudged as Best B-School in India: QS Global MBA Rankings: Global 2022
The QS Global MBA Rankings: Global 2022, released by Quacquarelli Symonds(QS), has adjudged the Indian
Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, Gujarat as the best business school(B-school) in India. The IIM
Ahmedabad has achieved the 46th rank on the list which features around 280 business schools from across the
globe. The list is topped by Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford, California, United States of
America(USA).
• IIM Bangalore (ranked 50) and IIM Ahmedabad are the only Indian Institutes among the top 50.
• The list features a total of 7 institutions from India which includes IIM Calcutta (76), Indian School of
Business(92), Indian Institute of Management Indore(151-200), SPJIMR(151-200) and Indian Institute of
Management Lucknow(201-250).
• The QS Global MBA Rankings: Global 2022, provides a comprehensive list of the best places to study an MBA
Top 3 QS Global MBA Rankings: Global 2022:
Rank University Country
1 Stanford Graduate School of Business Stanford, USA

2 Harvard Business School Boston, USA

2 Penn (Wharton) Philadelphia, USA
Click here for the complete list of QS Global MBA Rankings: Global 2022
QS Business Masters Rankings 2022:
QS World University Rankings: Business Masters Rankings 2022 ranks the Masters in Business Analytics, Masters
in Finance, Masters in Management, Masters in Marketing and Masters in Supply Chain Management.
QS Business Masters Rankings: Business Analytics 2022:
• MIT (Sloan), Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA topped the list.
• IIM Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal secured the rank (51-60) and topped the Indian Institute in Business
Analytics.
QS Business Masters Rankings: Finance 2022:
• Oxford (Said), Oxford, United Kingdom topped the list.
• Jagdish Sheth School of Management (Formerly IFIM Business School), Bengaluru, Karnataka secured the
rank 151+ and topped the Indian Institutes in Finance.
QS Business Masters Rankings: Management 2022:
• HEC Paris, Jouy-en-Josas, France topped the list.
• IIM Ahmedabad secured the 29th rank and tops the Indian institute followed by IIM Bangalore (33) and IIM
Calcutta (53).
QS Business Masters Rankings: Marketing 2022:
• HEC Paris, Jouy-en-Josas, France topped the list.
• Jagdish Sheth School of Management (Formerly IFIM Business School) secured the 101+ rank.
QS Business Masters Rankings: Supply Chain Management 2022:
• Center for Transportation and Logistics (MIT CTL), Cambridge, USA topped the list.
Note:
The rankings featuring more than 1300 Universities across the globe are assessed based on 5 parameters,
• Employability 40%
• Entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes 15%
• Return on investment 20%
• Thought leadership 15%
• Class and faculty diversity 10%
About Quacquarelli Symonds (QS):
QS is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics, and insight to the global higher education sector.
CEO– Nunzio Quacquarelli
Headquarters– London, England
Founded in 1990
India to become world’s 3rd largest importer by 2050: Global Trade Outlook
According to a report ‘Global Trade Outlook’ by UK’s Department of International Trade, India is going to
become the world’s 3rd largest importer by 2050 with a 5.9%
share of global imports. Top two position were occupied by
China and the United States (US).
India’s Position at various Stage: –
• According to the Global Trade Outlook report, India will
be expected to reach 4th position by 2030 with a 3.9%
share
• Currently, India holds 8th position on the list of largest
importing countries with a 2.8% share.
• India is to be the 3rd largest in world economies by 2050 with a global GDP share of 6.8 percent. Now India
holds 5th position in World Largest Economy with 3.3 percent share.

Highlights of report-:-
• As the growing purchasing power of Asia’s middle-class accounts for a rising share of global import demand,
US’s and EU’s share of most import sectors is expected to decline by 2030.
• ‘E7 group’ of the seven largest emerging economies – China, India, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico and
Turkey – are expected to equal the G7’s share of global import demand by 2050.
• G7 comprises seven richest nations of the world – the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and Italy.
Note– G7’s share of global GDP was reduced to 46% in 2020 when compared to 65% in 2000.Meanwhile the E7’s
share was raised from 11% to 28%.
Top 10 countries in imports
Rank 2019 2030 2050
1 United States China China
2 China United States United States
3 Germany Germany India
4 France India Germany
5 UK UK UK
6 Japan Japan France
7 Netherlands France Netherlands
8 India Netherlands Japan
9 Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong
10 South Korea Canada Vietnam
India Ranked 46th in GII 2021 by WIPO; Switzerland Tops

India’s rank in Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021 by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
improved by two spots to 46th from 48th in GII 2020.
• India entered into the group of top 50 countries in GII for the 1st time.
• The NITI(National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, along with the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), virtually hosted the India Launch of
the GII 2021 and the Global Innovation Conclave in September 2021.
GII 2021:
Overall Rank of GII Country
46 India
1 Switzerland
2 Sweden
3 United States of America
4 United Kingdom
Top 3 Innovation Economies:
Top 3 innovation economies
Central and Southern Asia (By region) Lower middle-income (By income group)
India Viet Nam
Iran (Islamic Republic of) India
Kazakhstan Ukraine
Key Points:
i.India, Kenya, Republic of Moldova and VietNam hold the record of being Innovation achievers for 11 consecutive
years (2011-2021). India has shifted from 81st position in 2015 to 46 in 2021.

ii.India is at the top of the Central and Southern Asia region.
iii.India leads the world in the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) services exports indicator
(1st) and held 12th position under indicators such as Domestic industry diversification and Graduates in science
and engineering.
• India was portrayed as successful in developing sophisticated services that are technologically dynamic and
can be traded internationally.
iv.The GII report is published by WIPO in partnership with the Portulans Institute, CII, Brazilian National
Confederation of Industry, Ecopetrol Group (Colombia), and the Turkish Exporters Assembly.
v.A total of 132 countries were analysed under the GII by WIPO to present the latest global innovation through
ranking.
Participants: K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India, Amitabh Kant, Chief
Executive Officer, NITI Aayog, Daren Tang, Director General, WIPO, have participated in the launch.
In June 2021, the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises launched 6-Technology Innovation
platforms for the exchange of knowledge for research & development of technologies that are manufactured in
India with globally competitive standards and other technical researches.
About WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation):
WIPO is a self-funding agency of the United Nations and the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services,
policy, information and cooperation.
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Director-General – Daren Tang (Singapore)
Members – 193 member states
Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2021: Mumbai, Bangalore and London Named among Top
Startup Hubs; Silicon Valley Tops
As per the annual ranking of the international startup hubs named ‘Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2021’,
compiled by research organisation ‘Startup Genome’, London, Mumbai, and Bangalore are featured among the
world’s top startup hubs.
• Bangalore ranked 23rd (26 in 2020) among the top 30
global startups, whereas Delhi ranked 36.
• Global Startup Ranking: Silicon Valley ranked 1st
followed by New York City and London (2nd) Beijing
ranked at 4 and Boston at 5.
• North America continues to dominate the Global
Rankings, with 50% of the Top 30 ecosystems coming
from this region, followed by Asia with 27% and
Europe with 17% of the top performing ecosystems
globally.
• Top 5 Global Startup Ecosystem 2021 Ranking
Rank City
1 Silicon Valley
2 New York City
2 London
3 Beijing
4 Boston

Key Analysis:
i.Mumbai: Itretained its 1st position in the Emerging Ecosystems ranking outperforming other fast-growing
ecosystems in areas of funding, performance market research, and talent. Emerging Ecosystems are the
ecosystems in earlier stages of growth that have high potential to be global performers in the future.
ii.As per the report, Indian startups raised USD 12.1 billion in the first half of 2021 and as of August 2021, India
has produced 24 unicorns.
iii.Bangalore and the surrounding state of Karnataka are also mentioned as the world’s 4th largest technology and
innovation cluster.
• Bangalore has healthy access to growth capital by large funding from Swiggy (USD 1.3 billion), ShareChat
(USD 502 million), and Byju (USD 460 million).
iv.Other Indian hubs such as Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad were also made it into the ‘Top 100 Emerging
Ecosystems’ list.
v.North America accounts for 50 percent of the top 30 ecosystems in 2021, followed by Asia with 27 percent and
Europe with 17 percent.
vi.London was stated as the most attractive destination to set up a tech startup outside of Silicon Valley, with an
overall ecosystem value of USD 142.7 billion.
vii.The report ranked the leading 140 startup ecosystems based on 7 success factors including Performance,
Talent and Connectedness.
In accordance with the first Hurun India Future unicorn List 2021′ released by Hurun Research Institute, India
became the third largest Unicorn ecosystem in the world after the United States (US) and China as India have 51
Unicorns worth $168 billion, and 32 Gazelles and 54 Cheetahs.
About Startup Genome:
Headquarters – San Francisco, California, United States
Founder & CEO – JF Gauthier
India Became the 2nd Biggest Trading Partner of Dubai; China Tops
As per the Dubai government’s statement, India emerged as the 2nd biggest trading partner of Dubai in the first
half (H1) of 2021 after China.Trade with India grew 74.5% year-on-year to 67.1 billion dirham from 38.5 billion
dirham in H1 2020.
Top Trade Partners of Dubai:
Rank Country Trade Volume in H1 2021 (in billion dirham)
1 China 86.7
67.1
2 India (Grew by 74.5 percent year-on-year)
3 United States 32
4 Saudi Arabia 30.5
5 Switzerland 24.8
Key Points:
i.The total share of the top 5 trading partners in H1 2021 increased by 30.34 percent from 185.06 billion dirham
in H1 2020 to 241.21 billion dirham.
ii.Share of Commodities: Gold topped the list of the share of commodities in Dubai’s H1 2021 external trade at
138.8 billion dirham followed by telecoms at 94 billion dirham, Diamonds at 57.3 billion dirham, jewellery at 34.1
billion dirham, and vehicle trade at 28 billion dirham.
iii.Exports of Dubai in H1 2021 increased to 109.8 billion dirham from 75.8 billion dirham in H1 2020. Imports
also increased to 414 billion dirham from 320 billion dirham.

About United Arab Emirates (UAE):
Capital – Abu Dhabi
President – Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Currency – UAE dirham
REPORTS
Children living as Migrants or Refugees increased to 35.5mn in 2020: UNICEF Report
In accordance with the report titled ‘Uncertain Pathways: How gender shapes the experiences of children on
the move’ by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the number of persons living outside their birth
country or citizenship reached a record high of 281 million in 2020, representing 3.6% of the global population.In
this, 36 million of them were recorded as children.
• This number is increased among boys and girls younger than 18 years to 35.5 million in 2020. Among them
13 million (over a third) were refugees and asylum seekers.
Key figures:
i.10 million child refugees were displaced due to conflict and war. Around 5.1 million were boys and 4.9 million
were girls.
ii.In this displacement scenario, boys outnumbered girls by 1.2 million or 6.7% which is the largest difference
ever recorded.
iii.In a year, there were almost 15 million new displacements or 41,000 each day.
iv.Nearly two-thirds of all international migrants in 2020 (including refugees) were born in middle-income
countries. Only 13% were born in low-income countries.
v.The Middle East and North Africa region is home to the largest number of international child migrants with
greatest gender imbalance.
• There are around 9 million child migrants living in these regions in 2020 with 54.3% of them being boys.
• At the end of 2020, an estimated 23.3 million girls and boys were living in displacement due to conflict,
violence or natural disaster;11.3 million were girls and 11.9 million were boys.
WMO Report:Weather, Climate Disasters Increase Fivefold in 50 years

World Meteorological Organization (WMO), has released a report titled, “The Atlas of Mortality and Economic
Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970–2019)” which states that number of disasters, such
as floods and heatwaves, driven by climate change have increased fivefold over the past 50 years.
Highlights
• Extreme events like changes in weather and Climate patterns will become more frequent.
• There were more than 11,000 reported disasters attributed to these hazards globally, with just over two
million deaths and $3.64 trillion in losses.
• The recent hurricane named’ Ida’ in the US Gulf Coast, considered as the costliest weather disaster.
• WMO has estimated an average of 115 deaths each day. More than 91% deaths occurred in developing
countries.
Key findings
i.Majority of the loss occurred due to droughts. Around 650,000 deaths are recorded while storms and floods
caused 577,000 and 58,700 deaths respectively in the past 50 years.
ii.The report finds that the numbers of Disasters and extreme climatic events have increased but the decrease in
the number of deaths is almost 3 times recorded.
iii.Due to improvement in early warning system and disaster management the number of death reduced from
50,000 in1970 to 20,000 in 2010s
iv.The reported losses from 2010–2019 (US$ 383 million per day on average over the decade) were seven times
the amount reported from 1970–1979 (US$ 49 million).
v.The UN agency’s report found that three hurricanes – Harvey, Maria and Irma – that hit the United States in
2017 alone accounted for 35% of the economic losses caused by weather disasters from 1970 to 2019.

About World Meteorological Organization
Secretary General- Petteri Taalas
Members- 193 member
Sand and Dust Storms Impact over 500 Million People in India: APDIM Report
The Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM), the regional
institution of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP), has
released the report on sand and dust storms named ‘Sand and Dust Storms Risk Assessment in Asia and the
Pacific’.
• As per the risk assessments of the report, more than 500 million people in India are exposed to medium and
high levels of poor air quality due to sand and dust storms.
• The Asia-Pacific region is the world’s 2nd largest in terms of mineral dust emissions.
Key Analysis of the Report:
i.Energy sector: The sand and dust storms impact the generation of electricity by solar power plants. India has
1,584 gigawatt-hours (GWh) energy loss in 2019, in economic terms, the impact is greater than USD 107 million a
year.
ii.Around 60 million people from the cities of Karachi (Pakistan), Lahore (Pakistan), and Delhi have experienced
more than 170 dusty days a year in 2019 due to sand and dust storms.
• More than 80 percent of the populations of Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Iran are
exposed to medium and high levels of poor air quality due to sand and dust storms.
iii.6 million residents of 8 cities (3 in China, 2 in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 2 in Pakistan, and 1 in Uzbekistan)
across the Asia Pacific region were breathing air with unhealthy concentrations of particulate matter every day
for at least 10 months in 2019.
iv.Environment: Due to high dust deposition, the agricultural lands in Central Asia and glaciers in the Himalaya
(Himalaya-Hindu Kush mountain range) and Tibetan mountains, which are the sources of fresh water for more
than 1.3 billion people in Asia, were getting affected.
v.Sand and dust storms directly affect 11 of the 17 UN-mandated sustainable development goals (SDG).
vi.Positive Effect:
• The dust particles that carry iron can enrich parts of oceans, improving the phytoplankton balance and
impacting marine food webs.
• Some of the dust particles increase the nutrient content in the areas of deposition and benefit vegetation.
On April 20, 2021, UN-ESCAP in its report ‘Beyond the pandemic: Building back better from crises in Asia and the
Pacific’ analysed the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific countries.
About UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific):
APDIM is one of the 5 regional commissions of the UN.
Headquarters – Bangkok, Thailand
Executive Secretary – Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
Members – 53 members and 9 associate members
World Social Protection Report 2020-22 by ILO: Half of World Population, 4.1 billion don’t have
Social Security
In September 2021, International Labour Organization (ILO) has released its flagship report on social protection
named ‘World Social Protection Report 2020-22: Social protection at the crossroads – in pursuit of a better
future’.
• As per the report, half of the global population i.e. 53 percent (4.1 billion) did not have any kind of social
security.

Key Findings of the report:
i.As of 2020, only 46.9 percent of the global population are effectively covered by at least 1 social protection
benefit, while the remaining 53.1 percent (4.1 billion) people obtain no income security at all from their national
social protection system.
ii.Government Spending: On average, around 12.8 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) were spent by
the countries on social protection (excluding health).
• High-income countries spend around 16.4 percent, whereas low-income countries spent only 1.1
percent of their GDP on social protection.
iii.Regional Inequalities:
The different rates of coverage under social protection worldwide are as follows,
• Europe and Central Asia – 84 percent of people being covered by at least one benefit. Americas – 64.3
percent; Asia and Pacific -44 percent; the Arab States -40 percent; and Africa – 17.4 per cent.
iv.Additional Investment:
Since the start of the COVID-19, the additional spending required to ensure at least minimum social protection for
all was increased by ~ 30 percent.
• The low-income countries require an additional investment of – US$77.9 billion per year (equivalent to 15.9
percent of GDP) to ensure minimum social protection.
• Lower-middle-income countries – US$362.9 billion per year (equivalent to 5.1 percent of GDP).
• Upper-middle-income countries will require US$750.8 billion per year (equivalent to 3.1 percent of GDP).
v.Worldwide Report: Only 1 in 4 children (26.4 per cent) worldwide receives a social protection benefit, only 45
percent of women with newborns worldwide receive a cash maternity benefit, and only 1 in 3 persons with
severe disabilities (33.5 per cent) worldwide receive a disability benefit.
Social Protection: It includes access to health care and income security measures related to old age,
unemployment, sickness, disability, work injury, or the loss of the main breadwinner in a family, etc.
According to a new study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour
Organization (ILO), Long working hours are putting more people at risk of work-related disability and early death
due to Stroke & Ischemic Heart Disease. The study is the 1st of its kind on the loss of life and health associated
with working long hours.
About International Labour Organization (ILO):
Director-General – Guy Ryder
Member Countries – 187 member States
Over half of farm households still under debt: NSO Report

In accordance with the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation, ‘Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households and Land Holdings of Households in
Rural India, 2019’ released on September 10, 2021, more than half of India’s agricultural households were in
debt, with an average outstanding of Rs 74,121 in 2018 as compared to Rs 47,000 in 2013, an increase of 57.7%.
• The data based on the 77th round of survey of more than 45,000 such households conducted January 1-
December 31, 2019.
• The survey theme was “Land and Livestock Holdings of Households and Situation Assessment of
Agricultural Households” in the rural areas of India.
• The data represents the situation before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.
Key Points:
i.Prior to the 77th round, Land and Livestock Holding Surveys (LHS) and Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of
Agricultural Households used to be conducted as separate surveys in separate sets of households.
ii.The percentage of agricultural households in debt has slightly reduced from 51.9% in 2013 to 50.2% in the
recent survey
iii.The percentage of indebted agricultural households stood at 50.2%. .

iv.Andhra Pradesh to have the highest average outstanding loan, at Rs 2.45 lakh. The state also had the highest
proportion (93.2%) of agricultural households under debt, followed by Telangana (91.7%) and Kerala (69.9 %).
v.Average income of agricultural households increased to Rs 10,218 in 2019 from Rs 6,426 in 2013.
vi.As per the survey, total number of agricultural households in India are 93.09 million (July 2018-June 2019).
vii.This rural survey found that in Haryana, Punjab, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Madhya
Pradesh, people had borrowed more loans than in other states. In Tripura, 13 per cent had to sell off or mortgage
land and 20 per cent their valuables. In West Bengal, 22 per cent of people had jewellery and 17 per cent had their
valuables sold or mortgaged.
What is an agricultural household?
It is defined as one receiving more than Rs 4,000 as value of produce from agricultural activities (cultivation of
field crops, horticultural crops, fodder crops, plantation, animal husbandry, poultry, fishery, piggery, bee-keeping,
vermiculture, sericulture, etc) and that has at least one member self-employed in agriculture (either in principal
or in subsidiary status) in the last 365 days.
In accordance with the ‘Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)- Annual Report (July, 2019 – June, 2020)’ conducted
by National Statistical Office (NSO), unemployment rate for women fell to 4.2% in 2019-20 from 5.1% in 2018-19.
The findings of the survey were informed by Minister of State (MoS) Rameshwar Teli, Ministry of Labour and
Employment in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
About Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation:
Minister of State (MoS), Independent Charge– Rao Inderjit Singh
Constituency– Gurgaon (Haryana)
Climate Change to Force 216 Million People to Migrate from their Countries by 2050: World Bank
report
The World Bank released the updated Groundswell report “Groundswell Part 2: Acting on Internal Climate
Migration” on 13th September 2021. According to the report, Climate Change could force more than 216
million people from across 6 regions(South Asia; Latin America; Sub-Saharan Africa; East Asia and the Pacific;
North Africa; and Eastern Europe and Central Asia) to migrate from their own countries by 2050.
• The report acts as a reminder of the effects of
human activity on climate change, especially on the
world’s poorest.
• It also states the various paths for the nations to
address the major factors that cause climate-driven
migration.
• The updated report has included 3 new
regions(Eastern Europe and Central Asia, North
Africa and East Asia and the Pacific) to provide a
“global estimate” of the potential migration.
Gist of the report:
i.The report states that the hotspots of internal climate in and out-migration can emerge as early as 2030 and
grow and intensify by 2050.
ii.The report also finds that immediate actions to reduce the global greenhouse gas emissions and to ensure
inclusive and resilient development is essential can reduce the effects of internal climate migration by around 60-
80 %.
iii.According to the report, by 2050, sub-Saharan Africa will have 85.7 million internal climate migrants (4.2 % of
the total population); East Asia and the Pacific, 48.4 million (2.5 % of the total population); South Asia, 40.5
million (1.8 % of the total population); North Africa, 19.3 million (9.0 % of the total population); Latin America,
17.1 million (2.6 % of the total population); and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 5.1 million (2.3 % of the total
population).
iv.Sub-Saharan Africa will have the largest number of internal climate refugees by 2050.

v.The latest report includes three new regions — Eastern Europe and Central Asia, North Africa and East Asia and
the Pacific — to provide a “global estimate” of the scale of potential migration.
Click here for the Groundswell Part 2
About World Bank:
The World Bank was created at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, along with the International Monetary Fund
(IMF).
President– David R. Malpass (13th President)
Headquarters– Washington DC, United States of America
Supports to Farmers keeping the World away from SDGs: Report by FAO, UNDP & UNEP
On September 14, 2021, three United Nations (UN) agencies viz. the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN
Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released a report titled ‘A multi-
billion-dollar opportunity: Repurposing agricultural support to transform food systems’.
• The report is an analysis of countries’ support to farmers and its adverse impacts on food prices,
environment, global warming and farmers, specifically smallholders.
• This report comes ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 which will be held during the UN General
Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States (US) on September 23.
Objective of Report:
To inform the countries about the negative side of agro funding which is keeping the world away from achieving
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), therefore, an alarming need to reform the agriculture support systems.
How supporting to farmers is affecting the well-being and environment?
i.The contemporary food production system emits high greenhouse gas (GHG) and the support is being provided
for the most emission-intensive sectors like sugar and the beef production chain.
ii.Increase in industrial food production and consumption led to non-communicable diseases.
iii.The support and incentives are targeted at a few commodities thus not benefiting all farmers. Also, they
incentivise production practices and behaviours that might be harmful to the health, sustainability, equity and
efficiency of food systems.
iv.The current support systems had invariably helped corporates more than producers.
Key Figures regarding Support:
i.It should be noted that annually $540 billion are used as a support to farmers which would be increased to
triple by 2030 to $1.759 trillion.
• Out of this 87% of the support i.e. $470 billion is price distorting and environmentally and socially harmful.
ii.Of the total support, $294 billion was paid in the form of price incentives and around $245 billion as fiscal
subsidies to farmers.
iii.Only $110 billion was used to support infrastructure, research and development and benefitted the general
food and agriculture sector.
What report said as a solution?
i.The report called to repurpose the support, denying its negative implications, as most of the support is in
emission-intensive and environment unfriendly sectors.
• To reduce the negative impacts, efforts like the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh should be initiated that
adopted a policy of Zero Budget Natural Farming.
ii.High-income countries should decrease their support to the meat and dairy industry that accounted for 14.5%
of global GHG emissions.
iii.For low income countries, the support to chemical pesticides and fertilizers should be trimmed and also to
discourage monoculture (cultivation of a single crop in a given area).
Six-step recommendation by Report to the Governments for repurposing process:
• Measuring the support provided
• Understanding its positive and negative impacts,
• Identifying repurposing options,
• Forecasting their impacts,
• Refining the proposed strategy and detailing its implementation plan,

• Monitoring the implemented strategy.
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in India and the Rajasthan government’s Department of Food and
Civil Supplies established a partnership to improve the Targeted Public Distribution System (TDPS), world’s
largest food safety net scheme in Rajasthan.
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
Administrator– Achim Steiner
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Executive Director– Inger Andersen
Headquarters– Nairobi, Kenya
India’s GDP to grow by 7.2% in 2021 & 6.8% in 2022 – UNCTAD Report
On 15th September 2021, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released
its “Trade and Development Report 2021”, which predicts India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to grow
by 7.2 percent in 2021, whereas the Global Growth rate is projected at 5.3 percent.
• The report also estimates India’s GDP to grow by 6.7 percent in 2022, becoming the fastest growing
economy in the World.
Key Findings of the Report:
i.The Global economic growth that saw a fall of 3.5 percent in 2020 due to the pandemic, will grow by 5.3 percent
in 2021. A total of $10 trillion trade losses were made in 2020–21.
ii.Global growth rate is estimated at 3.6 percent in 2022, which will match 3.7 percent growth, its pre-pandemic
estimation level for 2022.
iii.India’s GDP will grow by 7.2 percent in 2021, after witnessing a contraction of 7% (-7%) in 2020.
iv.India’s recovery will be constrained by the 6% inflation rate, which is caused by increasing food prices.
v.The economic activities in the South Aisan region will expand by 5.8 percent in 2021.
Other Important GDP forecasts:
Rating Agency India’s GDP Forecast for FY22
OECD 9.90%
SBI 7.90%
ICRA 8.50%
World Bank 8.30%
IMF 9.50%
Economic Survey 2021 11%
In June 2021, the World Bank revised India’s GDP growth forecast for FY22 to 8.3 percent from its earlier
estimate of 10.1 percent, and also projected a 7.5 percent GDP growth for India in FY23.
About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
General Secretary – Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica)

NITI Aayog Launches Report on ‘Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India’; France’s Dassault
Systèmes partnered with NITI Aayog
On September 16, 2021, a report titled ‘Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India’ was released by NITI
(National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog’s Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO (Chief Executive
Officer) Amitabh Kant and Special Secretary Dr K. Rajeswara Rao.
• The report has been developed by NITI Aayog over a period of 9 months, in consultation with concerned
ministries and eminent experts in the domain of urban and regional planning.
Key highlights of report:
i.India is home to 11% of the total global urban population and will surpass China as the most populous country
in the world by 2027.
ii.There is a dire need for the planning and management of cities as the existing urban planning and governance
framework is complex. In order to overcome this scenario, the report has recommended the following:
• Every city must aspire to become a ‘Healthy City for All’ by 2030. In this regard, a Central Scheme ‘500
Healthy Cities Programme’, for a period of 5 years has been recommended, wherein priority cities and towns
would be selected jointly by the states and local bodies.
• The report also recommended a sub-scheme ‘Preparation/Revision of Development Control Regulations’ for
strengthening development control regulations under ‘Healthy Cities Programme’.
• States/UTs should expedite the filling of vacant positions of town planners ensuring qualified candidates.
• It suggested a ‘Citizen Outreach Campaign’ to ease the process of urban planning.
• The other recommendations include Re-engineering of Urban Governance, revision of Town and Country
Planning Acts, and Enhancing the Role of Private Sector.
iii.Apart from above there is a need of Strengthening Urban Planning Education System under which Central
universities and technical institutions should be encouraged to offer postgraduate degree programmes (MTech
Planning). These offerings can be done in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of
Panchayati Raj and respective state rural development departments/directorates.
iv.The report recommends the constitution of a ‘National Council of Town and Country Planners’ as a
statutory body of the Government of India along with the creation of ‘National Digital Platform of Town and
Country Planners’ within the National Urban Innovation Stack of MoHUA.
Click here for full report
Dassault Systèmes, NITI Aayog partner to boost innovations
NITI Aayog and France’s software maker Dassault Systèmes have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) during a
virtual event to support various current and future initiatives of AIM (Atal Innovation Mission) programs and
AIM beneficiaries in India.
• Under the pact, Dassault Systèmes will support AIM beneficiaries viz. Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), AIM
incubators (AICs and EICs), Atal Community Innovation Centres (ACIC), grantees under Atal New India
Challenge (ANIC), and Atal Research & Innovation for Small Enterprise (ARISE).
• The collaboration will act as a catalyst for innovation.
6 aspects of SoI:
i.Access to Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Lab start-up acceleration program to selected AIM start-ups
ii.Mentorship to selected AIM start-ups for capability building of their products;
iii.3DEXPERIENCE Lab related global community access to selected AIM start-ups
iv.Industry connect for selected AIM start-ups with Dassault Systèmes’ worldwide customers, partners and
technology collaborators
v.Participation of selected AIM start-ups in Dassault Systèmes national and global events
vi.Organization and participation in joint events, hackathons, challenges with AIM and NITI Aayog
Key Points:
i.AIM develops programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy
ii.As per NITI Aayog, AIM’s initiatives have played a role in India’s position going up from 81 in the Global
Innovation Index in 2015 to 48 in 2020.

i.As India’s policies and programmes are aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030, NITI (National
Institution for Transforming India) Aayog released the Study on Not-For-Profit Hospital Model in India-Web
providing insight into their operation model. As of June 2018, these hospitals account for only 1.1% of treated
ailments.
ii.The report was released by Dr. Vinod Kumar Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog.
Dr. Rakesh Sarwal, Additional Secretary of NITI Aayog & Keisuke Sadamori, Director of Energy Markets and
Security, International Energy Agency (IEA) jointly launched the ‘Renewables Integration in India 2021’ prepared
by NITI Aayog & IEA.
About NITI Aayog:
Chairperson– Prime Minister of India (Currently- Narendra Damodardas Modi)
World Bank discontinues “Ease of Doing Business” report

On 16th September 2021, the World Bank group announced to discontinue its “Doing Business” reports after
finding data irregularities in countries rankings in 2018 and 2020 reports. The law investigation
agency, WilmerHale, has unveiled inconsistent with the Doing Business methodology in the 2018 report, which
favoured China’s position.
• In Doing Business 2018 report, China was ranked 78th with a score of 65.3, but after making corrections in
various indicators, its position dropped 7 places to 85th with a score of 64.5
Note – The 1st edition of the ‘Doing Business’ report was published by the World Bank in 2003.
i.The investigation has unveiled that the data irregularities in the reports were due to pressure from the then
World Bank Chief Executive ‘Kristalina Georgieva’, who serves as the Managing Director of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) since 2018.
ii.In the “Doing Business 2020” report, the ranking of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan were
found to be dispositioned.
• Saudi Arabia jumped 30 places to 62nd in the 2020 report compared to that of 2019.
Note – India was ranked 63rd in the ‘2020 Ease of Doing Business’ index, which was topped by New Zealand
About WilmerHale:
Founder – William F. Lee
Headquarters – Washington, DC, USA
About World Bank:
President – David R. Malpass
Headquarters – Washington DC, USA
World Bank Country Director in India – Junaid Ahmad
Mansukh Mandaviya released FSSAI’s 3rd State Food Safety Index 2020-2021
On September 20, 2021, Union Minister Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(MoHFW) released the 3rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI) 2020-21 by Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI) in New Delhi. It measures the performance of States/Union Territories (UTs) across five
parameters of food safety.
• In this regard, MoHFW felicitated nine leading States/UTs from 3 categories for their impressive
performance.
Top rankers:
i.Larger States: Gujarat was the top ranking state, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Bihar ranked last (20th) in this list.
ii.Smaller States: Goa stood first followed by Meghalaya at 2nd and Manipur at 3rd .
• Mizoram stood last at 8th

iii.UTs: Jammu & Kashmir grabbed the top spot followed by Andaman & Nicobar Islands and New Delhi at
2nd and 3rd place respectively.
• Lakshadweep ranked 8th place at last .
5 parameters of food safety:
i.Human Resources and Institutional Data
ii.Compliance
iii.Food Testing- Infrastructure and Surveillance
iv.Training and Capacity Building
v.Consumer Empowerment
Click here to read full report
Results of Survey assessing the presence of Industrially Produced Trans Fatty Acid released
The Union Minister also released the results of a PAN-India survey that identified the presence of industrially
produced trans fatty acid content in six food categories. Samples of the same were collected from 419
cities/districts across 34 States/UTs.
• Overall, only 84 samples, i.e. 1.34%, have more than 3% industrially produced trans fats from the total of
6245 samples.
Other launches by Mansukh Mandaviya:
i.Launch of various innovative initiatives by FSSAI including the Eat Right Research Awards and Grants to
encourage and recognize high-quality research in food safety and nutrition in India.
ii.Release logo for Vegan Foods for easy identification and distinction from non-vegan foods.
iii.Launch of various e-books featuring recipes around local seasonal food items, indigenous millets and plant-
based sources of protein.
iv.The minister also flagged off 19 Mobile Food Testing Vans (Food Safety on Wheels) taking the total number of
such mobile testing vans to 109.
Pledge of becoming Plastic Waste Neutral:
During the event, 24 food businesses signed a pledge on becoming ‘Plastic Waste Neutral’ by collecting,
processing and recycling of 100% post-consumer plastic waste.
• 21 companies have also committed to reduce the levels of virgin plastic in the food and beverage sector.
Other Participants:
Rita Teaotia, Chairperson, FSSAI; Arun Singhal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Member Secretary, FSSAI,
among others.
Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) & Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have signed
an agreement to protect consumers from misleading claims in Food & Beverage (F&B) advertisements.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW):
Mansukh Mandaviya Constituency– Gujarat
Minister of State (MoS)– Bharati Pravin Pawar (Constituency- Dindori, Maharashtra)
Countries to invest on Small & Medium scale farmers to address Nutrition disparity – IFAD
Report
To resolve the global issue of Nutrition disparity, Countries should invest more on nature-based farming and
providing incentives to small & medium scale farmers will play critical role in reducing rural poverty & increasing
nutrition security, as per the ‘Rural Development Report 2021’ released by United Nations International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), named “Transforming Food Systems for Rural Prosperity”.
i.Small-scale agriculture is directly linked with the livelihood of the majority of rural population across the globe,
with over 31% of the World’s food being produced in farms sized up to 2-hectares.
ii.Governments across the globe shall provide support for small-scale farming activities such as storing,
processing, marketing and food distribution.
iii.The report informs that around 37% of the global Greenhouse gas emission is caused by the food system.

iv.The report notes that, only through concrete measures taken by the governments, the global food system can
be transformed.
Key Recommendation to Governments:
• Farmers shall be rewarded with incentives for maintaining healthy soil & nature-based diet.
• Implement Nature-based affordable digital technology solutions, to boost the production of rural small-scale
farmer productions.
• Promotion of climate-resilient low-carbon sustainable farming.
• To Transform the food system into a circular resource based sustainable network.
• Leveling of Agro-pricing systems with the actual cost of production.
About International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD):
President – Gilbert F. Houngbo
Headquarter – Rome, Italy
WMO Report ‘United in Science 2021’: COVID-19 has not Slowed Climate change
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report on the latest climate science information
named ‘United in Science 2021’.
• As per the report, the COVID-19 caused only a temporary decline in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in
2020.
• Whereas the concentrations of major greenhouse gases – CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the
atmosphere continued to increase in 2020 and the first half of 2021.
Key Findings of the Report:
i.Global Climate in 2017- 21: The global average surface temperature for the period from 2017–2021 is among
the warmest on record, estimated at 1.06 °C to 1.26 °C above pre-industrial (1850–1900) levels.
ii.Fossil CO2 emissions – coal, oil, gas and cement – increased to 36.6 gigatonne carbon dioxide (GtCO2) in 2019,
followed by a drop of 1.98 GtCO2 (5.6 percent) in 2020 due to COVID-19.
iii.Sea level rise: Global mean sea levels rose 20 cm from 1900 to 2018 and at an accelerated rate of 3.7+0.5
mm/year from 2006 to 2018.
• Even if emissions are reduced to limit warming to well below 2 °C, the global mean sea level is expected to
rise 0.3–0.6 m by 2100 and could rise by 0.3–3.1 m by 2300.
iv.Around 103 billion potential work hours were lost globally in 2019 compared with those lost in 2000 due to
work impairment and heat-related mortality due to rising temperature.
v.As per the report, the average global temperature for the past 5 years was among the highest on record.
vi.The high latitude regions and the Sahel are likely to be wetter over 2021–2025 than in the recent past.
vii.There is an increasing likelihood for a breach in the Paris Agreement which aims to reduce global warming to
1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level.
Note – The report was prepared by WMO along with Global Carbon Project (GCP), Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), the
Met Office (United Kingdom (UK)), etc.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO), has released a report titled, “The Atlas of Mortality and Economic
Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970–2019)” which states that number of disasters, such as
floods and heatwaves, driven by climate change have increased fivefold over the past 50 years.
About World Meteorological Organization (WMO):
Establishment – 23 March 1950
Secretary-general – Petteri Taalas
Members – 193 Member States and Territories

COVID-19 Slow down the Development Towards SDGs – The 3rd Assessment Report of FAO
According to the report of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), titled
‘Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2021’, COVID 19 has set back progress
towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) enshrined in the UN’s Agenda 2030, undermining the decades of
development efforts.
• It focuses on eight SDGs, which were adopted at the UN summit in New York in 2015. It’s FAO’s 3rd
assessment this time.
• According to the report, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden of chronic hunger. It has pushed
around 83 to 132 million people into hunger in 2020.
• COVID-19 has disrupted the food supply in society, around 14 percent of all food has been lost.
Key findings
i.The Pandemic caused the biggest harm in the agricultural system of the countries. It has also increased the price
volatility in the supply market.
ii.Women suffered more than men due to disparity in earnings, gender inequalities in land rights, discriminatory
laws and customs.
iii.Water stress also remains high in many regions of low-income countries. Which is not threatening progress
towards sustainable development.
iv.The new report coincides with the recent UN Food Systems Summit, which aims to raise global awareness
and spur actions to transform food systems, eradicate hunger, reduce diet-related diseases, and heal the planet.
v.The report also includes the contribution of the private sector to the SDGs.
Progress and Solutions
i.Agriculture: More investments are required to scale up supply and boost agricultural productivity in developing
countries. It suggested the removal of agricultural export subsidies, duty-free access for developing and Least
Developed Countries (LDCs), particularly for agricultural products.
ii.Biodiversity conservation– Support should be provided to plants and animals genetic resources.
iii.It suggests the need for progress in both the legal and practical aspects of women’s land rights and to combat
the threat of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing to the sustainability of global fisheries.
On 29th July 2020, The Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO) unveiled a new Platform, “Technical Platform on
the Measurement and Reduction of Food Loss and Waste” to support the global reduction of food loss and waste.
About Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve
nutrition and food security.
Headquarters- Rome, Italy
Establishment – 16 October 1945
Director General – QU Dongyu
UNICEF’s Fed to Fail? Report: No improvement in young children’s diets over past decade
In accordance with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report titled ‘Fed to Fail? The crisis of
children’s diets in early life’, two in every three children between 6–23 months didn’t get the nutritious diet
needed for healthy growth and the COVID-19 pandemic could make the situation much worse.
• This report was released ahead of the United Nations Food Systems Summit on September 23, 2021 in New
York, United States (US).
Basis of Analysis:
The report examined the UNICEF Global Database on Infant and Young Child Feeding for the status, trends,
inequities and barriers to nutritious diets of children aged 6–23 months.
• This database has collated data from 607 nationally representative surveys conducted in 135 countries,
representing more than 90% of all children under 2 years.
• UNICEF has estimated that globally, more than half of children under the age of 5 with wasting are younger
than 2 years of age.This amounts to around 23 million children.

Key Points:
i.Around 27% of children aged 6-8 months were not fed any solid food.
ii.Among children aged 6–23 months, around half were not fed the minimum number of meals or snacks.
iii.Around one in every three young children in Australia, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Serbia and
Sudan were fed at least one processed or ultra-processed food or drink daily.
iiv.The diet of the world’s children below the age of two years has not improved in the last decade.
• The exceptions are Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Gambia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Sierra Leone
and Timor-Leste who have recorded significant improvements in the quality of young diets over the last 10
years.
• It was also found that Afghanistan, Bangladesh and India experience powerful social norms that exclude
them from food-purchase decisions.
iv.Children in rural areas, poorer households and disadvantaged regions have the least diverse diets.
Recommendations by Report for nutritious, safe and affordable diet to every child:
• Increasing the availability and affordability of nutritious foods
• Implementing national standards and legislation to protect young children from unhealthy processed food
and drink
• Ending harmful marketing practices targeting children and families
WMO Report: Rising CO2 concentration affects all 17 SDGs

On September 22, 2021, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published a new report titled ‘Climate
Indicators and Sustainable Development: Demonstrating the Interconnections’ stating that climate change
effects not only obstruct the Sustainable Development Goal-13 (SDG13- Climate Action) but impede all 17 SDGs.
• It was released in coincide with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) annual session; and the
opening of the virtual SDG Action Zone to accelerate action on the SDGs.
What is in the report?
It has covered 13 SDGs to demonstrate their connection with the changing global climate, which will hinder the
achievement of the SDGs.
• It also called for greater international collaboration for achieving the SDGs, and for limiting global warming
to less than 2 °C or even 1.5 °C by the end of this century.
Rising CO2 impact all 17 SDGs:
In accordance with the report, there are seven climate indicators impacting SDGs viz.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, Temperature, Ocean acidification, Ocean heat content, Sea-ice extent, Glacier
mass balance, and Sea-level rise.
• In above, rising CO2 concentration due to human activities is a key driver of global climate change. This is
indirectly responsible for risks related to the other six climate indicators and all 17 SDGs.
Recommendations:
The WMO recommended the remaining four SDGs viz. improved education (SDG 4), global partnerships (SDG
17), and sustainable consumption (SDG 12) to be utilized as solutions to mitigate climate risks.
• Gender equality (SDG 5) is also a critical component of many of the highlighted risks, particularly relating to
health, food security and water scarcity.
On July 23, 2021, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted a new first-ever resolution on vision named
‘Vision for Everyone’ to make eye care services an integral part of universal health coverage and address the
increasing impact of vision loss on sustainable development.
About World Meteorological Organization (WMO):
It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN)
Secretary-General– Prof. Petteri Taalas
Members– 193 nations
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Bangladeshi Vaccine Scientist Firdausi Qadri and 4 Others Awarded for Ramon Magsaysay Award
2021
Bangladeshi scientist Firdausi Qadri, who developed a cheap oral vaccine against cholera won the Ramon
Magsaysay award 2021 which is also called Asia’s Nobel Prize. Along with her, the other recipients received the
award for the year 2021.
2021 other awardees are:
• Muhammad Amjad Saqib (Pakistan) – for helping
people through social entrepreneurship.
• Steven Muncy (Southeast Asia) – for extending
humanitarian and peace-building efforts across
borders.
• Filipino fisher and community
environmentalist Roberto Ballon from philippines.
• Watchdoc Indonesia (Indonesia) – for emergent
leadership and for using journalism and filmmaking
to give voice to the people.
About Firdausi Qadri
i.Dr. Qadri is 70 years old senior scientist and working on projects for creating affordable vaccines to combat
cholera and typhoid at the Mucosal Immunology and Vaccinology Unit at the International Centre for Diarrheal
Disease Research in Dhaka,Bangladesh.
ii.She is also working to enhance efforts of mass vaccination in Rohingya refugee camps.
iii.She played a key role in providing affordable Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) and Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine
(ViTCV) in the region.
iv.She was awarded the L’oreal-UNESCO Award 2020 for outstanding work in science to prevent infectious
diseases among children.
About Muhammad Amjad Saqib
Saqib is 64 years old, Pakistani activist who has developed the first interest free Microfinance Program- Akhuwat.
It uses a place of worship to provide zero-interest loans.
Ramon Magsaysay Award–
Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon
Magsaysay of his integrity in governance, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a
democratic society.
Established – April 1957
Location – Manila, Philippines
NTPC-Ramagundam won the CII Energy Leader Award-2021

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Ramagundam (Telangana) won the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) Energy Leader Award-2021 at the 22nd National Award Ceremony for Excellence in Energy
Management 2021 hosted by the CII.
• The awards were presented during the virtual CII energy summit held between 25th to 27th August 2021.
• This is the 3rd consecutive year for NTPC Ramagundam unit to win this top award in power category. It is
also the only station of NTPC to win this award.
• NTPC-Ramagundam received the prestigious award for its exemplary performance and contribution in the
area of energy efficiency and environment protection and implementation of energy management system as
per ISO 50001 standards.

Nabha Power, Subsidiary of L&T won 2 CII Awards:
i.Nabha Power, a wholly owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has won 2 awards at the 22nd National
Award Ceremony for Excellence in Energy Management.
ii.Nabha Power was adjudged as the National Energy Leader 2021 for its performance for the 3rd consecutive
year in energy management and Excellent Energy Efficiency Unit Award for outstanding achievements in
Energy Efficiency.
iii.Nabha Power supplies power to Punjab at one of the lowest variable cost of Rs.2.93 per unit among Integrated
Power Producers (IPPs) in Punjab.
About CII National Award for Excellence in Energy Management:
i.CII National Award for Excellence in Energy Management 2021 is the 22nd edition of the awards which
recognises all types of industrial sectors in India.
ii.The award recognises and award excellence in energy management among the industrial sector and to enable
the sharing of information on best practices and technologies.
iii.The criteria for different awards are,
• Excellent energy efficient unit
• Energy Efficient unit
Dr. Basant Kumar Misra Becomes 1st Indian to Win AANS Award
Odisha born neurosurgeon Basant Kumar Misra received the ‘’International Lifetime Achievement Award in
Neurosurgery ‘’ by American Association of Neurological
Surgeons (AANS). Basant Kumar will be the first Indian who
received the prestigious AANS award. The award was
presented at a virtual ceremony during the AANS Annual
Scientific Meeting 2021 held in Orlando, Florida.
• The award is given for the recognition of providing high
quality medical services in the field of neurosurgery.
About Basant Kumar Misra
i.He was born in Bhubaneswar, Odisha and currently working
as Chief of Surgery, head of the department of neurosurgery and Gamma knife radiosurgery at PD Hinduja
Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai. He is the son of noted Economist and Litterateur Baidyanath
Misra.
ii.He is the first Vice-president of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) and also the President
of World Federation of Skull Base Societies and also President of Asian Australasian Society of Neurosurgical
Surgery. He is a member of more than 20 associations and societies around the world.
iii.He is serving as a visiting professor of more than 14 medical schools and hospitals which includes Harvard
Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston.
iv.He also received the Dr BC Roy National Award in 2018.
About the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
It is the world apex body of Neurosurgeons.
President: Regis W. Haid, Jr.
Headquarters: Rolling Meadows, Illinois, United States
Founded: 1931
POWERGRID won the Association for Talent Development 2021 BEST Award
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna Central Public Sector Undertaking(CPSU)
under Ministry of Power, Government of India, won the prestigious global “Association for Talent Development
(ATD) 2021 BEST Award” and became the only PSU to win this award.
• POWERGRID has secured the 8th rank among the 71 organisations from across the globe and became one of
the 2 companies of India in the Top 20, Larsen & Toubro Technology Services Limited(Mumbai, India) has
secured the 1st Rank.

• POWERGRID won awards for its efforts in talent development practices and programmes. The POWERGRID
talent development initiatives are driven by the POWERGRID Academy of Leadership(PAL).
Click here for the list of ATD 2021 BEST Winners
About BEST Awards:
i.The Best awards recognised organisations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success as a result of employee
talent development.
ii.The award was established in 2003.
About PAL:
i.PAL is the state-of-the-art Institute of Learning in Management and Technology that provides the requirements
of both domestic and international clients.
ii.Training and initiatives are organized at PAL for enhancing employee performance, boosting employee
productivity, improving and strengthening company culture.
About Association for Talent Development (ATD):
ATD, (formerly ASTD) is the world’s largest association dedicated to those who develop talent in organizations.
President & CEO– Tony Bingham
Headquarters– Alexandria, Virginia, United States of America
SJVN Received Dun & Bradstreet – Corporate Award 2021

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVN) has got the prestigious Dun & Bradstreet Corporate Award for 2021 under the
category of Best Growth Performance- Power.
About the event
The Award ceremony was held in the virtual conference titled
India’s Top 500 companies 2021. The Guest of Honour Dr.
Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the
Prime Minister (EAC-PM) and Special Guest Dr Krishnamurthy
Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance,
Theme of the Event– ” Laying the Foundation for
an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)- Ready
Corporate India”.
Highlights
i.SJVN has invested in several sectors such as thermal, wind, solar power generation, power transmission etc. It
has a portfolio of around 10,000 MW in progress.
ii.It has also set its ambitious goal of reaching 5,000 MW of installed capacity by 2023, 12,00 MW by 2020 and
25,000 MW by 2040.
iii.The event also featured the digital launch of the publication India’s Top 500 Companies 2021.
Listing process
i.For the year 2021 edition of the publication will feature a new separate Listing of the Leading 100 Unlisted
Companies in India.
ii.It will also feature an additional Listing of India’s Top 500 Companies on the basis of their ESG
performance.
About SJVN(Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd)
In September 17 2002 they changed their name from Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation Ltd to Satluj Jal Vidyut
Nigam Ltd as the operations of the company were based in and around the river Sutlej.
Chairman & Managing Director– Nand Lal Sharma
Headquarter -Shimla, Himachal Pradesh (HP)
About Dun & Bradstreet
Managing Director & CEO -Mr. Avinash Gupta

Shailendra Singh wins Behler Turtle Conservation Award 2021
Indian biologist Shailendra Singh has conferred with 2021 Behler Turtle Conservation Award also known as
‘’Nobel Prize for Turtle Conservation” for bringing three critically endangered turtle conservation species back
from the edge of extinction. The award has been bestowed by many global bodies including Turtle Survival
Alliance(TSA), Turtle Conservation Fund (TSF), Turtle Conservancy (TC), International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) /Species Survival Commission (SSC) Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG) etc.
Highlights
• Shailendra Singh has been named to lead the Turtle
Survival Alliance (TSA)/Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS) India Turtle programme.
• Now the work has been started in four priority
conservation areas, it protects 29 out of 18 turtle
and tortoise species, including critically endangered.
(Note- There are 29 species of freshwater turtles and
tortoises in the country.)
Why was he given this award?
He was awarded for bringing three critically endangered turtle conservation species back from the brink of
extinction. These species are red-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga), northern river terrapin
(Batagur baska), and black softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans).
Currently these turtles are being conserved as a part of TSA India’s research, conservation and breeding
education programme at sites of the country. Such as
i.The Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska) is being conserved at the Sunderbans.
ii.The Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga) of Chambal River region.
iii.The Black Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) at different temples in Assam.
About Behler Turtle Conservation Award:
• Established in 2006, it is a major annual international award honoring excellence in the field of tortoise and
freshwater turtle conservation and biology, and leadership in the chelonian conservation and biology
community.
• Also referred to as the “Nobel Prize” of Turtle Conservation.
• Co-presented by Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group,
Turtle Conservancy, and Turtle Conservation Fund.
About Turtle Survival Alliance(TSA):
It was formed in 2001 as an International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) partnership for sustainable
captive management of freshwater turtles and tortoises.
Aim: To achieve ” Zero Turtle Extinction in the 21st Century”.
(Note- World Turtle Day is celebrated on 23rd May.
The KURMA app was launched by the government for the conservation of turtles in India).
Delhi Airport Won CII ‘National Energy Leader’ and ‘Excellent Energy Efficient Unit’ 2021
Indira Gandhi International Airport also known as Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) led by GMR
Group won 2 Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Energy Leader 2021 and Excellent Energy
Efficient Unit 2021 at the 22nd National Award Ceremony for ‘Excellence in Energy Management” organised by
CII Green Business Centre (GBC).
• DIAL has won the National Energy Leader award for the 2nd year and the Excellent Energy Efficient Unit
award for the 4th year in a row.
• The awards recognise the energy efficiency initiatives adopted by the company in its daily operations.
• Rajiv Gandhi International Airport also known as GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) has
clinched the prestigious awards of CII “National Energy Leader” and “Excellent Energy Efficient Unit” for the
3rd and 5th years in a row.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Conferd AICTE- Visvesvaraya Best Teacher Award
2021
Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education(MoE) presented the AICTE-Visvesvaraya Best Teacher Awards
2021 to 17 faculty members of engineering and technical education and the AICTE-Dr. Pritam Singh Best
Teacher Awards 2021 to 3 faculty members of management education, at the function held in New Delhi on the
occasion of National Teachers Day 2021(September 5).
• The winners of the awards were nominated by the All
India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the
technical education regulator of India.
Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for Education
was also present during the event.
Other Awards:
i.The Union Minister also presented the Chhatra
Vishwakarma Award 2020 to 24 teams of students and
the Clean and Smart Campus Award 2020 to 12 selected
institutions from across India.
ii.The theme of the Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards 2020 is India’s Economic Recovery Post Covid; Reverse
Migration and Rehabilitation Plan to support “Atmanirbhar Bharat”
• Chhatra Vishwakarma Award honours and recognises the innovative students
• Smart Campus Awards are presented to recognise the sustainable and eco-friendly AICTE approved
institution.
Click here for the complete list of the awardees
About the Awards:
i.The Visvesvaraya Best Teacher Award, Dr Pritam Singh Best Teacher Award, Chhatra Vishwakarma Award and
Clean and Smart Campus Award were instituted by the AICTE to identify and felicitate extraordinary teachers,
recognize their excellence, best practices, innovativeness and creativity among students and environmental
sensitivity among institutions.
ii.Dr Pritam Singh Best Teacher Award has been introduced in 2021 to honour the faculty member of
management education.
About All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE):
Chairman– Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe
Established in November 1945
ICRISAT, a Agri Research Organisation Receives Africa Food Prize 2021

2021 Africa Food Prize was issued to a Hyderabad based Agri research organisation International Crops
Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) for improving food security in sub-Saharan Africa.
i.Tropical Legumes Project was carried out by ICRISAT along with the International Center for Tropical
Agriculture (CIAT) and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to develop and deliver the 266
improved legume varieties.
ii.This was almost half a million tonnes of seed for a range of legume crops, including cowpeas, pigeon peas,
chickpea, common bean, groundnut, and soybean.
iii.25 million smallholder farmers had been benefitted with these new varieties to become more resilient to
climate change, as well as pest and disease outbreaks.
iv.The project has been implemented in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
About International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
Headquarters – Hyderabad,Telangana
Director General – Dr Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes

Writer Namita Gokhale receives 7th Yamin Hazarika Woman of Substance Award 2021
Writer Namita Gokhale Receives the 7th Yamin Hazarika Woman of Substance Award for the year 2021
during the virtual ceremony.She is the 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 presented 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.
Ayaan Shankta from Mumbai Named as “2021 International Young Eco-Hero”

Ayaan Shankta, a 12-year-old environmental activist from Mumbai, Maharashtra has been named as “2021
International Young Eco-Hero”. He won the 3rd prize under the Age Group: 8-14 for his project “Conservation
and Rehabilitation of Powai Lake” and became one of the 25 global winners of the Young Eco-Hero Award 2021.
• The award presented by “The Action for Nature”, San Francisco based NGO, recognize young people (8 to
16 years old) for their environmental achievements.
President Ram Nath Kovind Conferred National Florence Nightingale Awards 2020
Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards 2020 to 51 nursing
personnel across India over a virtual ceremony. He commended the selfless dedication and compassion of the
nurses and felicitated the winners of the Florence Nightingale Awards 2020.
Key People:
Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health & Family
Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State
for Health & Family Welfare, Rajesh Bhushan, Union
Health Secretary and other senior officials were present
during the virtual ceremony.
About National Florence Nightingale Awards:
i.The government of India instituted the National Florence
Nightingale Awards in 1973 to recognise the meritorious
services provided by the nurses to society.
ii.The award also recognises the courage and devotion to the victims of armed conflicts or natural disasters.
iii.The award consists of a cash prize of Rs 50000, a certificate and a medal.
2020 National Florence Nightingale Awards:
i.Clinical Nurse Bhanumati Somabhai Gheewala from Vadodara, Gujarat has been honoured with this award for
taking care of the delivery of COVID-19 positive Pregnant women and newborns.
ii.Dr Shailla Cannie, Dean and Principal of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi College of Nursing, Jammu & Kashmir(J&K)
was honoured for her work towards girl child and society.
iii.Nursing officer Anuradha and Nurse Latha from Puducherry have also won the National Florence Nightgale
Awards 2020.Click here for the list of 2020 winners of the National Florence Nightingale Awards
Initiatives for healthcare providers:-
• Indian Government has introduced Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP): Insurance Scheme
for Health Workers Fighting covid-19’ to provide a personal accident cover of Rs. 50 lakh to all healthcare
providers.
• Government also launched the ‘Midwifery Service Initiative‘ to create a new cadre of midwives which
named as Nurse Practitioner Midwife (NPM).
Note –International Nurses Day (IND) is observed on 12th May (the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth) of
each year.
Modi, Mamata and SII CEO named among 100 most influential people by TIME
‘The 100 Most Influential People of 2021’, an annual list of global leaders was released by TIME magazine
recently. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Serum Institute of

India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla were named among the world’s 100 most influential people of 2021.
i.Global leaders like US President Joe Biden, US Vice
President Kamala Harris, Chinese President Xi Jinping,
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Israel’s Naftali
Bennett, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi were listed.
ii.Even Former US President Donald Trump and the
Taliban government’s deputy PM Abdul Ghani Baradar of
Afghanistan.
iii.The list also includes tennis player Naomi Osaka,
Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny, music icon
Britney Spears, executive director of the Asian Pacific
Policy and Planning Council Manjusha P. Kulkarni, Apple CEO Tim Cook, actor Kate Winslet and the first African
and first woman to lead the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
About TIME Magazine
TIME is an American News magazine and news website Based in New York
Editor: Edward Felsenthal
Euromoney Named DBS as ‘World’s Best Bank’ & ‘World’s Best Digital Bank’ for 2021
Euromoney, a UK-based financial publication, announced its Global Awards for Excellence 2021 recently, and
named DBS, the Singapore based financial services group as ‘World’s Best Bank 2021’ for the 2nd time in 3
years. Euromoney has also named DBS the ‘World’s Best Digital Bank 2021’.
• DBS becomes the first bank in the world to hold both titles concurrently.
• DBS was awarded for demonstrating its rare skills in surviving the COVID-19 pandemic and for utilising the
chance to innovate and become a better bank.
Note:
This is the 4th consecutive year for DBS to be named the World’s Best Bank.
DBS has been named the World’s Best Bank by Euromoney in 2021 & 2019 and by Global Finance in 2020 and
2018.
About Euromoney’s Awards for Excellence:
Euromoney’s Awards for Excellence established in 1992 was the first of its kind in the global banking industry.
Key Points:
i.It approved more than 12,000 collateral-free loans totalling over SGD 6.2 billion, and SGD 11 billion in loan
moratoriums for micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) customers.
ii.DBS also launched several ground-breaking initiatives with emerging technologies like blockchain and artificial
intelligence, which includes, DBS Digital Exchange, Climate Impact X, Partior, and DBS NAV Planner.
About DBS Bank:
CEO– Piyush Gupta
Headquarters– Singapore
Adidas Named Olympic medalist Mirabai Chanu as face of ‘Stay in Play’ Campaign
Adidas, a German footwear and accessories company, has named Olympic silver medalist (weightlifting), Mirabai
Chanu as the face of its “Stay in Play” campaign, which is designed to keep more menstruating women in sports.
• To support the menstruating women athletes, the brand has launched “TechFit Period Proof tights” with
added layer of protection.
Home Minister Amit Shah Presented Rajbhasha Kirti & Rajbhasha Gaurav Awards
On the occasion of Hindi Diwas 2021, Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation
presented the Rajbhasha Kirti and Rajbhasha Gaurav Awards to Ministries, Departments, and Undertakings
who have done excellent work in the official language during 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21.

He also released the 160th issue of the “Rajbhasha Bharati” booklet.
PNB & UBI received Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar:
i.Punjab National Bank (PNB) has won the 1st prize of Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar for 2020-2021 for the 4th
consecutive time.
ii.Union Bank of India (UBI) won 5 awards – Rajbhasha Kirti
Puraskar for excellent implementation of Hindi during the year
2018-19, 2019-20 & 2020-21.
• Under the National Bank Category, UBI’s e-Corporation
Bank won the 1st prize for the 2019-20 ‘C’ region, and
Union Bank of India won the 3rd prize for the year 2020-
21.
• Under the House Magazine Category, UBI won the 2nd
prize for “Union Srijan” for the years 2018-2019 and
UBI’s e-Andhra Bank won the 2nd prize for “Rajbhasha Sarita” for the years 2018 and 2019.
• Under Town Official Language Implementation committee (TOLIC) Category (C Region), TOLIC,
Vishakhapatnam of UBI’s E-Andhra Bank won the 2nd Prize for the year 2019-2020.
iii.Bank of Maharashtra, and Punjab & Sind Bank have also won the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar.
Other awardees:
i.National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) Limited, under the Ministry of Steel, won the Rajbhasha
Kirti Puraskar (3rd prize) under the Undertakings category C region for 2019-2020.
ii.Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited – Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (RINL-VSP) won the Rajbhasha Keerti Puraskar
(1st Prize) for 2020-21 and 2019-2020.
• TOLIC Undertaking, Visakhapatnam, under RINL, won the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar- 1st Prize for the year
2020-21.
iii.Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) won the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar (2nd prize) under the public sector
undertakings (PSU) category ‘C region’ for the 2nd consecutive year.
iv.Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) won the Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar (1st prize) under the TOLIC undertaking
category C Region for 2019-2020.
• Shrinivas Rao, officer of BEL, won the Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar (2nd prize) under non-Hindi category
(2018-2019).
British writer Susanna Clarke won the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021 for Piranesi
British author Susanna Clarke won the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021 for her 2nd book, a fantasy novel
titled “Piranesi”, a mystery about a man living alone in a labyrinthine house.
The book was published by Bloomsbury Publishing.
She published her debut novel “Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell” in 2004.
Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan presents Kaushalacharya
Awards 2021
Union Education Minister and Skill Development Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan presented the Kaushalacharya
Awards for 2021 virtually on the occasion of Vishwakarma
Jayanti (17th September).
The Award was given to 41 skill trainers for their excellent
contribution to the skill ecosystem.
Highlights
i.The 41 trainers are belonged to various initiatives and
training programmes of Skill India— Directorate General of
Training (DGT), Apprenticeship, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal
Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) and
Entrepreneurship. Awards for vocational training under Industrial Training Institute (ITI) were also presented.

ii.Five candidates also got the award under the apprenticeship category while two candidates got award under
the trainers category from DGT for non- engineer category.
About Kaushalacharya Awards
An initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the Kaushalacharya Awards
is an annual celebration that focuses on honoring the skill trainers and the impact created by them on
India’s youth.
Kaushalacharya Awards are launched in a bid to recognize the contribution made by skill trainers and to motivate
more trainers to join the Skill India Mission.
About Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
PMKVY is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development &
Entrepreneurship(MSDE)
Objective– To enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help
them in securing a better livelihood.
About Ministry of Education
Minister- Dharmendra Pradhan (Rajya Sabha, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State – Annpurna Devi (Constituency-Kodarma,Jharkhand), Subhas Sarkar (Constituency – Bankura,
West Bengal), Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (Constituency – Inner Manipur, Manipur)
8 writers named for Sahitya Akademi Fellowship

The general council of National Academy of Letters aka Sahitya Akademi was met under the chairmanship of its
president Dr Chandrashekhar Kambar where the highest honour, the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship was
announced for 8 writers. The eminent writers selected for for the same areas follows:
i.Ruskin Bond– He has written over 300 short stories,
essays and novels and more than 30 books for children
besides several other works. He is the recipient of Sahitya
Akademi Award, Sahitya Akademi’s Bal Sahitya Puraskar,
Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan among other prestigious
awards.
ii.Vinod Kumar Shukla (Hindi)- With 20 published books
including poetry collections, novels, and short stories to
his credit, he is a member of the General Council of Sahitya
Akademi. He is also the recipient of Sahitya Akademi
Award, Shikhar Samman of the Madhya Pradesh Government, among others.
iii.Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay (Bengali)- He is a novelist and short story writer. He is also a recipient of Sahitya
Akademi Award, among others.
iv.Mundanat Leelavathy (Malayalam)- She is an eminent writer, literary critic, and educationist with more than
60 published books to her credit. She has won many prestigious awards and honours like the Padma Shri, Sahitya
Akademi Award.
v.Dr. Bhalchandra Nemade (Marathi)- He has around 15 published books which have won him honours as the
Padma Shri, Sahitya Akademi Award, Jnanpith Award, etc.
vi.Dr Tejwant Singh Gill (Punjabi)- He an eminent writer and scholar who has written 25 books and has
translated works of Punjabi poetry, drama and fiction into English and Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of
Solitude” into Punjabi.
vii.Swami Rambhadracharya (Sanskrit)- A spiritual leader and Sanskrit scholar, Swami Rambhadracharya is the
recipient of a number of awards including five gold medals at the All India Sanskrit Conference, Sahitya Akademi
Award etc.
viii.Indira Parthasarthy (Tamil)- A writer and scholar, he has more than 40 published books to his credit
including plays, novels, collection of short stories and anthologies of novellas. He is also a recipient of the Sahitya
Akademi Award, Padma Shri, etc.

Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize 2020
The executive board also announced the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize 2020 in 24 Indian languages.
i.The English translation of Kannada novel “Ghachar Ghochar’” written by Vivek Shanbhag and translated by
Srinath Perur, and the Hindi translation of Thiruvalluvar’’s ‘Thirukkural’ by TES Raghwan won the award among
22 others.
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina bags SDG Progress Award

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been conferred with ‘SDG Progress Award’, for Bangladesh’s
steady progress in achieving the sustainable development
goals (SDGs), by the UN sponsored Sustainable Development
Solutions Network (SDSN) at the 9th Annual International
Conference on Sustainable Development held in New York in
September 2021.
Sustainable Development Goals
To end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and
prosperity for all.
About UN SDSN
Launched in 2012
President – Jeffrey Sachs
Headquarters: New York, United States
Objective: To mobilize global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical problem solving for
sustainable development and implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About Bangladesh
President: Abdul Hamid
Capital: Dhaka
Currency: Bangladeshi taka
Bill & Melinda Gates foundation honoured South African Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka with 2021
Global Goalkeeper Award
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former United
Nations(UN) Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Women, with the 2021 Global
Goalkeeper Award.
• As a part of its annual Goalkeepers campaign, the
foundation also announced the winners of the 3
additional Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards.
• These awards were instituted by the Foundation to
recognise the efforts taken by the people to help
achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).
2021 Global Goalkeeper Award:
The 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award has been awarded to
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to recognise her global
leadership on gender equality and her efforts to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and
girls across the globe.
Efforts of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka:
i.Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka undertook various works to strengthen the partnership with the governments, male
allies and media with an aim to advance the SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
ii.She played a major role in helping to spearhead and deliver the General Equality forum in July 2021, which
assisted in mobilising around 40 billion USD in commitments to support the transformative change for women
and girls across the globe.

Winners of 2021 Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards:
i.Progress Award 2021- Jenifer Colpas(Colombia)
ii.Changemaker Award 2021 – Fairooz Faizah Beether(Bangladesh)
iii.Campaign Award 2021- Satta Sheriff(Liberia)
• These awards recognize their contribution in supporting the global goals in their local communities.
Jenifer Colpas:
Jenifer Colpas is the co-Founder and Executive Director of Tierra Grata, a social enterprise that develops low-cost,
easy-to-install solutions providing access to clean energy, safe water, and sanitation to rural communities in
Colombia.
Fairooz Faizah Beether:
Fairooz Faizah Beether is the co-founder of the Moner School, an anonymous online platform in the field of mental
health, that educates the importance of mental health among youth through training, workshops and online
mental health first aid service in Bangladesh.
Satta Sheriff:
Satta Sheriff is the founder and executive director of Action for Justice and Human Rights (AJHR), a non
governmental organisation that advocates human rights on the issues of gender based violence and child
marriage in Liberia.
About Bill & Melinda Gates foundation:
Co-chair and Trustee– Bill Gates & Melinda French Gates
Headquarters– Seattle, Washington, United States
GeM bags CIPS Award 2021

Government e Marketplace (GeM) wins CIPS Excellence in Procurement Awards 2021 (CIPS Awards) in the “Best
Use of Digital Technology” category. The award was given by The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply
(CIPS), London.
• The award was received by High Commission of India First Secretary (Economic) Rohit Vadhwana on behalf
of GeM in a programme held in London on September 22.
• GeM was also shortlisted as a finalist in two additional categories, i.e., ‘Public Procurement Project of the
Year’ and ‘Best Initiative to Build a Diverse Supply Base’.
About GeM
i.Government e Marketplace is the government owned Section 8 company setup under the aegis of Department of
Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
ii.It offers a cashless, contactless, and paperless experience and serves as an end-to-end solution for procurement
of goods and services.
About CIPS
i.The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) is a global not-for-profit organisation and professional
body dedicated to promoting good practices in procurement and supply management, with a community across
150 countries.
NHPC’s 510 MW Teesta-V Power Station, Sikkim won 2021 IHA Blue Planet Prize
The 2021 IHA Blue Planet Prize for excellence in sustainable hydropower development has been awarded to 510
MW Teesta-V Power Station, Sikkim, owned and being operated by NHPC Limited.
• The award was presented by the International Hydropower Association (IHA), a non-profit membership
association operating in 120 countries, based in London, United Kingdom(UK).
• The award was announced during the World Hydropower Congress, 2021 held from 7th to 24th September
2021 over a virtual platform.
2021 IHA Mosonyi Award for Excellence in Hydro power has been awarded to former CEO of IHA Richard
Taylor, Director at RMT Renewables Consulting Ltd. Ashtead, England.
About NHPC’s 510 MW Teesta-V project:
The Teesta-V project is located on the Teesta River, Sikkim, India.

About Blue Planet Prize:
The Blue Planet Prize is awarded to the hydropower projects that demonstrate excellence in sustainable
development.
About NHPC Limited:
NHPC ltd was Incorporated on 7th November 1975 as National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation Pvt Ltd and in
April 1986, it was converted into a public limited company.
CMD– Abhay Kumar Singh
Headquarters– Faridabad, Haryana
Geeta Samota Became Fastest Indian to do Dual Summit

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official Geeta Samota became the ‘Fastest Indian to do Dual Summit’
after she completed the summit of two peaks of Mt Elbrus (5,642 mts) in Russia and Kilimanjaro peak (5,895
mts) in Tanzania (Africa).
• Indian High Commissioner to Tanzania Binaya Pradhan has mentioned the title earned by Geeta Samota.
Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak.
Geeta Samota works with CISF, a central paramilitary force under the command of the Union home ministry.
President Ram Nath Kovind presents NSS Awards 2019-20

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind presented the National Service Scheme (NSS) Awards for the year
2019-20 at Rastrapathi Bhawan,New Delhi Virtually.
• Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri
Anurag Thakur and Minister of State for Youth Affairs
& Sports Shri NisithPramanik also attended the
ceremony from Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi.
• A total of 42 awardees in 3 different categories like
University or +2 Councils, NSS Units and their
Programme Officers and NSS Volunteers were
conferred with the awards under the NSS Awards
2019-20
Objective of the NSS Awards
To recognise and reward outstanding contributions towards voluntary community service made by the
Universities/ Colleges, (+2) Councils and Senior Secondary, NSS Units/ Programme Officers and NSS Volunteers.
These awards are conferred every year.
• The ideological orientation of the NSS was inspired by the principles of Mahatma Gandhi.
About National Service Scheme (NSS)
i.NSS is a Centrally Sector Scheme with the primary objective of developing the personality and character of the
student, youth through voluntary community service.
ii.It was launched by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in 1969 during the birth anniversary of Mahatma
Gandhiji.
Union Mansukh Mandaviya virtually presented ICC Annual Awards 2020

On September 24, 2021, Union Minister Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
(MoC&F) virtually presented the ICC (Indian Chemical Council)
Annual Awards for the year 2020.
• He also released the latest edition of the Members Directory
that contains detailed information of all the members of the
council.
Following table shows the list of awardees:

Award Recipient
Dr. Santrupt misra
Mr. Ajay shriram
Lifetime achievement award Dr. Aniruddha b. Pandit
ICC Acharya PC Ray award for development of indigenous
technology Galaxy surfactants ltd
ICC award for excellence in process design & engineering Jubilant pharmova limited
ICC award for excellence in management of health & safety: Lanxess india private limited, Jhagadia
category I (Gujarat)
Rashtriya chemicals & fertilizers ltd, Thal unit
ICC certificate of merit for excellence in management of health (Maharashtra)
& safety: category I Reliance industries ltd, Jamnagar (Gujarat)
ICC certificate of merit for excellence in management of health Clariant chemicals india ltd, Cuddalore (Tamil
& safety: Category II Nadu)
ICC award for excellence in management of health & safety:
Category II Indian oil-tanking limited, Chhattisgarh
Key Points:
i.ICC is the apex national body representing all branches of the Chemical Industry in India.
ii.The Chemical industry received an incentive of more than Rs 6000 crore under PLI (Production-Linked
Incentive) scheme.
About ICC Annual Awards:
Held in the month of September/October annually, ICC presents prestigious annual National Awards to encourage
excellence of achievements in various fields of chemicals.
Other Participants:
Samir Biswas, Additional Secretary, MoC&F; and Dr. Martin Brudermüller, President, ICCA (International Council
of Chemical Associations), among others
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) signed a strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to
establish a mega chemical project in Al Ruwais city, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
About Indian Chemical Council (ICC):
President– Ravi Goenka
Assam’s Binoy Kumar Saikia won Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology
2021
Binoy Kumar Saikia, a senior scientist at CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST),
Jorhat, Assam, has won the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
(SSB) for Science and Technology 2021 for his pioneering
research in the field of coal and energy. He won the award
given by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR) under Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary
Sciences category.
He is the 5th person from Assam to win the award since its
institution.
• The names of the 11 recipients of the awards were
announced on 26th September, the 80th foundation day of CSIR.
About Binoy Kumar Saikia:
i.Binoy Kumar Saikia, (44 years old) from Golaghat, Assam, has been involved in various coal and petroleum
projects in Assam and other North East regions.

ii.He has contributed to the formation of fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from Indian coal.
iii.His indigenous patented CQD technology that falls under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, substituted import.
iv.He won the RP Bhatnagar Award in 2015-16 and Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award in 2012.
CQDs:
• CQDs are small carbon nanoparticles with a size of less than 10 nm (nanometer).
• CQDs which have high stability, good conductivity, low toxicity and are environmentally friendly, can be used
in medicine and environmental science.
Dr Jeemon Panniyammakal of AMCHSS won SSB prize 2021 under Medical Sciences:
Dr Jeemon Panniyammakal, Associate professor of Epidemiology, The Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science
Studies (AMCHSS), Kerala won the SSB Prize for Science and Technology 2021 for his research in the prevention
of cardiovascular diseases in India.
He won the award under the Medical Science category.
About Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize:
i.The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize is annually presented to the recognised the outstanding contribution of any
citizen of India (including Overseas citizen of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) working in India)
engaged in research in any field of science and technology.
ii.The award is presented to the scientist under the age of 45 years as of 31st December of the year preceding the
year of the Prize.
iii.The award is named after the late Dr (Sir) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, founder Director of the CSIR.
iv.The awards are presented in 7 Categories:
• Biological Sciences
• Chemical Sciences
• Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
• Engineering Sciences
• Mathematical Sciences
• Medical Sciences
• Physical Sciences.
Prize:
Each award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.
Winners of SSB prize 2021:
Category Awardees
Dr Amit Singh
Biological Sciences Dr Arun Kumar Shukla
Dr Kanishka Biswas
Chemical Sciences Dr T Govindaraju
Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences Dr Binoy Kumar Saikia
Engineering Sciences Dr Debdeep Mukhopadhyay
Dr Anish Ghosh
Mathematical Sciences Dr Saket Saurabh
Dr Jeemon Panniyammakal
Medical Sciences Dr Rohit Srivastava
Physical Sciences Dr Kanak Saha
Click here for the official list of awardees
About Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR):
CSIR has a network of 37 national laboratories, 39 outreach centres, 3 Innovation Complexes, and five units with a
pan-India presence.

President– Narendra Modi(Prime Minister)
Director-General– Dr Shekhar C. Mande
Pratham CEO Dr Rukmini Banerji & Stanford Prof Eric A. Hanushek won 2021 Yidan Prize
Dr Rukmini Banerji, Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Pratham Education Foundation, India and Eric A.
Hanushek, professor at Stanford University, has been awarded the 2021 Yidan Prize, the world’s highest
education accolade, recognising their work on improving the quality of education and outcomes for learners at
scale.
• Dr Rukmini Banerji has been honoured with the 2021
Yidan Prize for Education Development for her work in
improving children’s learning outcomes.
• Professor Eric A. Hanushek has been honoured with
the 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Research for his
works focused on education outcomes and the
importance of teaching quality and has transformed both
research and policy internationally.
About Yidan Prize:
i.The Yidan Prize was founded in 2016 by Dr Charles Chen Yidan in the belief that education promotes well-being.
ii.The prize recognizes the individuals or a team (not more than 3 members), contributing to education in 2
categories,
• Yidan Prize for Education Research
• Yidan Prize for Education Development
iii.Each prize carries a cash prize of 30 million HKD(Hong Kong Dollar)(around Rs 28 crore).
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

RBI approved the Appointment of Sanjeeb Chaudhuri as Part-Time Chairman of IDFC FIRST Bank
The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) gave the approval to the appointment of Sanjeeb Chaudhuri as the part-time
chairman of IDFC(Infrastructure Development Finance Company) FIRST Bank Limited.Meanwhile he would
continue to hold the office of the director owing to SEBI (Security and Exchange Board of India) order or any such
authority.
• Sanjeeb Chaudhuri is MBA graduate in marketing and he
was under the list of top 25 Media Visionaries in Asia
Pacific in 2016.
• He has served as an independent Director and Audit,
Nomination and Remuneration on CSR(Corporate Social
Responsibility) member in Aditya Birla Group company.
• He was also a director and audit committee member at
Standard Chartered Securities Limited,India.
• Presently, he is working as a Global Mentor at the Centre
for Technology Management at Columbia Business, Newyork.
About Reserve Bank of India
• The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935 in accordance with the provisions of
the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• The Central Office of the Reserve Bank was initially established in Calcutta but was permanently moved to
Mumbai in 1937.
• Though originally privately owned, since nationalization in 1949, the Reserve Bank is fully owned by the

RBI Governor- Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governor– Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T Rabi Shankar
Headquarters – Mumbai
About IDFC First Bank
MD and CEO- V. Vaidyanathan
Headquarters– Mumbai
Carol Furtado appointed as Ujjivan SFB’s OSD

The board of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (SFB) appointed Carol Furtado as an ‘officer on special duty (OSD)’ till
September 30, 2021. Then from October 1, 2021, she will take charge as the interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of the bank, subject to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval.
• This decision has been taken after the resignation of the
bank’s MD (Managing Director) and CEO Nitin Chugh last
week.
• With this appointment, Carol Furtado resigned as the CEO
of Ujjivan Financial Services.
Key Points:
i.Carol Furtado will be responsible for handling the day-to-day
operations of the bank.
ii.She has been associated with Ujjivan SFB since inception.
iii.Notably, the board of Ujjivan SFB will submit two names for interim CEO to RBI for approval.
About Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (USFB):
Tagline– Build a Better Life
Pankaj Kumar Singh Appointed as New BSF Director General

The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet(ACC) appointed Pankaj Kumar Singh as the Director General(DG) of
Border Security Force(BSF).He will take charge after the retirement of Indo Tibetan Border Force (ITBP) DG
Surjeet Singh(S S) Deswal, who is holding additional charge as DG of BSF after the tenure Rakesh Asthana.
About Pankaj Kumar Singh:
i.He is a Indian Police Service(IPS) Officer of 1988 batch from
Rajasthan cadre. The office tenure will last till his
superannuation on December 31,2021.
ii.He is presently serving as the special director general (DG) of
the force that guards over 6,300 km of the Indian fronts with
Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Other Appointments:
• Sanjay Arora, IPS officer of 1988 batch from Tamil Nadu
cadre was appointed as the new Chief of ITBP(Indo Tibetan Border Force).He would succeed SS Deswal.
• Balaji Srivastav, IPS officer of 1988 batch from AGMUT cadre was appointed as the Director
General (DG) of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).
The Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC)-
i.The committee is headed by the Prime Minister,The Minister of Home Affairs and Minister in-charge of the
concerned Ministry are the members of this committee.
The important functions of the committee are:
• Take decisions regarding all higher level appointments in the Cabinet Secretariat, public enterprises,
banks and financial institutions.

About Border Security Force(BSF)
• The BSF is India’s primary border guarding force.This paramilitary force is one of the five Central Armed
Police Forces in India.
• Its mandate is to guard the country’s land border during peacetime and also to prevent transnational
crime.BSF was established as a response to the 1965 war with Pakistan when that country tried to expand
its own borders at India’s expense.
Founded– 1 December 1965
Alar Karis Elected as the President of Estonia

Alar Karis, Director of the Estonian National Museum has been elected as the 5th President of Estonia. He will be
succeeding Kersti Kaljulaid, the first female president of
Estonia. He will assume office on 11th October 2021.
• He won the second voting by securing 72 out of
the 101 votes of the Parliament.
• He was the only presidential candidate in both
rounds.
About Alar Karis:
i.Alar Karis hails from Tartu, the 2nd largest city of
Estonia.
ii.He is a molecular geneticist and developmental
biologist who has served as a professor and then headed the University of Tartu between 2007-2012.
iii.He has served as the Auditor General of Estonia in 2013 to 2018.
Parliament of Estonia:
i.The unicameral parliament of Estonia is known as ‘Riigikogu’.
ii.101 members of Parliament are elected at general elections for a term of 4 years.
President of Estonia:
i.The role of the President of Estonia is ceremonial while the Prime Minister has the major power.
ii.The President has the authority to veto laws, appoint government ministers and serve as the supreme
commander of the Armed forces of Estonia.
About Estonia:
Prime Minister– Kaja Kallas
Capital– Tallinn
Currency– Euro
Dorje Angchuk – 1st Indian Honorary member of International Astronomical Union

International Astronomical Union (IAU) has inducted India’s Dorje Angchuk as one of its Honorary Members,
along with 10 other inductees. He is the 1st and only
Indian to become an Honorary member of IAU. Dorje
Angchuk, who currently serves in the Indian Institute of
Astrophysics (IIA) in Ladakh, was recognised by IAU for
his work towards astrophotography.
i.IAU honours individuals with Honorary membership, for
their significant contribution towards astronomical
research.
ii.He is the Engineer in charge of IIA’s Indian Astronomical
Observatory in Hanle, Ladakh is popularly known for his
astrophotography work on the Milky Way.
iii.Recognition of Dorje Angchuk, who was known for preserving the Dark Skies of Ladakh, will promote astro-
tourism in the region.

About International Astronomical Union (IAU):
President –Debra Meloy Elmegreen
Founded – 1919
Headquarter – Paris, France
About Astronomical Society of India (ASI):
President – G C Anupama (1st Woman President of ASI)
Founded – 1972
Vainu Bappu is known as the “Father of Modern Indian Astronomy”
Nicolaus Copernicus is known as the “Father of Modern Astronomy”
Ashish Singhal Appointed as MD of SVC Bank

Ashish Singhal appointed as the Managing Director(MD) of SVC Bank. He succeeded Ajit Venugopalan, who
retired on August 31.
About Ashish Singhal
i.Before joining SVC Bank, he was the Managing Director
of Experian CIC in India.
ii.He has experience of more than 20 years in strategy,
technology, sales and marketing, business intelligence and
analytics etc.
About the SVC Bank
Chairman– Durgesh S. Chandavarkar
Founded-1906
HSBC Asia Appoints Rajnish Kumar As Non-Executive Independent Director

Former Chairman of India’s largest state-run lender, State Bank of India (SBI) Rajnish Kumar has been appointed
as Non-Executive Independent Director of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation’s (HSBC) Asia.
• He was also appointed as the member of the Audit Committee and Risk Committee of HSBC Asia.
ACC named Suman Sharma as new Managing Director of SECI

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Suman Sharma as the Managing Director (MD)
of Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). She will succeed Jatindra Nath Swain who is currently serving as
the chairman and MD of the company. He will remain the chairman of the company.
• With this appointment she will be accountable to
SECI’s board of directors, government and
shareholders.
• She will also be responsible for the efficient
functioning of the entity, achieving corporate
objectives and performance parameters.
Key Points:
i.Suman Sharma is 1990 batch IRS (Indian Revenue
Service) officer and is currently serving as the Additional
Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Department
of Commerce.
ii.SECI is a central public sector undertaking (CPSU) under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
About Solar Energy Corporation of India ltd (SECI):

ESFB Appoints Indian Hockey Player Rani Rampal & Cricketer Smriti Mandhana as Brand
Ambassadors
Equitas Small Finance Bank (ESFB) has appointed Indian Women’s hockey player Rani Rampal and Indian
women’s cricketer Smriti Mandhana as its brand ambassadors.
This appointment was made during the 5th year
anniversary of Equitas Small Finance on 5th September
2021.
Rani Rampal:
i.Rani Rampal is the youngest player to represent the
national hockey team representing India at the age of 15 at
the 2010 World Cup.
ii.She has been the captain of the Indian Women’s Hockey
team and has won Asia Cup in 2017, Silver at the Asian
Games 2018, Silver at Asian Champions Trophy 2018 and
FIH Series Final in 2019.
Smriti Mandhana:
Smriti Mandhana was recognised as the Best Women’s International Cricketer by the Board of Control for Cricket
in India(BCCI).
About Equitas Small Finance Bank:
MD and CEO– Vasudevan Pathangi Narasimhan
Headquarters- Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Olympic Medalist Lovlina Borgohain named Brand Ambassador of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in
Assam
On the occasion of 60th Teacher’s Day The State Education Minister of Assam, Ranoj Pegu appointed
Olympian Lovlina Borgohain as the brand ambassador of the Samagra Sikhsha Abhiyan(SSA) in the state of
Assam.
Highlights
• The state department presented Anundoram Baruah
Award 2018 to Professor(Late) Taburam Taid.
• In order to increase digital learning, Tata Institute of
Social Sciences(TISS) is also collaborating with the
state government.
About Lovlina Borgohain
i.She won the Bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo summer
Olympic under 69kg category.
ii.She also became the 2nd Indian female boxer, after MC
Mary Kom, to win an Olympic Bronze.
iii.She belongs to Golaghat district of Assam.
About Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA)
i.Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA), the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for School Education of students from
pre-school to class XII, was launched in 2018.
ii.It aims to provide support for the implementation of the ‘Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education’
(RTE) Act, 2009.
iii.It subsumed Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher
Education (TE).
iv.It is implemented by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.

Prashant Kumar, President of Bar Association of India, Elected to the Board of ILAC
Prashant Kumar the president of the Bar Association of India has been unanimously elected to the board of
directors of the International Legal Assistance Consortium
(ILAC), with effect from 2nd September 2021.
He became the 2nd Asian to serve on the board of
directors of ILAC.
• ILAC is a Sweden based international non-
governmental organisation dedicated to
strengthening the rule of law, empowering legal
professionals, and ensuring equal access to justice.
About Prashant Kumar:
i.Prashant Kumar has served as the President
of LAWASIA (The Law Association for Asia and the Pacific) from 2015-2017.
ii.He has played major roles in constitutional matters related to pricing of natural resources, dissolution of
Legislative Assembly, disqualification of members of Assembly, powers of Speaker of the House and matters
under Prevention of Corruption Act at various High Courts and Supreme Court among others.
iii.He heads KPA Legal, a boutique law firm with a clientele that includes MNCs and major corporate houses in
India.
About International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC):
ILAC comprises more than 50 legal organisations and experts representing over 3 million legal professionals
across the globe.
President– Elizabeth Howe, United Kingdom
Headquarters– Enskede, Sweden
Neeraj Chopra Made His First Brand Partnership with TATA AIA Insurance
Tata AIA Life Insurance signed a multi-year brand partnership with Subedar Neeraj Chopra, an Indian athlete
and Olympic gold medallist as its brand ambassador. This
marks the company made very first brand partnership
with the Neeraj Chopra.
• He will promote the health and wellness among
policyholders, and going deeper into the tier II and
III markets across the country.
• Neeraj Chopra who won the gold medal in Javelin
Throw at recently concluded 2020 Tokyo Olympic
Games.
About Neeraj Chopra: –
i.Subedar Neeraj Chopra hails from Haryana, India. As of August 2021, he is ranked second internationally by
World Athletics.
ii.In 2016 he achieved a world under-20 record throw of 86.48 m, becoming the first Indian athlete to set a world
record.
iii.Indian Army named a stadium after Subedar Neeraj Chopra at the Army Sports Institute, Pune Cantt. to honour
his victory at 2020 Tokyo Games.
About TATA AIA Insurance
Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited (Tata AIA Life) is a joint venture company, formed by Tata Sons Pvt.
Ltd. and AIA Group Ltd. (AIA).
MD & CEO – Mr. Naveen Tahilyani

Harsha Bangari Takes Charge as MD of India EXIM Bank
The government of India has appointed Harsha Bhupendra Bangari as the Managing Director(MD) of Export-
Import Bank of India (India EXIM Bank) for a period of 3
years or until further orders. She took charge as the MD on
8th September 2021.
• She succeeds David Rasquinha, whose tenure as MD of
Exim Bank ended in May 2021.
• Prior to this appointment, she has been serving as the
Deputy Managing Director of the India EXIM Bank.
Background:
Harsha Bangari was appointed as the MD of India Exim Bank
following the recommendation of the Banks Board Bureau(BBB).
About Harsha Bangari:
i.Harsha Bangari is a Chartered Accountant, who joined the India Exim Bank in 1995.
ii.She has served in various capacities such as Chief General Manager and the Chief Financial Officer of the Bank.
About Export Import Bank of India (India EXIM Bank):
India EXIM bank is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI).
MD- Harsha Bhupendra Bangari
Established in 1982
Vaidyanathan appointed as MD & CEO of IDFC FIRST Bank

On 7th September 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the re-appointment of V. Vaidyanathan as the
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of IDFC FIRST Bank for a period of 3-years, with effect
from 19th December 2021 till December 18, 2024.
About V. Vaidyanathan:
i.V. Vaidyanathan took charge as the MD & CEO in 2018
after the merger of IDFC Bank with Capital First Bank.
ii.Prior to that he served in ICICI Groups, becoming the
board member of ICICI Bank in 2006, and later appointed
as the MD & CEO of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance
Company in India in 2009.
iii.He was awarded with the “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award at Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2017,
“Most Promising Business Leaders of Asia” 2016 by Economic Times among others.
About IDFC FIRST Bank:
Headquarter – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Nirlep Singh Rai Appointed as a new CMD of NFL

Nirlep Singh Rai is appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of National Fertilizer Limited
(NFL). The NFL is a Miniratna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Department of Fertilizer.
• He takes over from Virendra Nath Datt, who serves as the additional charge as CMD of NFL after the
superannuation of Manoj Mishra.
Highlights
• The appointment was approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for the tenure of two
years.
• Previously, Nirlep Singh was serving as Director (Technical) of NFL and prior to this he was the Executive
Director in the organisation.

About Nirlep Singh Rai
i.He is a graduate in engineering from Thapar University, Patiyala, Punjab. He has the experience of more than
three and a half decades working in different units of the organisation.
ii.He is also the Nominee Director on the Board of Joint venture Company of NFL, Ramagundam Fertilizers and
Chemicals Ltd (RFCL). As CEO of RFCL, he is credited with the commissioning of the project.
About National Fertilizer Limited (NFL)
Headquarters– Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Atul Bhatt Appointed as the New CMD of RINL

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Atul Bhatt as the new
Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) of the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited(RINL)(also known as
Visakhapatnam steel plant), the steel produced based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• He has been serving as the CMD of MECON, a state-owned consultancy firm
• Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) recommended Atul Bhatt for the post of CMD of RINL following
the retirement of incumbent Pradosh Kumar Rath (PK Rath) on 31st May 2021.
Piyush Goyal appointed as India’s Sherpa for G20; G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting 2021 held in
Rome, Italy
On September 7, 2021, Union Minister Piyush Vedprakash Goyal, Ministry of Commerce and Industry was
appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20 (Group of Twenty) by replacing former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu.
• A Sherpa is a personal representative of the leader of
a member country at an international Summit
meeting. That means Piyush Goyal will be India’s
Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s Sherpa.
• He will be responsible for steering negotiations with
partner countries on policy issues on an ongoing
basis while the PM will lead India’s participation.
Points to be noted:
i.The G20 Summit 2021 is scheduled for October 30-31
under Italian Presidency.
• A joint Finance and Health Ministers’ G20 meeting will take place in October 2021, ahead of the main G20
Summit.
ii.India will be part of the G20 Troika (preceding, current, and incoming G20 Presidencies) from December 1,
2021 till November 30, 2024.
iii.India will hold G20 Presidency from December 1, 2022 and will convene the G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2023 for
the first time.
iv.G20 is a major international grouping that accounts for more than 80% of global GDP (Gross Domestic
Product), 75% of global trade and 60% of global population.
• India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999.
• Since 2014, Narendra Modi is representing India at G20 Summits.
G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting 2021 held in Rome, Italy; agreed on vaccine confidence measures
On September 5-6, 2021, the G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting 2021 was held under the Italian Presidency in Rome,
Lazio (Italy). It was chaired by Roberto Speranza, Italian Minister of Health.
• This meeting was part of the G20 (Group of Twenty) Leaders Summit 2021, which will be hosted by Italy in
October 2021.
• During the meeting, the G20 Health Ministers, including India, have pledged to improve future health
security, increase vaccine confidence and tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) while adopting the Health
Declaration.

Key Points:
i.To promote vaccine confidence, Health Ministers agreed to implement the most effective, culturally appropriate,
and science-based public communication.
ii.Emphasis were laid on promoting strong multilateral cooperation to end COVID-19 pandemic and supporting
recovery.
iii.Contribution through joint efforts will be continued to prevent, detect and respond to global health risks and
emergencies.
iv.They also recognized the importance of gender when designing and implementing health policies
G20 Member Nations:
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US) and the European
Union (EU). Spain is invited as a permanent guest.
Recent Related News
The 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting (FMCBGs) held on July 9-10, 2021 was
hosted by Italy in its city Venice, Veneto. India was virtually represented by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,
Ministry of Finance. This was the first in-person Finance Track meeting since February 2020.
About Group of Twenty (G20):
The 2021 G20 is under the Italian Presidency. It is focusing on three broad, interconnected pillars of action:
People, Planet, and Prosperity.
Members– 20 (19 countries + European Union)
CAG of India GC Murmu Elected as Chairman of ASOSAI

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, Girish Chandra(GC) Murmu has been elected as the
chairman of the assembly of Asian Organization of Supreme
Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) for a period of three years from
2024 – 2027. He was elected by the 56th governing board of
ASOSAI and approved by the 15th assembly of ASOSAI.
India will host the 16th ASOSAI assembly meeting in 2024.
Roles & Functions of GC Murmu:
• GC Murmu will preside as the chairman and work as Chief
Executive of ASOSAI and represent ASOSAI in its business
with global organizations.
Roles & Functions of India:
• During the 3 year term as Chair, India will Focus on the areas of environmental audit and sustainable
technologies auditing.
• As India is signatory to the environmental accounting efforts of the United Nations therefore Supreme Audit
Institutions (SAI) India will also promote environment assessment practices.
• SAI India will seek the active participation of members to create processes and structures within ASOSAI to
address the challenges faced by SAIs in the region in dealing with big data, with an aim to leverage artificial
intelligence, machine learning and collaborative remote access data audits.
About Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI)
It is the regional group of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).
Objective-To promote understanding and cooperation among member institutions through the exchange of ideas
and experiences in the field of public audit.The assembly consists of all members of the organisation and meets
once in three years.
Members- 47
Founded –1979

Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya resigns
Baby Rani Maurya, 64, Governor of Uttarakhand hand over her resignation to our president President Ram Nath
Kovind.She successfully completed her three-year tenure
which will be end in 2023. Lieutenant General Gurmit
Singh, who retired as the deputy chief of Army was named as
new Governor of Uttarakhand.
• Baby Rani Maurya was appointed as governor of
Uttarakhand in the year 2018.She succeeded Krishan
Kant Paul.
• She belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
• She was the first woman mayor of Agra in Uttar Pradesh.
Satyajit Tripathy Appointed as the CMD of the UIIC Ltd

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Satyajit Tripathy, as the
new Chairman cum Managing Director(CMD) of the United India Insurance Company Limited (UIIC Ltd). He
succeeds Girish Radhakrishanan, CMD of UIIC ltd who retired in June 2021.
• He will hold the post of CMD from the date of
assumption of office to the date of his superannuation
(29th February 2024) or until further orders.
• He took charge as the CMD of UIIC Ltd on 5th September
2021.
• Prior to his appointment, he served as the General
Manager and Director of New India Assurance Company
Limited (NIACL).
About Satyajit Tripathy:
i.Satyajit Tripathy started his career with General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) as an agriculture
specialist in 1988.
ii.He has also served as the Deputy General Manager and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of GIC Re.
AG Thankappan Appointed as Chairman of Spices Board India:
ACC has approved the appointment of AG Thankappan as the new Chairman of Spices Board India. He will hold
the post for a period of 3 years with effect from the date of assumption of charge, or on a co-terminus basis with
the tenure of the Board, or until further orders.
• Spices Board India is a regulatory and export promotion agency of Indian spices under the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry.
• Spices Board was constituted on 26th February 1987 under the Spices Board Act 1986 with the merger of
the erstwhile Cardamom Board (1968) and Spices Export Promotion Council (1960).
Headquarters– Kochi, Kerala
About United India Insurance Company Limited (UIIC Ltd):
CMD– Satyajit Tripathy
Headquarters– Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Incorporated on 18th February 1938
Nationalised in 1972
Cyrus Poncha Elected as VP of the Asian Squash Federation

Dronacharya awardee and India’s National Coach(Squash), Cyrus Poncha, the Secretary-general of Squash
Rackets Federation of India(SRFI) was elected as the Vice President(VP) of the Asian Squash Federation(ASF) for
a 4-year term.
• He was elected during the 41st ASF Annual General meeting which was held over a virtual platform.
• Cyrus Poncha is the 3rd Indian after N Ramachandran, former World Squash President, and Debendranath
Sarangi, President of SRFI, to be elected as the Vice President of ASF.

Additional info:
David Mui of Hong Kong was unanimously elected as the
President of ASF for a 2nd term.
The other VPs of ASF apart from Cyrus Poncha are Fayez
Abdullah S. Al-Mutairi from Kuwait and Tae-sook Heo from
Korea.
About Cyrus Poncha:
i.Cyrus Poncha has been serving as the secretary-general of
SRFI since 2019.
ii.He was honoured with the Dronacharya award, India’s
highest honour for sports coaches in 2015.
iii.He has also won the ASF’s ‘Coach of the Year’ award in 2004, 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2016.
President Ram Nath Kovind Appointed Governors of Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland and
Uttarakhand
Ram Nath Kovind, President of India has appointed new governors for 4 states – Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland
and Uttarakhand.
The following appointments will take effect from the date
they assume changes in their respective offices.
Details of Appointment:
Punjab:
Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Tamil Nadu who has been
holding the additional charge of Governor of Punjab has been
appointed as regular Governor of Punjab.
About Banwarilal Purohit:
Banwarilal Purohit has served as a member of Parliament
from Nagpur(3 times), twice as a member of the Indian National Congress(INC) and once as a member of BJP.
He has previously served as the governor of Assam and Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu:
Ravindra Narayan Ravi (RN Ravi), Governor of Nagaland has been appointed as the Governor of Tamil Nadu.
About RN Ravi:
RN Ravi is an IPS officer of the 1979 batch from Kerala Cadre.
He has served as the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee in the Prime Minister’s Office(PMO).
Nagaland:
Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Governor of Assam, has been given additional charge to discharge the functions of the
Governor of Nagaland in addition to his duties until regular arrangements are made.
About Prof. Jagdish Mukhi:
He has served as the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands(2016-2017).
He has also served as the Minister of Finance, Planning excise & taxation and Higher education in the Delhi
Government.
Uttarakhand:
Lieutenant General (retired) Gurmit Singh, former Deputy Chief of Army Staff has been appointed Governor of
Uttarakhand.
Gurmit Singh will succeed Baby Rani Maurya, who resigned from her post as governor of Uttarakhand.
About Lt Gen(Rtd) Gurmit Singh:
Lt Gen Gurmit Singh retired from the Indian Army in February 2016 completing around 40 years of service.
He has served as the deputy chief of Army Staff, adjutant general and corps commander of strategic XV Corps,
which overlooks the Line of Control(LoC) in Kashmir.

Brigadier (Dr.) B. D. Mishra (Retd), governor of Arunachal Pradesh has been given additional charges as the
Governor of Mizoram.
Ganga Prasad, Governor of Sikkim has also been given additional changes as the Governor of Manipur.
Taliban’s Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund appointed as Acting PM of Afghanistan

Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, a leading member of the Taliban has been appointed as the acting Prime
Minister(PM) of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
• He will head the 33-member team for an interim
government of Afghanistan.
• Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, co-founder of Taliban
and Molavi Abdul Salam Hanafi has been appointed
as the deputy Prime Ministers of Afghanistan.
About Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund:
i.Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund has been the head of
the Taliban’s Rehbari Shura, or leadership council, for
more than 20 years.
ii.He has served as the foreign minister and deputy PM
during the last Taliban rule in 1996 to 2001.
iii.He has been described by the UN sanctions list as a “political advisor” of late Mullah Mohammed Omar, the
Taliban leader
Other appointments:
i.Amir Khan Muttaqi has been appointed as foreign minister of Afghanistan.
ii.Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai has been appointed as deputy foreign minister
iii.Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of the Taliban founder Mullah Omar, has been named as the defence minister.
iv.Hidayatullah Badri appointed as acting minister of finance.
v.Fasihuddin Badakhshani has been named the chief of the army.
vi.Zabhiullah Mujahid has been given charge of the information ministry.
About Afghanistan:
Acting Prime Minister– Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund
Capital- Kabul
Currency– Afghan afghani
Aziz Akhannouch Appointed as New Prime Minister of Morocco

Aziz Akhannouch, the leader of the liberal National Rally of Independents (RNI) ,is appointed as the new Prime
Minister of Morocco. He was appointed by
the Moroccan King Mohammed VI.
Highlights
• Akhannouch’s party RNI has won the election with
50% of votes. Out of 395, 102 seats were secured
by his party in the parliamentary elections.
• The ruling moderate Islamist Justice and
Development Party (JDP) led by Prime Minister
Saad-Eddine El Othmani suffered a defeat, only
secured 13 seats in the parliament and later JDP
leader decided to resign.
• RNI will form a new government in Morocco.
About Aziz Akhannouch
i.Akhannouch is one of the wealthiest people in Morocco, with an estimated wealth around $2 billion (€1.7
billion).

ii.Since 2016, he has been the leader of the RNI party, which is seen to have close ties to the royal household.
iii.Akhannouch is CEO of the Akwa Group, a Moroccan conglomerate operating mainly in the oil and gas sector.
He has also served as Agriculture Minister since 2007.
About Morocco
Capital –Rabat
Currency- Moroccan Dirham
Rahul Dravid Appointed as Brand Ambassador of Piramal Realty

Piramal Realty, the real estate arm of the Piramal Group, has appointed Former captain of Indian Cricket team
Rahul Dravid as its brand ambassador for its portfolio of 4 residential projects and one commercial project.
The projects include Piramal Mahalaxmi (Jacob Circle), Piramal Vaikunth (Thane), Piramal Revanta (Mulund),
Piramal Aranya (Byculla), and a commercial project Piramal Agastya (Kurla).
• As the brand ambassador of Piramal Realty, Rahul
Dravid will speak with the customers of Piramal
Realty with signature messages on the
importance of homeownership.
• He will also showcase the Piramal Realty’s core
values of Knowledge, Action, Care and Impact.
About Rahul Dravid:
i.Rahul Dravid, who was called the “The Wall”, was
appointed as the coach of the India A Team and Under
19 cricket team.
ii.The government of India has honoured him with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan in 2004 and 2013
respectively.
iii.The Arjuna Award for Cricket was awarded to him in 1998.
About Piramal Realty:
Piramal Group is a global business conglomerate, with business interests in Pharma, Information Management,
Financial Services, Glass Packaging and Real Estate.
Founder– Anand Piramal
Founded in 2012
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani resigns

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijaybhai Ramniklalbhai Rupani, 65, submitted his resignation to the Gujarat Governor
Acharya Devvrat. He succeeded Anandiben Patel and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on 7 August
2016.
• The reason of his resignation was remaining unknown
and next Gujarat Assembly Elections are scheduled in
December 2022 to elect 182 members.
• He is a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly
representing Rajkot West.
• Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Gujarat
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Gujarat BJP chief CR
Patil and state vice president Gordhan Zadafia are in
the naming list of next Chief Minister of Gujarat to
succeed Vijay Rupani.
Sardar Iqbal Singh Lalpura Appointed as Chairman of National Commission for Minorities
Sardar Iqbal Singh Lalpura took charge as the Chairman of National Commission of Minorities (NCM) in the
presence of Minister of Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. The event was conducted in Delhi. He

succeeded the outgoing chairman of the commission, Ghayorul Hasan.
About Sardar Iqbal Singh Lalpura
• He has served as the IPS(Indian Police Service) officer and also national spokesperson of Bhartiya Janta
Party (BJP).
• He has won several awards such as the President’s Police Medal, police medal for meritorious
services, Shiromani Sikh Sahitkar Award and Sikh scholar award.
About National Commission for Minorities (NCM)
i.In 1978, Government of India, with an executive order, set up a “Minorities Commission” to safeguard the
interests of minorities.
ii.With the enactment of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, the Minorities Commission became
a statutory body and was renamed as the “National Commission for Minorities”in 1993.
iii.Initially five religious communities, named as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians
(Parsis) were notified as minority communities by the Union Government. Further by the notification dated 27th
January 2014, Jains were also notified as another minority community.
Composition
It consists of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and five Members to be nominated by the Central Government
from amongst persons of eminence, ability and integrity.
Bhupendra Patel Appointed as 17th CM of Gujarat

Bhupendra Patel was appointed as the 17th Chief Minister (CM) of Gujarat by the Governor Acharya Devvrat.He
succeeded Vijay Rupani, who had resigned earlier.
About Bhupendra Patel
i.He is 59 year old and born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and
Member of Legislative Assembly ( MLA)
from Ghatlodia. Ghatlodia is a part of Gandhinagar Lok
Sabha constituency.
ii.Trustee at Patidar organizations Sardar Dham and Vishwa
Umiya Foundation.
iii.He has done his diploma in civil engineering and also
served as the Ahmedabad Municipal Councillor (AMC) and
the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA).
iv.He won the 2017 Gujarat election by a record margin of 117,000 votes.
About Gujarat
Heritage site – Champaner- Pavagadh Archeological park, Rani ki Vav at Patan
Bird sanctuary– Nalsarovar bird sanctuary, Khijadia bird sanctuary, Porbandar bird sanctuary
Festival– Rann Utsav, Navratri, Uttarayan
Justice M Venugopal Appointed as Acting Chairperson of NCLAT

Justice M Venugopal, Judicial Member of the NCLAT (Chennai bench of NCLAT), has been appointed as
the acting chairperson of the National Company Law
Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), with effect from 11th
September 2021.
• He is the 3rd Acting chairperson to head the NCLAT
since the retirement of Chairperson Justice S J
Mukhopadhaya on 14th March 2020.
• Previously Justice Bansi Lal Bhat and Justice AIS
Cheema served as the acting chairpersons of NCLAT
between March 2020 and September 2021.
Note:
The government of India has appointed 31 members to the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) and the ITAT

(Income Tax Appellate Tribunal).
About Justice M Venugopal:
i.Justice M Venugopal is a former judge of the High court of Madras.
ii.He started as a Sub Judge in Tamil Nadu State Judicial served in 1997 and was later elevated to the High court of
Madras in 2007.
iii.He has served as the Judicial Member of NCLAT, Principal Bench, New Delhi from October 2019 and later
moved to the Chennai Bench of NCLAT in January 2021.
About National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT):
The NCLAT was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013 for hearing appeals against the orders
of the NCLT.
Acting Chairperson– Justice M Venugopal
Established on 1st June 2016
Satish Parekh Appointed as president of International Road Federation-India

Ashoka Buildcon Managing Director (MD) and promoter Satish Parekh has taken over as the president of
International Road Federation (IRF)-India.He Succeeded Subhmay Gangopadhyay, former director of Central
Road Research Institute (CRRI).
• IRF headquarter is located in Geneva, Switzerland and IRF-India’s Headquarter is located in New Delhi,
Delhi.
Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador of TAGG; Kriti Sanon as Fossil’s brand ambassador for India
TAGG, a Delhi based tech-driven lifestyle electronics brand, has appointed Rohit Sharma, the vice-captain of the
Indian cricket team and captain of Mumbai Indians as its TAGGSTER (brand ambassador).
Fossil, the American watches and accessories firm has
appointed Indian Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon as its
brand ambassador for India.
Rohit Sharma roped in as brand ambassador of TAGG
Rohit Sharma as the brand ambassador will help steer the
brand to new heights in the audio and wearable industry.
• TAGG launched its first smartwatch TAGG
Verve 2020.
• It has also planned on launching a series of next-
generation smartwatches along with a fresh range of
audio products.
Kriti Sanon roped in as Fossil’s brand ambassador for India
Kriti Sanon’s collaboration with Fossil will extend to promoting the watch and accessories category ranging from
traditional and smartwatches to leather products as well as jewellery for women.
• Recently, She was appointed as the brand ambassador of kitchenware brand Wonderchef.
• Sanon is a celebrity endorser for several brands and products such as Bata, Whirlpool and Cadbury Fuse etc.
Joshna Chinappa Appointed as Brand Ambassador of ASICS; Virat Kohli as Athlete Investor &
Brand Ambassador of Hyperice
The Japanese Sports equipment company Asics announced Indian squash player Joshna Chinappa as its new
brand ambassador. It will bring positive change by spreading awareness about sports among the youth.
i.Asics has been working with several other athletes from various sports such as Manika Batra, Bajrang Punia,
Ravindra Jadeja, Sakshi Malik, along with international athletes like Novak Djokovic etc to support youth and
improve their performances.

About Joshna Chinappa
• Joshna is an Indian professional squash player
born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.Currently she is
ranked as number 10 worldwide.
• She is a two- time Asian Championship gold
medalist.
• At the 2014 Commonwealth Games Joshna,
along with Dipika Pallikal Karthik, won the
squash women’s doubles gold medal, India’s
first-ever Commonwealth Games medal in the
sport.
Hyperice annonces Virat Kohli as Athlete
investor and Brand Ambassador
A global wellness brand, Hyperice announced that Indian cricketer Virat Kohli appointed as an ‘Athlete Investor’
and brand ambassador.
i.Virat Kohli has joined as an Athlete Investor with several other sports persons like Footballer Erling Haaland,
Tennis player Naomi Osaka etc.
About Hyperice
Founder– Anthony Katz
CEO – Jim Huether
About ASICS:
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)-Motoi Oyama
Managing Director, ASICS India and South Asia – Rajat Khurana
Fino Payments Bank Appointed Pankaj Tripathi as its First Brand Ambassador
Fino Payments Bank Limited (FPBL) has appointed Indian actor(Hindi) Pankaj Tripathi as its first-ever brand
ambassador. He will endorse the brand for a period of 2 years effective from September 1 2021.
• As the brand ambassador of FPBL, He will work
with the FPBL and promote its product and services
and be the face of the bank’s marketing campaigns
across various platforms.
• He will be the face of FPBL’s 1st “Fikar
Not” campaign which aims to reduce the fears and
confidence issues related to the banking process.
About Pankaj Tripathi:
i.National award-winning actor Pankaj Tripathi hails
from Gopalganj, Bihar.
ii.He won the Special Mention Award at 65th National Film Awards 2018.
iii.He has been appointed as the brand ambassador by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in 2021 and the Bihar
government has appointed him as the brand ambassador of Patna’s Khadi Mall in 2020.
About Fino Payments Bank Limited (FPBL):
MD & CEO– Rishi Gupta
Incorporated on 4th April 2017
Headquarters– Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline– Qadar Aapki Mehnat Ki

Centre Forms GoM for Implementation of Schemes for SC, ST, OBC, Minorities & Women; Chaired
by Rajnath Singh
The Government of India constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM), Chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, to
improve the implementation of various schemes meant for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other
Backward Classes (OBC), minorities and women.
o The first meeting of the GoM was held at the residence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Objective:
The objective of the GoM is to work for the empowerment and prosperity of backward classes and minorities
Member of GoM:
• Amit Shah – Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation
• Nirmala Sitharaman – Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs
• Dharmendra Pradhan – Union Minister of Education, and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• Ashwini Vaishnaw – Union Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics and Information
Technology.
• Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi – Union Minister of Minority Affairs.
• Arjun Munda- Union Minister of Tribal Affairs.
• Kiren Rijiju – Union Minister of Law and Justice.
• Virendra Kumar- Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment
Pawan Kumar Goenka appointed as Chairperson of ‘IN-SPACe’

Pawan Kumar Goenka, the former Managing Director (MD) of Mahindra & Mahindra, was appointed as the
Chairperson of Indian National Space Promotion Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) by the Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet.
• In 2020, the Central government established IN-SPACe under the Department of Space, as the nodal agency
for regulating private companies in the Space sector.
Yahoo Appoints Tinder CEO Jim Lanzone as its new CEO

Yahoo has appointed Jim Lanzone, the CEO of Tinder as its new Chief Executive Officer(CEO) with effect from 27th
September 2021.
Jim Lanzone will succeed Guru Gowrappan who was named Senior Advisor to Apollo’s private equity business.
• This follows the acquisition of Yahoo by Apollo Management Group for 5 billion USD.
• Apollo completed the acquisition of Yahoo formerly Verizon Media on 1st September 2021.
• Verizon retained a 10% stake in Yahoo.
Yoshihide Suga to step down as Japan’s Prime Minister

Japan’s prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, is set to step down from the Prime Minister(PM) of Japan. He took over
as the Prime Minister of Japan succeeding Shinzo Abe who resigned in September 2020.Yoshihide Suga is the
leader of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
Note:
The winner of the LDP leadership election will become the
prime minister due to the party’s majority in the lower
house of the parliament.
About Yoshihide Suga:
i.He has served as a cabinet minister under former Prime
Ministers Junichiro Koizumi. and Shinzo Abe.
ii.He served as the Chief Cabinet Secretary under Shinzo
Abe for eight years, becoming the longest-serving chief
cabinet secretary.
Parliament of Japan:
The Parliament of Japan, called ‘The National Diet of Japan’, is a bicameral legislature consisting of a lower house,

called the House of Representatives (465 members) and an upper house, the House of Councillors (245
members).
About Japan:
Emperor– Naruhito (126th Emperor of Japan)
Capital– Tokyo
Currency– Japanese Yen
Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi appointed as one of 17 SDG Advocates by UN

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
Advocates, ahead of the 76th General Assembly.
• Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, STEM activist Valentina Munoz Rabanal, Microsoft President Brad
Smith and K-pop superstars Blackpink were named in the list.
Objective
i.SDG Advocates will work on the key issues like climate
action, bridging the digital divide, gender equality and the
promotion of the rights of children
ii.They will use their influence to reach new
constituencies to act and keep the promise of SDGs for
the people and the planet.
About Kailash Satyarthi
i.He is a child rights activist.
ii.Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
iii.Founder of Bachpan Bachao Andolan.
iv.His role as SDG advocate is to focus on protecting and promoting the rights of children around the world.
About United Nations
Secretary General: Antonio Guterres
Alka Nangia Arora Takes Additional Charge as CMD of NSIC

Alka Nangia Arora, an Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) officer of the 1991 batch has assumed the
additional charge as the Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) of the National Small Industries Corporation
Limited(NSIC) with effect from 14th September 2021.
• She is currently serving as Joint Secretary(JS) in
the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises(MoMSME).
• She succeeds Vijayendra, IAS who served as the
CMD of NSIC from 2019 to 2021.
About Alka Nangia Arora:
i.Alka Nangia Arora has served at various major
positions such as Additional Commissioner
Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, Managing Director,
Cottage Emporium, and Integrated Financial Advisor to
the Western Air Command (Subroto Park) & FA Army Hospital (R & R).
ii.She has also served as Financial Advisor Naval Dockyard & Joint Controller Defence Accounts Mumbai & as FA
to Eastern Command Army Kolkata.
About National Small Industries Corporation Limited(NSIC):
NSIC, a Mini Ratna government agency, was established by the MoMSME in 1995.
CMD– Alka Nangia Arora

Former UK PM Gordon Brown become Health Financing Ambassador of WHO
The former British Prime Minister (PM) Gordon Brown has been appointed as Ambassador for Global Health
Financing of World Health Organization (WHO). He was appointed by the WHO Director-General Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The Role
• He will facilitate the accessibility and equitable
distribution of COVID-19 vaccines at global
level.
• In association with WHO, He will elevate and
support the efforts to increase awareness about
Global Health Financing specially
from G20 and G7
About Gordon Brown
i.He served as the Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007
to 2010.
ii.He was the Chancellor of the Exchequer under PM Tony Blair’s government from 1997 t0 2007.
About World Health Organization (WHO)
Founded- 7 April 1948
Director General-Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Haryana appoints Manika Sheokand as ambassador to save water

Haryana government appointed Femina Miss Grand India 2020, Manika Sheokand as the Goodwill Ambassador of
Water Conservation Campaign. She is native of Uchana in Jind district.
• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal handed over the
appointment letter and agreement to Manika, at an
event held in Haryana Niwas.
• Objective- To help save water by supporting the
water conservation campaigns.
About Haryana
Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
Wildlife sanctuaries: Khaparwas Bird Sanctuary in Jhajjar
and Khol Hi-Raitan Wildlife Sanctuary in Panchkula.
Airports: Ambala Air Force Station, Hisar Airport andSirsa
Air Force Station.
Charanjit Singh Channi becomes the 16th Chief Minister of Punjab

The Member of Legislative Assembly(MLA) from Congress party Charanjit Singh Channi took the oath as
the 16th Chief Minister (CM)of Punjab. He
has succeeded the previous CM Captain Amarinder
Singh.
i.Sukhjinder Randhawa and Om Parkash Soni will serve as
the two Deputy Chief Ministers (Dy.CM) of Punjab.
ii.Amarinder Singh has submitted his resignation to the
Governor of State, Banwarilal Purohit.
About Charanjit Singh Channi
i.Charanjit was born on March 1, 1963 Chamkaur Sahib,
Punjab.
ii.He has served as the Technical Education and Industrial Training Employment Generation Minister under the

previous government of Captain Amarinder Singh. A three time MLA elected from Rupnagar’s Chamkaur Sahib.
iii.He was elected as the leader of Opposition (LoO) in the 14th Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
iv.He has become the first Dalit Chief Minister of Punjab.
About Punjab
Wildlife Sanctuary- Takhni-Rehmapur Wildlife Sanctuary, Harike Wildlife Sanctuary, Bir Aishwan Wildlife
Sanctuary
Heritage site- Kanjli (2002), Roopar(2002),Harike(1990)
Festival- Lohri ,Hola Mohalla,Baisakhi
Bulgarian President Reappointed Stefan Yanev as Caretaker PM

Rumen Radev, President of Bulgaria re-appointed retired general Stefan Yanev as the Caretaker Prime
Minister(PM) of Bulgaria succeeding the former PM Boyko Borisov.
• Stefan Yanev will lead the interim government until
the new government is formed.
The 3rd set of parliamentary elections of Bulgaria is set
to be held on 14th November 2022 following
inconclusive votes in April and July which failed to
produce a government.
About Stefan Yanev:
i.Stefan Yanev has previously served as the security
adviser to President Radev.
ii.He has also served as the defence minister in the
caretaker government appointed by Radev in 2017.
Other appointments:
i.Rumen Radev has appointed Valery Beltchev, a Harvard University graduate experienced in banking and public
finance, as interim finance minister.
ii.Daniela Vezieva has been appointed as the Minister of Economy and Hristo Aleksiev has been appointed as
Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communication.
About Bulgaria:
President– Rumen Radev
Prime Minister– Stefan Yanev(interim)
Capital– Sofia
Currency– Bulgarian lev
Amit Saxena, Global Deputy CTO of SBI, appointed as CTO of RBIH

Amit Saxena, Global Deputy Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of State Bank of India(SBI), has been appointed as
the new CTO of the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH).
• Based in Bengaluru, as CTO of RBIH, Amit Saxena will build an innovation ecosystem for India’s banking and
financial services industry.
• Previously he has worked with companies like Syntel, HCL technologies, TechMahindra, and Quark.
Reserve Bank of India(RBI) established the RBIH in 2020 to promote innovation across the financial sector using
technology and creating an environment to facilitate and foster innovation.
CEO of RBIH- Rajesh Bansal
Justin Trudeau Won a 3rd Term as Prime Minister of Canada

Canadian Prime Minister(PM) Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal party since 2013, won 3rd term as the PM
of Canada by winning the 2021 Canadian federal election but failed to secure the absolute majority.
• The Liberal party won the election with 158 seats of the 170 needed for a majority in the House of Commons.
• The Conservative Party, the main opposition party in Canada has won 119 of the 338 seats.

Note:
17 Indian origin Canadians including New Democratic
Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh and Defence Minister
Harjit Sajjan have won the election.
About Justin Trudeau:
i.Justin Trudeau has been serving as the Prime minister of
Canada since November 2015, he became the 2nd
youngest PM in Canadian history after Joe Clark.
ii.As the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau,
Justin Trudeau became the first to be the child or other
relative of a previous PM to hold the post.
iii.He was re-elected as the PM of Canada in 2019 and again in 2021.
Parliament of Canada:
i.The parliament of Canada, the federal legislature of Canada, located at Parliament Hill in Ottawa consists of 3
parts, the Monarch, the Senate, and the House of Commons.
ii.The parliament consists of 443 seats which include 338 Members of Parliament(MP) elected by the people
and 105 senators, appointed by the Governor-General to represent regions of the country.
About Canada:
Prime Minister– Justin Trudeau
Capital– Ottawa
Currency– Canadian Dollar
V R Chaudhari appointed as the next Chief of Air Staff

The Air Marshal, Vivek Ram (VR) Chaudhari has been appointed as the Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF). He
will succeed the current Chief of Air Staff Air Chief
Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria (RKS
Bhadauria), who will retire on September 30, 2021.
About Vivek Ram (VR) Chaudhari
i.Currently, he is serving as the Vice Chief of Air
Staff after the retirement of Air Marshal H S Arora. He has
also served as Chief of the Western Air Command (WAC).
• The WAC is the largest air command of the
IAF responsible for parts of both the borders
with Pakistan and China. Now protecting Ladakh as
well.
ii.He is an expert in major MiG-29 fighter aircraft and has experience of flying for more than 3800 hours on
fighter and trainer aircraft, including missions flown during Operation Meghdoot, the Air Force’s support to
capture the Siachen glacier in the 1980s, and Operation Safed Sagar (the support provided by the IAF during
the Kargil conflict in 1999).
• He has served in several positions like Deputy Commandant, Air Force Academy, Assistant Chief of Air Staff
Operations (Air Defence) and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Personnel Officers).
iv.Awards: V R Chaudhari is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and
the Vayu Sena Medals.
About Indian Air force (IAF)
Govt extends Kotak’s tenure as board member of IL&FS

Union government has extended the term of Uday Kotak as the non-executive chairman of Infrastructure Leasing
and Financial Services (IL&FS) by another six months. His tenure was supposed to expire on October 2, 2021.
• He will continue being the non-executive director on the board of IL&FS until April 2, 2022.

• He is a managing director and chief executive officer of Kotak Mahindra Bank.
• His tenure has seen several extensions since he was
appointed by the government to head the shadow
lender.
Banking Regulation Act, 1949
i.The Act prohibits a banking company to be managed by
an individual who is a director of any other company.
However, the provision does not apply for a temporary
period not exceeding three months or such further
period not exceeding nine months if allowed by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
ii.RBI allowed Kotak to be on the board of IL&FS for three months, and for another nine months subsequently. He
was further given two extensions of one year each.
Howzat Fantasy Sports Platform Signed Cricketer Suresh Raina as Brand Ambassador
Howzat Fantasy Sports Platform, a product of Junglee Games has signed former Indian international
cricketer Suresh Raina as its brand ambassador to promote its brand among sports lovers across India.
• With this partnership with Suresh Raina, Howzat aims
to attract cricket fans to the platform and become the
most rewarding fantasy sports app in India.
• The brand is already endorsed by former Indian
international cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan.
Howzat fantasy sports platform launched in 2019 is owned
and operated by Howzat Private Limited.
About Suresh Raina:
i.Suresh Kumar Raina from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh is
known as the first Indian cricketer to score a hundred in all
three formats of the game.
ii.He is the 3rd Indian batsman in the world and the first Indian to hit a century in T20.
iii.He has represented Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions(captain) in the Indian Premier League (IPL)
matches.
Indian Archer Abhishek Verma Elected to World Archery Athletes Committee

Indian Compound Archer and Arjuna Awardee Abhishek Verma, 3-time world cup gold medalist, has been
elected to the Athletes Committee of World Archery, the international federation for the Olympic sport of
archery. He has been elected for a term of 4 years till 2025.
• The Compound women’s world champion Natalia
Avdeeva (Russia) was also elected to the Athletes
Committee for 4 years till 2025.
Athletes Committee:
Chair– Naomi Folkard(Great Britain)
Members– Crystal Gauvin(USA); Sjef van den
Berg(Netherlands); Abhishek Verma(India); Natalia
Avdeeva(Russia)
About Abhishek Verma:
i.Abhishek Verma won the gold medal in the Men’s compound event at the 2021 Hyundai Archery World Cup
stage III held in Paris, France.
ii.He won the individual medal in 2015 at World Cup Stage 3 in Wroclaw.
iii.He won 2 medals (1 in individual and 1 in team) at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and a silver medal in the
team event in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.

iv.The government of India honoured him with the Arjuna Award for archery in 2014.
About World Archery:
Secretary General– Tom Dielen
Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland
Mastercard joins Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, appoints Magnus Carlsen as Ambassador
Mastercard joins the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour as an official partner and names Magnus Carlsen as
Mastercard global brand ambassador.
• Carlsen joins the company’s all-star line-up of
ambassadors, which includes Lionel Messi, Naomi
Osaka, Crystal Dunn and Dan Carter.
• With this ,Mastercard owners will be able to join
Carlsen for a live, virtual event, where he will speak
about his passion for chess and take questions from
the live audience.
About Meltwater Champions Chess Tour
The Champions Chess Tour 2021 is a 10-month long
series of 10 online chess tournaments featuring the
world’s top players, playing for a prize money pool of US$1.5 million
Hosted by: Play Magnus Group
About Magnus Carlsen
i.He is Norwegian chess grandmaster who is the current World Chess Champion, World Rapid Chess Champion,
and World Blitz Chess Champion.
ii.He is highest-rated chess grandmaster in history.
iii.He was the highest-paid esports player in 2020.
About Mastercard
It is a multinational financial services corporation
CEO: Michael Miebach
Founded: 16 December 1966
India’s CAG GC Murmu elected as external auditor for IAEA

India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) GC Murmu was elected as the external auditor of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the General Conference of the IAEA in Vienna, Austria . His tenure
will be for six years, from 2022 to 2027.
About GC Murmu
i.Murmu assumed office as the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on August 8, 2020.
ii.Prior to that, he served as the first Lt Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
iii.He also served in various capacities in the Government of India, such as secretary of the department of
expenditure, special and additional secretary in the department of financial services and department of revenue.
About (IAEA)
It stands for International Atomic Energy Agency. It promotes the peaceful use of nuclear energy
Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
Director General: Rafael Mariano Grossi
Founded: 1957
Kuwait’s Ambassador, H.E. Sadiq M. Marafi elected as President of 65th Conference
The IAEA’s General Conference elected Kuwait’s Ambassador, H.E. Sadiq M. Marafi, as President of the 65th
regular session of the Conference.
About H.E. Sadiq M. Marafi
i.Marafi is Kuwait’s Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the international organisations in

Vienna, including the IAEA, since September 2013.
ii.He has been a career diplomat since 1993 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait.
iii.At Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Marafi’s assignments included an appointment to the Permanent
Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva, from July 1996 to August 2012.
iv.Prior to that, he served as a diplomatic attaché at the Department of Asia and Africa.
MCA extended tenure of Company Law Committee by 1 year, till Sept 2022
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has extended the tenure of the Company Law Committee (CLC) by one
year i.e. till September 16, 2022 w.e.f. September 17, 2021.
• CLC was formulated to promote ease of doing business to law abiding corporates, to foster improved
corporate compliance for stakeholders, and to address issues impacting the working of companies.
• The tenure of CLC was also extended in 2020 by 1 year.
About CLC:
It is an 11-member committee constituted in 2019 by MCA to examine and make recommendations to the
government on issues related to implementation of the Companies Act 2013 and the Limited Liability
Partnership Act 2008.
• It is chaired by Rajesh Verma, Secretary, MCA.
ACQUISITION & MERGERS

PayU Acquired Billdesk for 4.7 Billion USD
PayU Payments Private Limited (PayU), a subsidiary of Prosus has entered into an agreement with the
shareholders of IndiaIdeas.com Limited (BillDesk)to acquire 100% of its Equity shares for 4.7 Billion USD
(around Rs 34 thousand Crores).
Prosus NV is a global consumer internet group and technology investor.
• The acquisition is subject to approval from the Competition Commission of India(CCI).
• The purchase consideration is 4.7 billion USD on a cash-free, debt-free basis and subject to a normalised
level of working capital at Closing.
Reason for acquisition:
The partnership between PayU and BillDesk will enable them to meet the payment needs of digital consumers,
merchants and government enterprises in India and provide the state of the art technology to the excluded
sections of the society.
Additional info:
i.According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s FY21 annual report, the number of transactions for digital retail
payments has increased by more than 80% from 24 billion in 2018-2019 to 44 billion in 2020-21.
ii.RBI expects that more than 200 million new users will adopt digital payment in the next 3 years.
About IndiaIdeas.com Limited (BillDesk):
Co-founders– M.N. Srinivasu, Ajay Kaushal, Karthik Ganapathy
Founded in 2000
Kotak Mahindra Bank to Sell 20Cr Shares of APBL to Bharti Enterprises for Rs 294 Cr
Kotak Mahindra Bank is set to sell its 20 crore equity shares (around 8.57%) of Airtel Payment Bank
Limited(APBL) to Bharti Enterprises Limited for a cash consideration of around Rs 294.8 crore.
• The Bharti Enterprises has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India to enable the execution of the
proposed transaction.
• The proposed translation does not require any governmental or regulatory approvals.
Key points:
i.The sale of the equity shares is expected to be completed on or before 15th September 2021 for the cash

consideration of around Rs 294.8 crore, to be determined according to the terms of the share purchase
agreement.
ii.Kotak Mahindra Bank acquired these shares for Rs 200 crore invested in trenches during calendar years 2016
and 2017.
About Kotak Mahindra Bank:
Kotak Mahindra Bank was established as Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd in 1985 and converted to Kotak Mahindra
Bank in 2003.
MD & CEO- Uday Kotak
Tagline– Let’s Make Money Simple
About Airtel Payment Bank Limited(APBL):
APBL commenced its operation as a payment bank with effect from 23rd November 2016.
MD & CEO– Anubrata Biswas
Incorporated on April 1, 2010
CCI Approves the Acquisition of TVS Supply Chain Solutions Pvt Ltd by T.S. Rajam Rubbers &
Dhinrama Mobility Solution
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of certain shareholding in TVS Supply Chain
Solutions Private Limited by T.S. Rajam Rubbers Private Limited and Dhinrama Mobility Solution Private Limited
under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.
• This transaction will be carried out through a secondary purchase from CDPQ Private Equity Asia Private
Limited(CDPQ), an existing shareholder.
Additional info:
i.T.S. Rajam Rubbers Private Limited and Dhinrama Mobility Solution Private Limited are the wholly owned
subsidiaries of TVS Mobility Private Limited, owned and controlled by Shri TS Rajam Family.
ii.The members of the RS Rajam Family are the promoters of TVS Supply Chain Solutions Private Limited.
HDFC Life to Acquire 100% Stake in Exide Life for Rs 6687 crore
HDFC Life Insurance Company(HDFC Life) is set to acquire 100% share capital of Exide Life Insurance
Company for a total cash consideration of Rs 6687 crore. Rs 725.97 crore of the total cash consideration is
payable in cash and the balance by issuing 8.70 crore equity shares of face value of Rs 10 at an issue price of Rs
685 per share.
• This is the biggest insurance deal in India.
• Exide Industries Limited is the holding company of Exide Life Insurance.
• The approval of shareholders for the proposed issue will be obtained at an extraordinary general meeting
which will be held on 29th September 2021.
About the acquisition:
• Following the completion of this transaction, Exide Life Insurance is proposed to be merged into HDFC Life.
• The issuance of shares to Exide Industries will be on a preferential allotment basis for non-consideration.
• The transaction of customary conditions such as receipt of all regulatory approvals.
About HDFC Life Insurance Company(HDFC Life):
MD & CEO- Vibha Padalkar
Established in 2000
RSBVL acquires 57% stake in Strand Life Sciences for Rs 393 crores
On 3rd September 2021, Reliance Industries Limited’s (RIL) subsidiary – Reliance Strategic Business Ventures
Limited (RSBVL) acquired 57.06% stake in Strand Life Sciences by buying over 2.28 crore shares in the
company for Rs 393 crores.

i.RIL is also planning to invest another Rs 160 crores in Strand Life Sciences by March 2023, increasing its total
share in the company by about 80.3%, with a total of Rs 553 crore investment.
ii.The acquisition is a part of RIL’s initiative towards affordable access to the digital healthcare ecosystem in India
with world-class technology.
About Strand Life Sciences:
Strand Life Sciences, is a technology company that deals with genomic testing and provides biometric software
and clinical research solutions to healthcare providers.
About Reliance Industries Limited (RIL):
RIL is India’s most valued company, and the 1st Indian company to reach USD 200 billion market capital.
Chairman & MD – Mukesh Ambani (Asia’s Richest person)
ICICI Lombard gets Approval for the Acquisition of Bharti Axa from IRDAI
India’s largest private sector general insurer, ICICI Lombard got the final in-principle approval from Insurance
Regulatory and Development Authority of India(IRDAI) for the acquisition Bharti Axa General Insurance.
Highlights
i.Bharti AXA General Insurance is a joint venture of Bharti, an Indian business group with 51% and AXA, a global
insurance and asset management company with 49% stake.
ii.According to the deal, the shareholders of the demerged company- Bharti and AXA will be allotted equity shares
with Bharti General Ventures and Societe Beaujon shares.
iii.The shareholders of Bharti AXA shall receive 2 shares of ICICI Lombard for every 115 shares of Bharti AXA held
by them as on the date of the approval.
iv.In 2020, Competition Commission of India (CCI), Bombay Stock Exchange ( BSE) was also approved for the
acquisition.
v.IRDAI also grants approval to ICICI Bank to reduce stake in ICICI Lombard to 30%.
About Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India(IRDAI)
Headquarters– Hyderabad, Telangana
About ICICI Lombard
CEO: Bhargav Dasgupta
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
LIC picks up nearly 4% stake in Bank of India through open market transaction
Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has picked up around 3.9% stakes (around 159007791 shares) of Bank
of India(BOI) through Open Market Acquisition on 2nd September 2021.
• With this acquisition the stake of LIC in Bank of India has increased from 3.17% to 7.05%, equivalent to
289287324 shares.
• The BOI raised around Rs 2550 crore by allotting reference shares to qualified institutional buyers.
Note:
According to the SEBI regulations, on substantial acquisition of shares and takeovers, companies have to inform
the stock exchange when the entity holds more than 5% shares of a listed firm.
About the acquisition:
i.The issue was opened on 25th August and closed on 30th August.
ii.BOI aimed to raise around Rs 3000 crore equity capital through this issue.
iii.LIC, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company are the three investors
which subscribed to more than 5% of the equity offered in the qualified institutional placement issue.
iv.With this acquisition the shareholding of the government in the bank has decreased from 90.34% to 82.50%.
v.Following the allotment of the equity shares in the issues, the paid up capital equity shares of the bank has
increased from Rs 3698.09 crore to Rs 4103.57 crore comprising of 410,35,66,070 number of equity shares

About Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India:
Chairman– MR Kumar
Established in 1956
Amicus Insurance Broking to Merge with First Policy Insurance Broker

First Policy Insurance Brokers will merge with Amicus Insurance Brokers to consolidate its position in the
market. After the merging, they will become one of the leading insurance brokers in the country.
• Insurance regulator, Insurance Regulatory and Development Association of India (IRDAI) granted the in-
principle approval for this transaction on 5th August 2021.
• The merger process also needs to get few more closure formalities, specified in the Companies Act.
About the merger:
i.The merger of Amicus Insurance Broking with First Policy will contribute to a 40% growth in the revenues of the
First Policy.
ii.Following this merger, Jitendranath Nayer, Chairman of Amicus Insurance will join the board of First Policy.
About First Policy Insurance Broker Private Limited:
Director- Ashok Jain
Founded in 2002
About Amicus Insurance Broking Services Private Limited:
CEO– K.V. Satheesh Kumar
Byju’s Acquired Gradeup; Rebranded as Byju’s Exam Prep

Ed-Tech Unicorn Byju’s has acquired the online exam preparation platform Gradeup to boost the ed tech’s
presence in the online competitive exam preparation category.
Following the acquisition of Gradeup, it has been rebranded as Byju’s Exam Prep.
• This marks the 8th acquisition by Byju’s in 2021.
• Gradeup headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh was established in 2015 by Shobhit Bhatnagar, Sanjeev
Kumar, and Vibhu Bhushan.
CCI Approved Acquisitions – Inflow by Savex; ONGC Tripura Power Company Limited by GAIL &
Indiabulls AMC by Groww
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of 100% of the equity share capital of Inflow
Technologies Private Limited (Inflow) by Savex Technologies Private Limited (Savex).
Key Points:
i.Savex and Inflow have entered into a definitive agreement for the acquisition of all shares of inflow in multiple
tranches.
ii.This transaction allows Savex and Inflow to deliver higher value to their clientele.
iii.Savex and Inflow are involved in distribution of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products.
GAIL Acquires 26% stake in ONGC Tripura Power Company from IL&FS group entities:
CCI approved the acquisition of 26% equity share capital of ONGC Tripura Power Company Limited by GAIL
(India) Limited from Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) group entities under Section 31(1) of
the Competition Act, 2002.
• The stakes are acquired from IL&FS Energy Development Company Limited and IL&FS Financial Services
Limited.
Groww Acquires 100% Stake in Indiabulls AMC & Indiabulls Trustee:
CCI has approved the acquisition of 100% shareholding of (Indiabulls AMC) and Indiabulls Trustee Company
Limited (Indiabulls Trustee) by Nextbillion Technology Private Limited, doing business as Groww.

• This is the 1st transaction in India under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)’s new “sponsor”
eligibility criteria for mutual funds.
• Following the decision of SEBI to allow new-age fintech companies and private equity players to start a
mutual fund, Groww became the 1st fintech to join the asset management space.
Background:
In May 2020, Nextbillion Technology signed a deal with Indiabulls to buy out the entire stake for Rs 175 crore.
Under the deal which includes cash and cash equivalent of Rs 100 crore, Groww acquires the Indiabulls AMC and
its trustee, Indiabulls Trustee.
Competition Commission of India (CCI), approved the proposed acquisition of 23.5 per cent stake equity share
capital in ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited) Tripura Power Company(OTPC) by Summit India
(Tripura).
This transaction represents a business opportunity for Summit India(Tripura) since ONGC operates a fully
operational natural gas-based power plant (726.6 MW) in Palatana, Tripura.
About Competition Commission of India (CCI):
Chairperson– Ashok Kumar Gupta
Director-General– Dr Atul Verma
Established on 14th October 2003
Kotak Mahindra Bank to buy 9.98% stake in KFin Technologies for Rs 310 Crore
On 20th September 2021, Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) announced to acquire 9.98% stakes of KFin Technologies
by buying over 1.67 crore equity shares for Rs 310 crores as a primary capital infusion to the company. The
companies are planning to complete the acquisition by the end of October 2021.
i.KFin Technologies is a fintech company that provides various financial solutions including asset classes
spanning mutual funds, alternative investment funds and pension funds
ii.Notably KFin had a turnover of Rs 481 crore in 2020-21.
About KFin Technologies:
Chairman – M.V. Nair
Headquarter – Hyderabad, Telangana
About Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB):
MD & CEO – Uday Kotak
Tagline – Let’s make money simple
CCI Approved the Acquisition of 10.40% Stake in GPL by Adani Ports

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the proposed acquisition of a 10.40% stake in
Gangavaram Port Limited (GPL) by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ), a part of the Adani
Group, a leading integrated ports and logistics company from the government of Andhra Pradesh.
• The consideration of the proposed acquisition of a 10.40% stake in GPL is Rs 644.78 crore.
• With this acquisition, GPL becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of APSEZ.
Background;
i.In August 2021, the government of Andhra Pradesh approved the acquisition of 10.4% stakes in GPL by Adani
ports.
ii.In March 2021, APSEZ acquired a 31.5% stake in GPL from Warburg Pincus and later acquired the controlling
stake (58.1% stake) in GPL from DVS Raju and Family for Rs 3604 crore, taking APSEZ’s stake in GPL to 89.6%.
Key Points:
i.GPL owns, develops and operates the deepwater port at Gangavaram in AP.

ii.The Gangavaram Port incorporated in September 2001 is the 2nd largest non-major port in AP with 64 MMT
capacity.
About Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ):
CEO– Karan Adani
Headquarters– Ahmedabad, Gujarat
CA Rover Holding Sold a 3.4% Stake in SBI Cards for Rs 3267 crore
CA Rover Holdings, a United States(US)-based private equity fund, has sold 3.2 crore shares amounting to a 3.4%
stake in SBI Cards, for 443 million USD (around Rs 3267 crore).
CA Rover Holdings is a part of the Carlyle Group and an affiliate of Carlyle Asia Partners.
• This transaction was put through stock exchanges under the Bulk deal window.
• The sale price has been fixed at Rs 1021 to Rs 1072.30 apiece.
• Prior to this transaction, CA Rover had around 61.2 million shares amounting to a 6.5% stake in the SBI Card.
Background:
i.In 2017, Carlyle acquired a 26% stake in SBI Cards from GE Group for Rs 2000 crore.
ii.In March 2020, SBI Cards launched its maiden initial public offer (IPO), in which Carlyle sold 10% for Rs 7000
crore.
iii.In March 2021, CA Rover Holdings, a Carlyle entity sold more than a 4% stake in SBI Cards for around Rs 3800
crore and in June 2021, it sold a 5.1% stake for Rs 4,811 crore in a bulk deal.
About Carlyle group:
CEO– Kewsong Lee
Headquarters– Washington, DC., United States
Founded in 1987
About SBI Card:
SBI Card was launched in October 1998 by the State Bank of India and GE Capital.
MD & CEO– Rama Mohan Rao Amara
Headquarters– Gurgaon, Haryana
IndusInd Bank Acquired 4.79% Stake in McLeod Russel India

The IndusInd Bank has acquired a 4.79% stake in debt-laden McLeod Russel India Limited(MRIL) by involving
pledged shares for recovery of its dues.
The bank, in accordance with the invocation of the pledge of shares, acquired 5000000 equity shares of MRIL.
MRIL, the leading bulk tea manufacturer in India, is a flagship company of the BM Khaitan group.
Background:
i.The equity shares of McLeod Russel held by Ichamati Investments were pledged with IndusInd bank for securing
the outstanding dues of MRIL.
ii.The IndusInd bank invoked the pledged shares to recover its due from MRIL.
Additional info:
i.In June 2021, IndusInd bank acquired 7067500 equity shares of MRIL forming 6.77% paid-up equity share
capital of MRIL, by invoking pledged shares for recovery of its dues.
ii.By the end of the first quarter of this fiscal, the promoter shareholdings in MRIL stood at 10.07%.
iii.The other financial creditors of MRIL include Indian Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, State Bank of
India, UCO Bank, Punjab National Bank, Yes Bank, RBL Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.
About IndusInd Bank:
MD & CEO– Sumant Kathpalia

About McLoed Russel India Ltd (MRIL):
MRIL was incorporated as Eveready Company India. Private Limited on 5th May 1998.
CMD– Aditya Khaitan
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

SpaceX launched ants, avocados, robot to ISS
The SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft was launched from a recycled Falcon 9 rocket from the NASA’s (National
Aeronautics and Space Administration) Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida carrying shipment of
ants, avocados and a human-sized robotic arm toward the International Space Station (ISS).
• After the launch, the rocket’s first-stage booster returned
and landed upright on SpaceX’s newest ocean platform,
named ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’.
• This was SpaceX’s 23rd delivery towards the ISS in 10 years
and 3rd launch for this particular booster.
Key Points:
i.The Dragon carried more than 4,800 pounds (2,170 kilograms)
of supplies and experiments, and fresh food including avocados,
lemons and even ice cream for the space station’s seven
astronauts.
ii.The Girl Scouts sent ants, shrimp and plants for experiments while University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists
sent seeds from mouse-ear cress, a small flowering weed used in genetic research. There are also Samples of
concrete, solar cells and other materials for research.
iv.There is also a robotic arm which is sent to the ISS. It is manufactured by a Japanese start-up to perform chores
around the Station.
What is the International Space Station (ISS)?
It is a home to astronauts in the form of large spacecraft which orbits around the earth. Its objective is to do
research which could not be done on earth. It has science labs from the United States (NASA), Russia
(Roscosmos), Japan (JAXA) and Europe (ESA).
• The first crew arrived on November 2, 2000.
• It is one of the brightest objects in the sky.
IIT Madras launches ‘e-Source’ – an Open Source platform to track e-waste

“e-Source”, an open source platform for tracking & recovery of electronic wastes (e-waste) is under beta level of
testing by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. The initiative is promoted by the Indo-German Centre
for Sustainability (ICGS) in IIT Madras.
Objective – To trace e-waste from the formal & informal sector and facilitate proper measures for recycling,
thereby making the hazardous e-waste back into the circular economy which helps to reach $50 billion economy.
i.e-Source will also act as an online marketplace for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(WEEE), linking buyers and sellers from various sectors.
ii.The open source platform uses machine learning techniques in a combination of image processing & natural
language processing to update data into the e-waste database.
Note – ‘NeoBolt’, India’s 1st indigenous motorized wheelchair was developed by IIT Madras
iii.IGCS was established in 2010 under the premises of IIT Madras to provide a platform for research on various
aspects of promoting sustainable development in Germany, India and South Asia.
iv.India becomes world’s third largest e-waste producer which generated 38 percent from 2019 to 2020.

About IIT Madras:
IIT Madras was established in 1959, with technical assistance from Germany.
Director – Bhaskar Ramamurthi
CSIR-NAL’s Hansa New Generation (NG) aircraft successfully made its Maiden Flight
On September 3, 2021, Hansa New Generation (NG) aircraft successfully made its maiden flight and all flight
parameters were found normal. It is designed and developed by CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research)-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The aircraft took off from HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited) airport by Amit Dahiya, test pilot, flew at an
altitude of 4000 ft. with a speed of 80 knots for about
20 minutes.
• It will be certified within the next 4 months.
• The project director of HANSA is Abbani Rinku.
Key Points:
i.The flight was monitored in telemetry by senior officers
and scientists from Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA), Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC) and CSIR-NAL.
ii.Among its key features, there is a glass cockpit with cabin comfort, high efficient digitally controlled engine,
electrically operated flaps, Long endurance, low acquisition and Low operating cost.
iii.CSIR-NAL has identified a private partner and series production will start soon.
iv.HANSA NG was issued a type certification from the DGCA in 2020 and manufacturing of the first aircraft for
flight trials was initiated in September 2020.
The ‘monk fruit’ which is native to China was introduced for field trials in Himachal Pradesh (HP) by Palampur-
based CSIR- Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. It is the 1st ever
monk fruit cultivation exercise in India.
About National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL):
It is the only government aerospace R&D laboratory in the country’s civilian sector.
Director– Jitendra J Jadhav
China successfully Launches Hyperspectral Observation Satellite ‘Gaofen-502’ by Long March

Rocket
According to a report, the China National Space Administration has launched its hyper spectral observation
satellite, called Geofan-502 at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center using the Long March 4 Bingyao 40 carrier
rocket.The satellite and launch vehicle are developed and produced by the Shanghai Aerospace Technology
Research Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Highlights
• It was the 387th flight mission by a Long March
carrier rocket.
• The satellite will improve the hyperspectral
observation capacity of China’s atmosphere,water, air
and land.
• China will be able to efficiently monitor the
environmental activities and provide domestic
hyperspectral data support for environmental
support.
• It will help in monitoring water, ecology, atmosphere etc.

What is Hyperspectral Imaging?
i.It is the process of scanning and displaying an image within a section of the electromagnetic spectrum.
ii.To create an image that the human eye can see, the energy levels of a target are color-coded and then mapped in
layers.
iii.This set of images provide specific information about the way an object transmits, reflects, or absorbs energy in
various wavelengths.
About China
President- Xi Jinping
Currency- Renminbi
Capital- Beijing
INSPIRESat-1 is set for launch; ISRO releases Chandrayaan-2 data as Spacecraft completes 2
years
In accordance with the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), the INSPIRESat-1 CubeSat,
developed under the International Satellite Program in Research and Education (INSPIRE) is all set for
launch through an upcoming Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) mission of the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO).
What will INSPIRESat-1 CubeSat do?
It is equipped with a Compact Ionosphere Probe which will study earth’s ionosphere. A constellation of earth and
space-weather observation satellites is also envisaged under the INSPIRE program.
Key Points:
i.Its weight is ~ 8.6 kg (less than 10kg).
ii.INSPIRESat-1 is a joint effort by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University
of Colorado Boulder in the US (United States), the National Central University, Taiwan, the Nanyang Technological
University in Singapore, and the IIST.
iii.Its computer and electrical power supply were designed and developed by students of IIST.
iv.The INSPIRESat-1 mission was originally planned for 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ISRO releases Chandrayaan-2 data as Spacecraft completes 2 years in Lunar Orbit
On September 6, 2021, the Chairman of ISRO Kailasavadivoo Sivan inaugurated a 2-day Lunar Science
Workshop 2021, to commemorate the completion of two years of operation of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft around
the lunar orbit. It was organized by ISRO.
• There he released the Chandrayaan-2 data product and science documents along with data from eight
Chandrayaan-2 orbiter payloads which are conducting scientific observations of the Moon.
The data can be analyzed by the academia and institutes for a greater participation to look for scientific details
from the Chandrayaan-2 mission.
In August 2021, ISRO launched its most advanced Geo-Imaging Satellite ‘EOS-3’ that is capable of near-real time
monitoring of natural disasters like Floods & Cyclones.
About Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST):
It as an autonomous body under the Department of Space, Government of India
Director– S. Somanath
Headquarter– Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
‘Orca’- World’s Largest Plant Capturing Carbon Dioxide From Air Starts In Iceland
The World’s Largest Plant to Capture Carbon Dioxide(CO2) from air, ‘Orca’ Starts Operating in Iceland.The Plant
will suck in CO2 and store it underground in the form of rock. It was started by a Swiss startup Climeworks AG in
partnership with Icelandic carbon storage firm Carbfix. The plant can capture up to 4,000 tons of CO2 per year.
About the Orca plant-
i.The ‘’Orca’’ refers to the Icelandic word ‘Orka’ for meaning “energy”. The plant consists of eight large containers
similar in looks to those used in the shipping industry, which employ high-tech filters and fans to extract carbon

dioxide.
ii.The plant has four units, each made up of two metal boxes.
Highlights
• According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the global CO2-emissions totalled 31.5 billion tonnes in
2020. Therefore this plant will help in sucking the polluted carbon from the atmosphere.
• They developed a plant that can capture 4000 tons of CO2 per year. According to the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), that equates to the emissions from about 870 cars.
Mechanism
i.For the collection of CO2, the plant uses fans to draw air into the collector, which has filter material inside.
ii.Once the filter material is filled with CO2, the collector is closed and the temperature is raised to release the
CO2 from the material after which the highly concentrated gas can be collected.
iii.The CO2 is then mixed with the water before being injected at a depth of 1,000 metres into the nearby basalt
rock where it is petrified.
About Carbfix
Chief Executive Officer– Dr. Edda Sif Pind Aradottir
Headquarter – Reykjavík, Iceland.
India launched its 1st Satellite & Nuclear Missile Tracking Ship INS Dhruv
India has launched its first satellite and nuclear-missile tracking ship INS (Indian Naval Ship) Dhruv. It is the first
of its kind ocean surveillance ship (OSS) that is capable of tracking ballistic missiles at a long-range.
• It was launched by National Security Advisor Ajit
Doval in the presence of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral
Karambir Singh from Visakhapatnam (Andhra
Pradesh), its commission site.
• It will be under the control of the Strategic Forces
Command (SFC), and will advance India’s presence in
the Indo-Pacific region. Gulf of Aden to the South
China Sea via Malacca, Sunda, Lombok, Ombai, and
Wetar straits.
INS Dhruv Development:
i.It is built by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in collaboration with the DRDO (Defence Research and
Development Organisation) and NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation).
ii.It has been designed in India by New Delhi-headquartered Vik Sandvik Design India Pvt. Ltd. (VSDI).
iii.Its outlay is around Rs 750 crore.
iv.Its code designation is VC-11184.
Key features:
i.The ship was built inside the covered dry dock.
ii.It has the capacity to carry a 300-crew with hi-tech gadgets and communication equipment, powered by two
diesel engines, and a large deck capable of helicopter landing.
iii.It is equipped with the DRDO developed state-of-the-art Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar that
can scan and monitor spy satellites.
• It will provide early warning of attacks by ballistic missiles launched from Pakistan and China.
iv.It will also be able to map ocean beds for research and detection of enemy submarines.
v.It will also help in monitoring the flight trajectories and telemetry data of the Agni land-based missiles and ‘K’
series of submarine-launched ballistic missiles launched by India.
It should be noted that with the induction of INS Dhruv, India joins France, the United States (US), the United
Kingdom (UK), Russia, and China, who possess and operate such ships.
Ordnance Factory, Tiruchirappalli (OFT) handed over the 1st Batch of 25 Indigenously produced 12.7 mm
Stabilised Remote Control Gun (SRCG) systems to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

About Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL)
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)– Hemant Khatri
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Defence
Headquarter– Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) Inaugurated at MCL of 1st of Its Kind in CIL
In a first, in Coal India Ltd. (CIL) under the Ministry of Coal, an innovative Remotely Piloted Aircraft System
(RPAS) was inaugurated at Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) to remotely monitor automated systems.
• Designed by the MCL’s Innovation Cell and the Department of E&T, the portal named “Vihangam’ was
created by a Mumbai-based start-up of drone manufacturing, robotics and automation.
• RPAS will enable real-time monitoring of coal mines with the use of drones.
• Pramod Agrawal, Chairman of CIL also laid the foundation stone for Rs 285.05 crore first mile connectivity
(FMC) project — Lajkura SILO.
SpaceX launches 51 Starlink broadband satellites

SpaceX launched its first full stack of 51 Starlink broadband (internet) satellites on falcon 9 rocket from Space
Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Station in California on September 14.
It is the 22nd Falcon 9 mission for SpaceX so far in 2021 and it was the 90th successful landing to date.
Aim of Starlink programme
i.To provide high-speed internet access to users around
the world and the service is targeted to users in remote
areas that have little to no connectivity
ii.To help fund its deep-space ambitions.
i.The Starlink satellites are equipped with laser crosslinks
to communicate with each other and reducing the
constellation’s reliance on Earth
ii.SpaceX began satellite launches in November 2019 and
opened its $99 per month beta programme for select customers around a year later
iii.The company aims to launch around 30,000 Starlink satellites into orbit, and expand its user pool to millions of
customers.
About SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp is an American aerospace manufacturer, space transportation services and
communications company
Founder and CEO: Elon Musk
Founded: 6 May 2002
Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States
OneWeb launches 34 satellites from Kazakhstan for Global Internet Service Push
On September 14, 2021, the London (United Kingdom) based firm OneWeb launched 34 satellites into orbit from
a Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
• It was launched in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) by French LEO satellite communications
company, Arianespace and its Starsem affiliate, through its launch vehicle ‘Soyuz’-Flight ST35.
• Flight ST35 was the 60th Soyuz mission and the 10th mission for OneWeb.
Key Points:
i.With this, OneWeb’s satellites into orbit expanded to 322 for the global connectivity constellation.
ii.OneWeb has plans to launch a total of 648 LEO satellites for high-speed global internet connection including to
the most remote corners of the world.
iii.It should be noted that OneWeb resumed satellite launches in December 2020 after getting bankruptcy

protection worth $1 billion in equity investment from a consortium of the British government and India’s Bharti
Enterprises.
• It has received further financing from Bharti Enterprises as well as investment from Eutelsat
Communications and Japan’s SoftBank.
Spacex launches Earth-circling private trip with no professionals

For the first, A SpaceX launched Falcon 9 rocket, with all amateur and tourist crew, from Kennedy Space Centre at
Cape Canaveral in Central Florida on September 15, 2021.
• The crew included 38-year-old billionaire Jared
Isaacman, who sponsored the trip, Hayley Arceneux, 29,
Sian Procotor, 51, and Chris Sembroski, a 42-year-old
who claimed his seat through an online raffle.
• Jared Isaacman is leading the flight
• The Dragon capsule aimed for an altitude of 575 km,
just beyond the Hubble Space Telescope
• The Dragon capsule in which they are boarded will
circle around the planet for three days expected to
reach earth on September 18 (Saturday).
Note: Arceneaux is the first youngest American in space and the first person with prosthesis, a titanium rod in her
left leg
About Dragon Capsule
i.It is a class of reusable cargo spacecraft developed by SpaceX
ii.It is also known as the pressurised section, allows the transport of people as well as environmentally sensitive
cargo
About SpaceX
i. Space Exploration Technologies Corp is an American aerospace manufacturer, space transportation services
and communications company
ii. Founder and CEO: Elon Musk
iii. Founded: 6 May 2002
iv. Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States
UNESCO declares MDD in ‘Amazon of Europe’ as World’s 1st 5-country Biosphere Reserve
On September 15, 2021, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) declared
Europe’s Mura-Drava-Danube (MDD), the largest riverine protected area on the continent known as ‘Amazon of
Europe’ as the world’s first five-country biosphere reserve.
Key Features of Amazon of Europe:
i.Countries covered– Austria, Slovenia, Croatia,
Hungary and Serbia.
ii.Rivers covered– Mura, Drava and Danube
iii.Total area of the reserve– Million Hectares
iv.Nature– Floodplain forests, gravel and sand banks,
river islands, oxbows and meadows.
v.Species– It has Europe’s highest density of breeding
white-tailed eagle as well as endangered species such as
the little tern, black stork, otters, beavers and sturgeons.
It is also an important annual resting and feeding place for more than 250,000 migratory birds.
vi.The biosphere reserve covers 700 kilometres.
Key Points:
i.Now with this recognition, these five countries are mandated to jointly protect and revitalize the area and boost
sustainable business practices.

ii.This reserve contributes to the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy in the Mura-Drava-Danube
region which aims to bolster 25,000 km of rivers and protect 30% of the European Union’s land area by 2030.
iii.It will also contribute to the EU’s Green New Deal which aims no net greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions by
2050.
iv.It should be noted that there are 727 biosphere reserves in 131 countries, including 22 transboundary sites.
i.On 21st July 2021, United Kingdom’s (UK) ‘Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City’ was delisted from the list of
UNESCO World Heritage Sites after marginalising losing the vote count conducted. Proposal for delisting the
world heritage site came after overdevelopment of the region, which includes plans for constructing a new
football stadium.
About UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization):
2021 is the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development
China Launches Tianzhou 3 Cargo Spacecraft to Support Tiangong Space Station

China has successfully launched its third Unmanned Cargo Aircraft (UCA) named Tianzhou-3 or Heavenly
vessel from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan, China, with help of
the Long March-7Y4 rocket.
• Objective: To deliver fuel to the under-construction
space station of China, Tiangong and will bring back
three astronauts who have been there for almost 3
months.
• The Tiangong space station will be completed by 2022
and with its completion, China will become the first
country to own a space station.
Highlights:
i.Tianzhou-3 was successfully docked with the
core Tianhe module of the space station.
ii.China plans to launch two additional core modules for the space station- Wentian and Mengtian on the Long
March 5B rockets.
iii.The space station once completed, will give competition to ISS (International Space Station), which was
constructed by the United States (US), Russia, and Japan.
• China was restricted from participating in the ISS by the US.
About Tianhe station:
i.Tianhe or Heavenly Harmony is the third and largest space station launched by China on April 29, 2021, to
operate in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 340-450km above Earth’s surface for more than 10 years.
ii.Structure:
• The T-shaped station has one Core Module at the centre and a Lab Capsule on each side.
• Each module weighs around 20 tonnes and the total mass of the station will be around 66 tonnes.
• It has a robotic arm, which can be stressed up to 15 metres.
iii.Cooperating Countries– Russia, France, Italy, Pakistan, etc.
Why Astronauts will be sent?
The Space Crew will be sent to the station to practice spacewalks and conduct repairs, maintenance and
conduct scientific operations.
About Tianzhou:
i.It is a Chinese automated cargo spacecraft that was developed by China’s first space station Tiangong-1. It is
used to resupply modular space stations. Spacecraft was launched on the Long March 7 rocket from Wenchang
in 2017. This was the first version of the spacecraft and has a mass of 12,910 kg.

ii.Tianzhou-2: This spacecraft was lifted-off from China carrying 6.8 tons of cargo such as space suits, food and
equipment for astronauts and fuel for the station.
Future plans
Further China plans to carry out more space launches for the building of space station in 2021 such as the manned
flight on a Shenzhou-13 spacecraft via a Long March-2F rocket from Jiuquan centre.
China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched a new meteorological satellite ‘Fengyun-3E (FY-3E)’
aboard a Long March-4C carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China. Called the ‘dawn satellite’,
FY-3E is the world’s 1st meteorological satellite for civil service in a dawn-dusk orbit.
About China
President- Xi Jinping
Currency –Renminbi
Capital- Beijing
ISRO to Develop Reusable GSLV Mk-III Launch Vehicle

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on the development of a technology which will enable
ISRO to land the GSLV Mk III launch vehicles vertically. This will allow ISRO to reuse the GSLV Mk III launch
vehicles and save money.
• With this technology ISRO plans to recover the first and second stages.
• The launch vehicle will be reworked in its 3 stages. The 2nd liquid state will be replaced with a semi-cryo
stage and the terminal cryo stage C-25 will be converted into C-32.
4 amateur astronauts return to earth after 3 day space trip

SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission is a success as the four amateur astronauts who went on a 3 day private space trip
landed safely back to Earth on September 18 night.
Inspiration 4 Crew – Billionaire Jared Isaacman, the
commander of the flight, Hayley Arcenaux, physician
assistant, Chris Sembroski, data engineer and Sian Proctor,
geoscientist and science communication specialist.
• The spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean
off the coast of Florida in the United States at
approximately 7:07pm EDT (around 4:37am IST).
• The flight was part of a massive fundraising effort for
St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, to raise $200
million for childhood cancer research.
• While in orbit, the crew performed many medical experiments, collecting samples and data which will help
researchers better understand how microgravity affects the human body.
• They travelled to an altitude of 357 miles (575 kilometres) above the surface of the Earth, which is much
further and deeper into space than the International Space Station (ISS).
About SpaceX
i.Space Exploration Technologies Corp is an American aerospace manufacturer, space transportation services and
communications company
ii.Founder and CEO: Elon Musk
iii.Headquarter: Hawthorne, California, United States
Lunar Crater Named After Arctic Explorer Matthew Henson

The International Astronomical Union(IAU) has named a crater at the Moon’s south pole after Matthew Henson,
an African-American Arctic explorer, who was the 1st person to stand at the very top of the world.
• Henson crater is located in the South Pole of the Moon, between Sverdrup and de Gerlache craters.

• Jordan Bretzfelder, an Exploration Science summer intern at Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, Texas
proposed to name the crater after Matthew Henson.
Note:
Lunar and Planetary Institute is a member of the Solar
System Exploration Research Virtual Institute,
headquartered in Ames Research Center (National
Aeronautics and Space Administration- NASA).
Artemis program & Henson Crater:
i.The location of Henson Crater is the region where the
Artemis lunar exploration program of NASA is set to land
the next generation of lunar explorers.
ii.The Artemis program aims to land the first woman and first person of colour on the moon.
About Matthew Henson:
i.Matthew Henson was born in 1866 in Maryland, was well known as the co-discoverer of the North Pole with
Robert Edwin Peary in 1909.
ii.He published a memoir titled “A Negro Explorer at the North Pole”.
iii.The National Geographic Society honoured posthumously awarded the Hubbard Medal(posthumously) in
2000.
DEFENCE
EXERCISE
Navies of India & Algeria Conducts 1st ever ‘Maritime Partnership Exercise’ in Mediterranean Sea
The Indian Navy has conducted the 1st Ever Maritime Partnership Exercise with the Algerian Navy in the
Mediterranean Sea on 29th August 2021.
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tabar, representing India,
participated in the Exercise with a frontline Algerian
Naval Ship (ANS) Ezzadjer, as a part of its goodwill
Visit to Europe & Africa.
• It included diverse activities such as Co-ordinated
manoeuvring, Communication procedures & Steam
past between the two Navies
• The exercise enabled the two navies to understand the
concept of operations followed by each other,
enhanced interoperability & increased interaction and collaboration between them in the future.
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tabar:
i.It is the 3rd Warship of the Talwar class frigate built for the Indian Navy in Russia. It is on a 4-month
deployment (June to September 2021) across Europe & Africa.
ii.During this deployment, INS Tabar will make several port visits, Passage Exercise (PASSEX) & Bilateral
exercises.
About Algeria
President – Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Capital – Algiers
Currency – Algerian Dinar
‘KAZIND-21’ – Joint Military Exercise between India & Kazakhstan held at Kazakhstan
On 1st September 2021, Indian Army took part in “KAZIND-21” – a joint military exercise between India and
Kazakhstan at Aisha Bibi village of Kazakhstan. 90 soldiers from Indian Army participated in the 5th edition of
the KAZIND, an annual bilateral exercise, that is planned to be held between September 1 to 10, 2021.

i.The 10-day long exercise is designed to share expertise between the armies in the field of Counter-terrorism
operations.
ii.The military exercise is set to have a 48-hour long
validation exercise, on the challenges undergone during
actual counter-terrorist operations.
iii.The 4th edition of KAZIND was conducted at
Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh in September 2019.
Note – ‘Prabal Dostyk’ is another Joint Military
Exercise conducted between Indian Army &
Kazakhstan Army.
‘Yudh Abhyas 20’ – 16th edition of Joint Military Exercise between India & US Army held in Rajasthan
About Kazakhstan:
Capital – Nur-Sultan
Currency – Tenge
President – Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
The Ural River that flows through Kazakhstan & Russia acts as a continental boundary between Asia and Europe.
28th Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise ‘SIMBEX’ 2021 held in South China Sea
On September 2-4, 2021, the 3 days 28th Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise ‘SIMBEX 2021‘ was held
between the Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) in the southern edge of the South China Sea. It
was hosted by RSN as ‘at sea only’ i.e. without any physical interactions due to COVID-19.
• Notably, this 2021 of SIMBEX was held during the
ongoing celebrations of the 75th year of India’s
independence.
Participants:
The India Navy was represented by the following:
i.Guided Missile Destroyer INS (Indian Naval Ship) Ranvijay
with a ship borne helicopter,
ii.ASW (Anti-submarine warfare) Corvette INS Kiltan
iii.Guided Missile Corvette INS Kora
iv.P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
Following are the participants from RSN:
i.One Formidable Class Frigate, RSS Steadfast, embarked with an S-70B naval helicopter
ii.One Victory Class Missile Corvette RSS Vigour
iii.One Archer Class Submarine
iv.One Fokker-50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft
v.Four F-16 fighter aircraft
Key Points:
i.The exercise saw live weapon firing and advanced naval warfare serials, including anti-submarine, anti-air and
anti-ship warfare drills.
ii.The defence relations between India and Singapore cover collaborations from conventional military-to-military
exchanges to HADR (High availability disaster recovery) and cyber security.
• Both navies have a representation in each other’s Maritime Information Fusion Centres (IFCs) and have
also recently signed an agreement on mutual submarine rescue support and coordination.
iii.Notably, SIMBEX is the Indian Navy’s longest uninterrupted bilateral maritime exercise with any foreign navy
since its initiation in 1994.
Defence Officials from India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives participated in a virtual Trilateral Tabletop Exercise 2021
(TTX-2021), ‘Exercise Shield’ on Maritime Security. Exercise Shield was organized by Maritime Warfare Centre,
Mumbai from July 14-15, 2021.

About Singapore:
Capital– Singapore
Currency– Singapore dollar
Prime Minister– Lee Hsien Loong
India, Moroccan Navies Conducted 1st Maritime Partnership Exercise; INS Tabar reaches Egypt’s
Alexandria
The Indian Navy has conducted the 1st ever Maritime Partnership Exercise with the Moroccan Navy.
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tabar, the 3rd Warship of the
Talwar class frigate built for the Indian Navy in Russia,
participated in a Maritime Partnership Exercise with
Royal Moroccan Navy ship ‘Lieutenant Colonel
Arrahman’ off Casablanca port as a part of its ongoing
4-month deployment (June to September 2021) across
Europe & Africa.
• Communication drills, replenishment at sea procedures
and naval manoeuvres were undertaken during the
exercise.
Key Points:
i.INS Tabar has reached Alexandria harbour in Egypt. INS Tabar was received by officials from the Egyptian Navy
and the Indian defence attache.
ii.Navy ships that have visited Alexandria for Exercise Bright Star with Egypt are also present for the reception of
INS Tabar.
iii.About ‘Exercise Bright Star 2021’: Egypt Army hosted the joint military exercise ‘Bright Star 2021’, the
largest multinational military training in the Middle East. 21 countries have participated in the exercise including
the US, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, France, Britain, Greece, Italy etc.
The Indian Navy has conducted the 1st Ever Maritime Partnership Exercise with the Algerian Navy in the
Mediterranean Sea on 29th August 2021.
About Morocco:
Capital – Rabat
Currency – Moroccan dirham
Prime Minister – Saad-Eddine El Othmani
China organises “Shared Destiny-2021” – a Joint Military exercise with Pakistan, Mongolia &
Thailand
The 1st ever joint Military exercise – “Shared Destiny-2021” to be held between China, Pakistan, Mongolia &
Thailand from September 6 to 15 at China’s Henan’s Queshan county. The military exercise that is organised by
China will work on multinational peacekeeping live exercises, in line with the United Nations – “Action for
Peacekeeping”.
India & Australia conducts biennial Maritime Warfare exercise – ‘AUSINDEX 21’
Indian Navy and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) conducts the 4th Edition of biennial Maritime Warfare exercise
– “AUSINDEX 21” in the North Australian Exercise Area from 6th to 10th September, 2021. Indian Naval
Ships (INS) Shivalik & Kadmatt, under the Command of Rear Admiral Tarun Sobti, participated in the Naval
exercise.
• INS Shivalik & Kadmatt were indigenously designed and built Guided Missile Stealth Frigate and Anti-
Submarine Corvette respectively.
i.HMAS Warramunga, an Anzac Class Frigate, represents the Australian side in the exercise.

Note – Previously in August 2021, HMAS Warramunga, INS Shivalik & INS Kadmatt, took part in the MALABAR
naval exercise.
ii.The Navies will conduct a complex surface, sub-surface
and air operations between ships, submarines, helicopters
& patrol aircrafts.
iii.Surface exercise will see the participation of HMAS
Rankin, Royal Australian Air Force P-8A and F-18A aircraft
& integral helicopters of both the Navies.
iv.India & Australia have committed to maintaining peace,
security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region as per the
“2020 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”
Note – The Naval Exercise comes ahead of the 1st ever
“2+2” Foreign and Defence Ministers meeting that is scheduled to be held between India & Australia in
November 2021 at New Delhi.
AUSINDEX:
• The 1st edition of AUSINDEX Naval exercise was conducted in 2015 between India & Australia.
• In the 2019 edition that was held in Bay of Bengal witnessed the 1st ever anti-submarine drills between the
navies.
In August 2021, the United States of America hosted the 25th Edition of “MALABAR”, a joint Naval exercise
between the Quad Countries – India, USA, Japan & Australia in the Western Pacific Ocean region.
About Australia:
Prime Minister – Scott Morrison
Capital – Canberra
The World’s largest Coral reef system, the “Great Barrier Reef” is located at the eastern coast of Australia.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff – Karambir Singh
Navy Day – 4th December (annually celebrated to commemorate the victory of 1971 Indo-Pakistan war)
‘Royal Indian Marine’ (RIM), the British Raj version of Indian Navy, was constituted in 1892
India Participated in A Military Exercise Zapad 2021, Hosted by Russia

14 days long, Russia’s Multi Nation Exercise Zapad 2021 is conducting from 3rd to 16th September at Nizhniy in
Russia. Indian Army took part in ‘ZAPAD 2021’ with 200 personnel mainly from the Naga Regiment participated
as an all ‘Arms Combined Task Force’ for the exercise, which is one of the theatre levels exercises of the Russian
armed forces.
• The aim of the conducting exercise focuses primarily
on operations against terrorists.More than dozen
countries from Eurasia and South Asia will also
participate in the same exercise.Zapad, meaning
“west”.
• One of the main event of Russian-Belarusian
strategic exercises will be conducted between
September 10-16 at nine sites in Russia, the Baltic
Sea, and also five sites in Belarus.
• For the first time, Armenia participated in Russia’s
Zapad 2021 strategic drills, after the military defeat of 2020.
• The exercise met symbolic contingents from Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia and
Sri Lanka, and observers are to be sent by China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

INS Tabar conducts maritime exercise with Sudanese Navy
Indian navy and Sudan Navy had conducted the bilateral maritime exercise in the Red Sea off the Sudanese
coast. India Navy Ship (INS) Tabar and two Sudanese Navy ships- Almazz and Nimer- participated in the maiden
exercise.
Activities involved in the exercise
i.The exercise consists of multiple activities covering a wide
range of naval operations.
ii.These included co-ordinated maneuvering, replenishment
at sea RAS drills, Helo operations, operations for interdicting
suspect vessels at sea and communication procedures.
iii. The exercise enhanced interoperability between the two
navies significantly and widened the scope for combined
operations against common maritime threats in future.
iv.According to naval customs, exercise ended with a ‘steam past’ between naval vessels.
India participates in SCO Peaceful Mission 2021 in Russia

Indian Military participated in a Joint Counter Terrorism Exercise SCO PEACEFUL MISSION 2021. It is a biennial
exercise organised under the aegis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Orenburg in Russia from
September 13 to 25, 2021.
• The 6th edition of the exercise SCO Peaceful
Mission 2021 was hosted by Russia in Orenburg.
• The exercise will be conducted between SCO
member states.
• India sent a team of 200 personnel comprised of
an all arms combined force including 38
personnel from Indian Air Force for the exercise.
Aim of the Exercise
i.To increase global corporation to counter-terrorism.
ii.To encourage close relations between SCO members
states.
iii.To enhance the abilities of the military leaders to command multi-national contingents.
iv.To share best practices between the armed forces of SCO nations.
Scope of the Exercise
i.It provides an opportunity to train in counter-terrorism operations in an urban scenario in a multinational and
joint environment
ii.It includes professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills and procedures, establishment of joint
command and control structures and elimination of terrorist threats
About SCO
i.SCO stands for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
ii.It was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Note: India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017 .In 2020 India did not participate in the exercise
About Russia
Host city: Orenburg
Capital: Moscow
President: Vladimir Putin
15th India-Nepal Joint Military Training Exercise ‘Surya Kiran’ begins at Pithoragarh,
Uttarakhand
The 14-day long 15th India-Nepal Joint Military Training exercise Surya Kiran commenced on September 20,
2021 in the Himalayan border town of Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand in India.

The Indian Army is represented by the Garhwal Regiment. More than 650 soldiers are participating from both
sides.
• The exercise is a part of an initiative to develop inter-operability and sharing expertise between the two
nations regarding humanitarian assistance under disaster management and to get training under anti-
terrorist operations.
Key Points:
i.The exercise will validate the performance of both the
armies in counter-insurgency in mountainous terrain.
ii.Both the Armies will familiarize themselves with each
other’s weapons, equipment, tactics, techniques and
procedures.
iii.There would be a series of Expert Academic
Discussions on various subjects such as High Altitude
Warfare, Jungle Warfare etc.
iv.Last edition of Exercise Surya Kiran was conducted in
Nepal in 2019.
i.Indian Naval Ship (INS) Talwar visited Mombasa, Kenya to participate in Exercise Cutlass Express 2021 (CE21).
The Annual Maritime Exercise is to be conducted from 26 July, 2021 to 6th August, 2021 along the East Coast of
Africa.
About Nepal:
It is a home (along with Tibet) to Mount Everest, a peak of which is highest altitude above mean sea level at
29,029 feet [8,848 meters].
Capital– Kathmandu
Currency– Nepalese rupee
3rd Edition of India-Indonesia Bilateral Maritime Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti 2021’ held in Sunda
Strait
The 3rd edition of the Bilateral Maritime Exercise between the Indian and Indonesian navies named ‘Samudra
Shakti 2021’ was scheduled to be held, at Sunda Strait, Indonesia from September 20 to 22, 2021.
• Indian Naval Ships (INS) such
as Shivalik and Kadmatt arrived at Jakarta to
participate in the bilateral exercise with the
Indonesian Navies of KRI (Kapal Republik
Indonesia) Bung Tomo, KRI Malahayati, and
Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft CN-
235.
• Indian Navy’s long-range maritime reconnaissance
aircraft P8I also participated in the exercise.
Note – The Sunda Strait is located in between the
Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra.
About ‘Samudra Shakti’:
i.It is the bilateral maritime exercise formed in pursuance of India’s Act East Policy to strengthen the bilateral
relationship between the two nation’s navies and enhance their mutual understanding and interoperability in
maritime operations.
ii.The 1st edition of the exercise was held at the port of Surabaya, Indonesia in 2018 as a bilateral India-Indonesia
exercise and the 2nd edition was held in 2019 in the Bay of Bengal.
• Both the editions of the exercise have involved complex maritime operations such as Military Interdiction
Operations (MIO), Cross Deck Landings, Practice Weapon Firings, Air Defence serials, Replenishment
Approaches, and Tactical Manoeuvres.

iii.The 3rd edition aims to improve the maritime cooperation between the two navies and create strong bonds of
friendship across the Indo Pacific.
Shivalik, Kadmatt: They were the indigenously designed and built multi-role Guided Missile Stealth Frigate and
Anti-Submarine Corvette. They form part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet, which is based at Visakhapatnam,
Andhra Pradesh under the Eastern Naval Command.
On August 18, 2021 India and Vietnam had conducted a Bilateral maritime exercise in the South China Sea as a
part of maritime cooperation between the two countries.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) – Admiral Karambir Singh
Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Navy) – New Delhi, Delhi
About Indonesia:
Capital – Jakarta
President – Joko Widodo
Currency – Indonesian rupiah
TESTING
S.Korea tests first submarine-launched ballistic missile; becomes 8th country to do the same
The South Korean military conducted its first successful underwater test of a Submarine-Launched Ballistic
Missile (SLBM). The test was conducted by the new Dosan Ahn Chang-ho submarine that was inducted into
service in August 2021.
• The submarine launched a Hyunmoo-2B
ballistic missile, with a 500 km range.
• Dosan Ahn Chang-ho is South Korea’s first
3,000-ton class submarine which is equipped
with six launch tubes for ballistic missiles.
Key Points:
i.This launch makes South Korea the 8th country
with this capability joining the United States (US),
China, Russia, the U.K., France and India.
ii.The key difference between Hyunmoo-2B and the
SLBMs from the other nations is that the South
Korean missile does not carry a nuclear payload.
South Korea, 1st nation to successfully test launch SLBM without nuclear weapons; North Korea
tested rail-launched ballistic missiles
After North Korea, now South Korea successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM)
becoming the 7th country in the world to do so. It also
became the first country without nuclear weapons to
develop such a system.
• The SLBM was fired underwater from its newly
commissioned 3,000 ton class Dosan Ahn Chang-
ho submarine.
• The test was supervised by President Moon Jae-in.
Key Points:
i.The aim of the test is to counter North Korea’s growing
defence capabilities.
ii.It has been codenamed the Hyunmoo 4-4 as a variant of North Korea’s Hyunmoo-2B ballistic missile, which can
travel about 500 km (311 miles).

iii.Other countries that have tested or developed SLBMs are the United States (US), Russia, China, Britain, France,
North Korea, and India.
North Korea tested rail-launched ballistic missiles
On September 16, 2021, North Korea successfully test fired two short-range ballistic missiles from a train for the
first time during a drill of its Railway Mobile Missile Regiment.
• The missiles flew 800 km (497 miles) before striking a target in the sea off North Korea’s east coast,
• Rail mobile missiles are a cheap and reliable option to improve the survivability of their nuclear forces.
Korean Air (of South Korea) has been selected as the ‘2021 Airline of the Year’ by Air Transport World (ATW), it is
also called the ‘Oscar in the Aviation Industry’. It was awarded the Oscar for managing the situation under COVID-
19 effectively.
About South Korea:
Capital– Seoul
Currency– South Korean won
DRDO successfully Flight-Tested new version of Akash missile, ‘Akash Prime’

On September 27, 2021, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the
new version of Akash Missile namely ‘Akash Prime’ from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha. It was
the missile’s maiden test in which an unmanned aerial target was destroyed.
• Akash Prime is a medium-range mobile
surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed
by the DRDO and produced by Bharat Dynamics
Limited (BDL).
• It is developed to replace the Russian 2K12 Kub
(SA-6 Gainful) missile system, currently in
service.
The test was monitored by the range stations of ITR
comprising Radars, Electro Optical Tracking System
(EOTS) and Telemetry stations.
Key Modification Akash Prime:
i.It is equipped with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for improved accuracy.
ii.The ground launcher of the existing Akash weapon was modified for its advanced variant.
iii.It is also optimized for low temperature environments at higher altitudes.
About Akash Missile:
It is the cheapest SAM with a range of 27 km ever produced in the world with supersonic interception capability.
• It is a nuclear-capable missile with speed up to Mach 2.5 (nearly 860 metre per second) at a maximum
height of 18 km.
• It can strike enemy aerial targets like fighter jets, drones, cruise missiles, air-to-surface missiles as well as
ballistic missiles from a distance of 30 km.
Points to be noted:
i.In March 2021, DRDO developed the Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology. Click here to read
ii.The Akash-NG (New Generation) is another variant of the Akash Missile which was successfully flight-tested in
the month of July 2021. Click here to read
• It was developed by Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad in collaboration with
other DRDO laboratories, Akash-NG is being produced by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Bharat
Dynamics Limited (BDL).
Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) signed a INR 499 crore contract with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for manufacture
and supply of Akash Missiles (Surface-to-Air Missile System) to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Chairman– Dr G. Satheesh Reddy
U.S. Successfully Flight-Tests Raytheon Hypersonic Weapon

According to the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA) of United States, the
country has successfully tested a Raytheon
hypersonic weapon, an air-breathing hypersonic
weapon,the next generation of arms that plunder the
reaction time of rivals and traditional defeat
mechanisms for Air Force.
i.Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon
Concept (HAWC) uses a Northrop 3D printed
scramjet engine attached to a Raytheon missile and
capable of speeds faster than five times the speed of soundor about 6,200 kilometers (3,853 miles) per hour.
ii.Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Raytheon Technologies (RTX) successfully completed the first powered test
flight of their hypersonic weapon.
iii.Russia had also tested a Tsirkon(Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile in July 2021.
OTHER DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Army participates in ‘International Army Games – 2021’ hosted by Russia; India
announces Defence Procurement from Russia
The 7th edition of the International Army Games 2021 that was held between 22nd August and 4th September
saw the participation of the Indian Army. A 101-member contingent was sent by the Indian army to participate in
various army games that were hosted by Russia.
Participating events – Army Scout Masters
Competition (ASMC), Elbrus ring, polar star, sniper
frontier and safe route games.
i.The event saw the presence of a total 260 teams from
45 countries participating in 34 categories, which was
held in 11 countries.
ii.Russia, with a total of 34 medals was ranked 1st in the
event.
Note – India ranked 1st in the 2019 Army Scouts Master
Competition that was held in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
About International Army Games:
• It is an International Military Sporting event that is annually hosted by Russia since 2015.
• International Army Games is also known as the “War Olympics”.
India finalises deal to procure over 70,000 AK-203 assault rifles from Russia
India finalised deal with Russia for the purchase of around 70,000 AK-203 assault rifles to replace the existing
Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) 5.56mm*45mm assault rifle.
i.Previously, the Indian Defence Ministry had issued a Request of Proposal (RFP) for the purchase of around
671,000 of such rifles.
ii.This comes as a result of the Inter-Governmental Agreement signed between India & Russia to manufacture
rifles, where a joint venture called Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) was formed with 50.5% of the
company owned by Ordnance Factory Board of India and the rest belongs to Rosoboron Exports and Kalashnikov
of Russia.IRRPL was set up at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.

Note – As per Official announcement by Russia, the total defence trade between India & Russia since 2018 stands
at $15 billion.
iii.Notably, Russia is India’s largest Defence equipment supplier. India is also planning to procure Kamov-226
utility helicopters from Russia to meet the shortage of light utility helicopters.
Krivak class stealth frigates to be delivered in Mid-2023
United Shipbuilding Corporation of Russia confirmed that the delivery of first Krivak or Talwar Class stealth
frigate(War Ship) to India by the mid of 2023 due to delay caused by the pandemic.
Background – In 2016, India and Russia signed an agreement for for four Krivak Class stealth Frigates.The two
will be procured directly from Russia for USD I Bn, while the other 2 will be built in Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
i.The 1st stage of the ships will be built in Russia’s Yantar Shipyard and the 2nd stage at GSL with critical transfer
of technology.
ii.Notably, India currently operates 6 Krivak class frigates.
INS Tabar participated in the 12th Edition of Biennial bilateral maritime Exercise ‘INDRA Navy-21’ that was held
between Indian Navy & Russian Federation Navy in the Baltic Sea in July, 2021.
About Russia:
President – Vladimir Putin
Capital – Moscow
Currency – Ruble
DRDO handed over MRSAM to IAF; India’s 1st Emergency Landing Facility of IAF Plane on NH
inaugurated on NH925, Rajasthan
On September 9, 2021, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the first
deliverable Firing Unit (FU) of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) System/“Barak-8” Missile
System to Indian Air Force (IAF) at Air Force Station, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.The MRSAM defence system was
inducted into the 2204 Squadron.
• MRSAM (IAF) is an advanced network centric combat Air Defence System developed by DRDO in
collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and PPP (Public Private Partnership) in Indian
industry.
• Other firms involved in the project include Israeli
firm Rafael, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat
Dynamics Limited and Larsen & Toubro.
Handing Over Ceremony
The first deliverable FU was handed over by Secretary,
Department of Defence R&D (Research and
Development) & Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh
Reddy to the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief
Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria in the
presence of Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of
Defence (MoD).
• During the event, the capabilities of the MRSAM system was demonstrated as part of On-Site Acceptance Test
(OSAT).
About MRSAM system:
i.It provides air defence for ground assets against threats like fighter aircraft, UAVs
(Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, subsonic & supersonic cruise missiles
etc.
ii.It is capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 kms even in bad weather.The Speed of the System is
Mach-2.
iii.The missile is powered by an indigenously developed rocket motor and control system.

iv.The firing unit comprises Missiles, Combat Management System (CMS), Mobile Launcher Systems (MLS),
Advanced Long Range Radar, Mobile Power System (MPS), Radar Power System (RPS), Reloader Vehicle (RV) and
Field Service Vehicle (FSV).
Key Points:
i.A naval version of the MRSAM is already deployed on a few Indian warships to boost their anti-air warfare
capabilities.
ii.There have been separate deals between India and Israel worth around $3 billion over the last 4 years for
advanced surface-to-air missile systems for the three services.
Efforts taken by Government to strengthen the security infrastructure:
i.Setting up of Defence Industrials Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
ii.Corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board
iii.Notification of two positive indigenisation lists of over 200 items to increase exports and Transfer of
Technology (ToT) by DRDO to the private sector.
Barak-8 system consists of three different variants–
LRSAM: The first variant is known as Barak-8 AMD or LRSAM. A naval Air Defence System, it was originally
designed for the Navy of Israel and currently it is being used by other countries including India.
MRSAM: Medium-range, land-based missile system, the second variant comes with various equipment including a
tracking radar, flexible command and control system and mobile launcher systems.
Barak MX: The third variant is equipped with such technology that makes it optimal for both Naval and land
missions.
Note – Israel has been among India’s top three arms suppliers during the last five years, according to a report
published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) in March 2021. India’s top three arms
suppliers during 2016-20 were Russia (accounting for 49% of India’s imports), France (18%) and Israel (13%).
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to
jointly enhance the Barak-1 system which was already in service with both countries.
Other Participants:
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of South Western
Air Command (SWAC) Air Marshal Sandeep Singh and President & IAI CEO Mr Boaz Levy and other senior civil &
military officials were also present on the occasion.
India’s 1st Emergency Landing Facility on NH for IAF planes inaugurated on NH925 in Barmer, Rajasthan
The Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH)
inaugurated a 3-km emergency landing strip or Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) at Satta-Gandhav stretch on
National Highway 925 in Barmer, Rajasthan for IAF planes.
• NH-925 is India’s first national highway to be used as ELF of IAF aircraft.
• The ELF strip has been developed by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in association with IAF.
• This inauguration is a part of newly developed two-lane 196.97 km Gagariya-Bakhasar and Satta-Gandhav
section with an outlay of 52 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.
Key Points:
i.The mock emergency landing was done by Hercules C-130J plane of the IAF, carrying the two Ministers and CDS
Bipin Rawat.
• Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet, an-32 military transport aircraft and Mi-17v5 helicopter also conducted a mock
emergency landing at the ELF.
ii.In October 2017, fighter jets and transport planes of the IAF had conducted mock landings on the Lucknow-
Agra Expressway. Notably, this Expressway is not a NH and comes under the Uttar Pradesh government.
3 World Records created by India under Construction Sector
i.Construction of 38 kms road per day, the highest in the world.
ii.Construction of 2.5-km 4 lane road in 24 hrs on Mumbai (Maharashtra)-Delhi express highway.
iii.Construction of 26-km single lane road from Bijapur (Chhattisgarh) to Solapur (Maharashtra) in a day.

On 3rd June 2021, The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a Rs 323.47 crore worth contract with Mahindra
Telephonics Integrated Systems Limited for procurement of 11 Airport Surveillance Radars for the use of the
Indian Navy & Indian Coast Guard.
Rajnath Singh Constituency– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Minister of State– Ajay Bhatt (Constituency- Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
Indian Navy Signed Contract with BEL for India’s 1st Indigenously Developed NADS
The Indian Navy has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the manufacture and supply of
India’s 1st indigenously developed Naval Anti Drone System (NADS) with both ‘hard kill’ and ‘soft kill
capabilities.
• The NADS has been developed by the Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO) and
manufactured by BEL.
Key Points:
i.Hard kill refers to jamming the hostile drone, whereas the
soft kill involves a laser-based kill system.
ii.Different units of BEL, DRDO Labs along with the Indian
Navy were involved in the making of NADS, as a part of the
Atmanirbar Bharat to counter drone threats of adversaries.
iii.NADS uses the Radar, Electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors, DRDO’s Radio Frequency (RF) /Global
Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) detectors to detect and jam the micro drones.
iv.NADS will be the 1st indigenously developed anti-drone system to be inducted into the Indian Armed Forces.
Both the static and mobile versions of NADS will be supplied to the Indian Navy.
v.The contract came at the backdrop of the incident on June 27, 2021, where the small drones were used to target
the Jammu air force station, the 1st-ever offensive use of drones to target an Indian military facility.
vi.BEL will also sign similar contracts with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.
On February 8, 2021, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Bharat
Electronics Limited (BEL) have signed a contract for procurement of Software Defined Radio Tactical (SDR-Tac)
worth over Rs 1,000 crore in New Delhi
About Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL):
It is a Navratna PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) under the Ministry of Defence.
Additional Charge, CMD & Director – Anandi Ramalingam
Indian Army set to procure over 100 “SkyStriker” – a type of suicide drones
In September 2021, Indian Army signed a Rs. 100 crore worth contract with the Joint Venture between India’s
Alpha Design & Israel’s Elbit Security Systems, for the
procurement of over 100 – ‘SkyStrikers’ under its
emergency procurement powers. All
the ‘SkyStriker’ type drones will be manufactured in
the Bangalore manufacturing unit of Alpha Design.
What are SkyStrikers?
SkyStriker can carry a warhead of up to 10 kg within its
fuselage; It has a Range of 100 km; It can reach a
distance of 20 kms within 10 minutes.

i.SkyStrikers are cost-effective, long-range drones that are capable of performing surveillance activities and
known for their precision of attacking targets.
ii.They are also known as “Suicide Drones”, because of its autonomous system that is designed to directly crash
over the target with its pre-loded 5 kgs of Warhead.
iii.SkyStrikers are low altitude drones that use GPS to track the target location.
Note – In August 2021, The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) notified the Drone Rules, 2021 making various
changes to the usage of drones in India.
Contracts between IAF & Alpha Design:
Previously in August 2021, Alpha Design signed 2 defence procurement contracts with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• Manufacture 6 Very High Frequency (VHF) radars at the cost of over Rs 200 crores, to replace the aging P18
radars.
• A Rs 80 crore contract to manufacture 60 Identification of Friend-or-Foe or IFF systems that was Developed
by the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) under Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO).
‘CPGRAMS (Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System) app’, an AI-based grievance
management app developed by IIT Kanpur was launched by the Defence Ministry in July 2021.
About Alpha Design:
About Indian Army:
Established – 1st April, 1895
Chief of the Army Staff – Manoj Mukund Naravane
President Ram Nath Kovind presents President’s Colour to Indian Naval Aviation at INS Hansa in
Goa’s Dabolim
The President of Indiaand the Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Force, Ram Nath Kovind presented the
President’s Colour to Indian Naval Aviation at INS Hansa, Dabolim, Goa. The President’s Colour is the highest
honour bestowed on a military unit in recognition of its exceptional service to the nation which is given in
recognition to exceptional services for the nation during the time of peace and war.
Highlights
i.A ceremonial parade with a 150-man guard of honour
was presented to the President during the event.
ii.A special day cover and Book titled- ” Fly Navy, Fly”
was released by the President and Chief Post Master
General, Maharashtra and Goa .It narrates about the
transformation journey of Indian Naval Aviation.
iii.In 27 May, 1951, the Indian Navy received the first
President’s Colour by the President Dr. Rajendra
Prasad. It was the first armed force to receive this
award.
Subsequent recipients of the President’s Colour in the Navy include Southern Naval Command, Eastern Naval
Command, Western Naval Command, Eastern Fleet, Western Fleet, Submarine Arm, INS Shivaji and the Indian
Naval Academy.
iv.Naval Aviation boasts of nine Air Stations and three Naval Air Enclaves, along the Indian coastline and the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Navy’s aviation arm came into being with the acquisition of the first Sealand aircraft on January 13, 1951 and
commissioning of INS Garuda, at Kochi on May 11, 1953.
The” Make in India”- indigenisation efforts of the Indian Navy in making defence equipment and weapons was
appreciated. As inductions of Advanced Light Helicopters and Dornier and Chetak aircraft manufactured
indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

About the Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme
Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy.
Founded- 26 January 1950
Commander-in- Chief– President Ram Nath Kovind
Indian Army to procure 118 Main Battle Tanks Arjun Mk-1A worth Rs 7,523 crore
On September 23, 2021, the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) of Avadi, Chennai (Tamil Nadu) grabbed Rs 7,523
crore order from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the supply of 118 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) Arjun Mk-1A for
the Indian Army.
• The tank is known as the “hunter killers”, the latest
version of the tank is equipped with a massive 120 mm
rifled gun and Kanchan armour.
• This order is on the lines of Indian government efforts to
boost their flagship initiatives of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’
and ‘Make in India’ in the defence sector.
About MBT Arjun Mk-1A:
It is a new variant of MBT Arjun Tank Mk-1A with 72 new
features, more indigenous content, and numerous upgrades.
• Mk-1A is designed and developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Chennai
based Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), along with other DRDO
laboratories.
• This new variant has accurate & superior firepower, day/night mobility in all terrains, and survivability in
both static and dynamic modes powered by advanced technology systems.
• The tank weighs 68.25 tonnes, making it among the world’s heaviest tanks.
Key Points:
i.This order will benefit over 200 Indian vendors including MSMEs, with employment opportunities to around
8,000 people.
ii.Notably, MBT Arjun Mk-1A was manufactured in the two period of 2010-2012 after that its trial evaluation was
conducted in various phases during 2012-2015.
iii.Five Mk-1A tanks will be delivered within 30 months, followed by 30 tanks every year.
MoD promulgates framework for increased utilization of simulators by 3 Services & ICG
MoD also promulgated a framework for enhanced and synergised utilization of simulators by the three (Army,
Navy and Air Force) Services and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). This framework envisages transforming
simulation-based training across all military domains in effective, efficient and in an economical way.
• It also lays emphasis on indigenous design and development.
• The policy will apply to all types of simulators currently in use or to be purchased by the Armed Forces in the
future.
As part of the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence, the Ministry of Defence has initiated a project to create
the 1st of its kind cyber museum which will honour the war heroes of India. It
About Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister- Rajnath Singh (Constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Ajay Bhatt (Constituency- Nainital–Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
MoD partnered with Spain for acquisition of 56 C-295MW aircraft

On the lines of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract
with M/s Airbus Defence and Space, Spain worth Rs.22,000 Crore on September 24, 2021, for acquisition of 56 C-
295MW transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

• MOD also inked an offset contract with M/s Airbus Defence and Space through which Airbus will discharge
its offset obligations through direct purchase of
eligible products and services from Indian Offset
Partners.
• Notably, this is the first project of its kind in which a
military aircraft will be manufactured in India under
technology transfer by the private sector.
About C-295MW:
The induction of C-295 MW will modernize the transport
fleet of IAF as it will succeed ageing Avro HS-748
aircraft of IAF that were procured in the 1960s. It will
boost the tactical airlift capability of IAF, especially in the Northern and North-Eastern sector and Andaman &
Nicobar Islands. Following are its key features:
• It is used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations to
locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft.
• It has 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology.
• It is capable of operating from semi-prepared strips and has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para
dropping of troops & cargo.
Points to be noted:
i.Of the 56 aircraft, 16 will be delivered in flyaway condition from Spain within 48 months.
ii.The remaining 40 will be manufactured in India by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), in partnership
with Airbus and will be installed with indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite.
iii.With this, IAF becomes the 35th C295 operator worldwide.This partnership will also enhance the ‘Make in
India’ initiative and the contract will be signed for 10 years.
About Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister- Rajnath Singh (Constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Ajay Bhatt (Constituency- Nainital–Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
SPORTS
India’s GM Iniyan Wins the 6th Noisiel International Chess Open, 2021
Indian GrandMaster (GM) Iniyan.P has won the 6th Noisiel International Chess Open, 2021. The tournament was
held from 23rd to 28th August, 2021 in Noisiel, France.
• Iniyan scored a double triumph at 6th Noisiel
International Open as he won both Classical and Blitz
events.
• Iniyan scored an unbeaten 8 points from 9 rounds. He
won a trophy and EUR 1200 as his prize for winning the
Classical tournament.
• Blitz event: He scored 7.5 points from 9 rounds. Two
more players – GM Yuri Solodovnichenko (Ukraine) and
GM Namig Guliyev (Azerbaijan) finished with the same
score, however Iniyan had better tie-breaks, thus he won the championship. He received a trophy and EUR
250 for his efforts.
• He was born in September 2002 at Erode, Tamil Nadu. He is the 61st GM of India.
Note: GrandMaster (GM) is a title awarded to chess players by the World Chess Organisation FIDE (World Chess
Federation Internationale).

About All India Chess Federation (AICF)
Founded – 1951
President – Sanjay Kapoor
Headquarters – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
South African Cricketer Dale Steyn Retires from All forms of Cricket
South African Cricketer & Right-arm fast bowler, Dale Willem Steyn has announced his retirement from all
forms of Cricket (ODIs, T20Is) at the age of 38. He had retired from Test cricket in 2019.
• The Right arm bowler has played 93 Tests, picking 439 wickets at an average of 22.95. Steyn ranks 8th in the
all-time list of Wicket-takers in Test cricket.
• In One Day Internationals (ODIs), he has played 125 ODIs, picking 196 wickets & 47 Twenty20
Internationals (T20Is) by taking 64 wickets.
• Steyn has played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) & Gujarat Lions in the
Indian Premier League (IPL)
• He was born in June 1983 in Phalaborwa, South Africa.
Awards
i.He was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the year in 2013 & Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for
2013.
ii.He was featured in Wisden Cricketers of the Decade in 2019.
iii.Steyn was included in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Team of the Decade at the end of 2020.
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Chairman – Greg Barclay
Headquarters – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Princepal Singh Becomes 1st Indian to be a Part of NBA Championship Roster

Princepal Singh Bajwa from Punjab became the first Indian to be part of an NBA title winning team (at any
level of the NBA) when his team Sacramento Kings won the 2021 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in United
States against the Boston Celtics.
• He signed a professional contract with NBA G League Ignite and became the 1st NBA Academy global alumni
to sign a G League Contract and 1st ever NBA Academy India alumni to sign a professional contract.
• The win made the Sacramento Kings the only franchise to win multiple summer league titles.
India wins 14 Golds in ASBC Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championship 2021
2021 ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championship had been held together at Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates (UAE) for the first time in history.It was organised by the Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC).
• In the combined tally, India concluded with a total of
39 medals, including 14 Gold medals.
• The combined overall medal table was topped
by Kazakhstan with 19 Gold medals, followed by
Uzbekistan and India in the 2nd and 3rd positions
respectively.
India’s Performance at 2021 ASBC Asian Youth Boxing
Championship
Indian Contingent completed with 20 Medals (6 Gold, 9
Silver & 5 Bronze) in the ASBC Asian Youth Boxing
Championship that was concluded in September 2021 .
• India won a total of 6 Gold medals in the Asian Youth Boxing Championship 2021 with 4 Gold medals
coming from the Women’s events and 2 Gold from Men’s events.
• India completed with 12 medals (5 Golds) in the 2019 Asian Youth Men & Women Championships that was
held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

i.Bishwamitra Chongtham, under Men’s 51 Kg category and Vishal in the 80 kg category won the Gold medals for
India.
ii.Indian Women Gold medalists in the boxing event are – Neha (54kg), Preeti Dahiya (60kg), Sneka Kumari
(66kg) and Khushi (75kg).
Medal Category Personality
Women’s 54 kg Neha
Women’s 60 kg Preeti Dahiya
Women’s 66 kg Sneha Kumari
Women’s 75 kg Khushi
Men’s 51 kg Bishwamitra Chongtham
Gold Men’s 80 kg Vishal
Women’s 48 kg Nivedita Karki
Women’s 50 kg Tamanna
Women’s 52 kg Simran Verma
Women’s 57 kg Preeti
Women’s 63 kg Khushi
Women’s 81 kg Tanisha Sandhu
Men’s 48 kg Vishvanath Suresh
Men’s 63.5 kg Vanshaj
Silver Men’s 71kg Jaydeep Rawat
Women’s 70 kg Lashu Yadav
Men’s 67 kg Daksh Singh
Men’s 75 kg Deepak
Men’s 92 kg Abhimanyu Loura
Bronze Men’s 92+ kg Aman Singh Bisht
India’s Performance at 2021 ASBC Junior Boxing Championship
India won 19 medals with 8 gold, 5 silver, and 6 bronze medals in the 2021 ASBC Junior Boxing Championship.
BOYS:
GOLD: Rohit Chamoli (48kg) and Bharat Joon (+81kg); SILVER: Gaurav Saini (70kg); BRONZE: Ashish (54kg),
Anshul (57kg) and Ankush (66kg).
GIRLS:
GOLD: Vishu Rathee (48kg), Tanu (52kg), Nikita Chand (60kg), Mahi Raghav (63kg), Pranjal Yadav (75kg) and
Kirti (+81kg); SILVER: Muskan (46kg), Aanchal Saini (57kg), Rudrika (70kg) and Sanjana (81kg); BRONZE: Devika
Ghorpade (50kg), Aarzoo (54kg) and Supriya Rawat (66kg).
Note – India’s Mahi Raghav was named as the ‘Best Boxer’ in the Junior Girls Category.
About Asian Boxing Confederation (ASBC):
President – Anas Alotaiba
Headquarter – Abu Dhabi, UAE
About Sports Authority of India (SAI):
SAI, the apex governing body of sports in India, was established in 1984
Director General – Sandip Pradhan

Max Verstappen wins F1 Dutch Grand Prix
Red Bull Racing Honda’s Max Verstappen (23 years) from the Netherlands won the 2021 Formula 1(F1)
Heineken Dutch Grand Prix held at the Circuit Zandvoort in the dunes north of Zandvoort, the Netherlands
from 3rd to 5th September 2021. This victory also marks his 7th win of the season and the 17th win of his career.
The 2021 F1 Dutch Grand Prix was organised by Dutch Grand Prix(DGP).
F1 Dutch Grand Prix:
• Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton (United
Kingdom(UK)) and Valtteri Bottas(Finland) finished
2nd and 3rd respectively.
• Dutch Grand Prix was held after 36 years & Max
Verstappen was its 1st winner. The last Dutch GP
was held in 1985.
• With this victory, Max Verstappen gained 3 points
ahead of the defending world champion Lewis
Hamilton who finished the race in 2nd.
• The F1 Championships are organised by Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
About Max Verstappen:
i.Max Verstappen is a Belgian-Dutch F1 racing driver with Red Bull Racing (competing as Red Bull Racing Honda)
– F1 teams owned by Red Bull, a beverage company.
ii.At the age of 18, Max Verstappen won the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix and became the youngest ever driver and
the 1st Dutch driver to win an F1 Grand Prix.
Part-II: Overview of 2020 Tokyo Paralympics

The Indian contingent has won a total of 19 medals with 5 Golds, 8 Silvers and 6 Bronze medals in the 16th
edition of Summer Paralympic games that was held between 24th August and 5th September 2021 in Tokyo,
Japan. The 19 medal count is higher than the total number of paralympics medals won by India in all the events
since its 1st appearance in the 1968 Paralympic games.
i.India has won a total of 12 medals from 1972 to 2016 in
Paralympic games, where it had a highest total medal count
of 4, both in 2016 and 1984.
ii.4 medals with 2 Gold medals were won by Indian para-
athletes in the Para-badminton event, which made its debut
in 2020 edition.
iii.A total of 17 athletes have won 19 medals, with 2 athletes
– Avani Lekhara & Singhraj Adhana have won 2 medals
each
iv.India was ranked 24th in the overall medal tally with 19 medals, while the top 3 positions in the medal tally
were occupied by China, Great Britain & USA.
Ranking Country Total Medals
1st China 207 (96 Gold)
2nd Great Britain 124 (41 Gold)
3rd USA 104 (37 Gold)
24th India 19 (5 Gold)
• Notably, India had sent its biggest ever contingent of 54 para-athletes to participate in 9 sporting disciplines
at the 2020 Paralympic games.
Notable Medal Winners
Shooter Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win gold at Paralympics: Avani Lekhara had become
the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold by claiming the top honours in the 10m air rifle standing SH1

event. That was also the first ever shooting medal that India had won in the Games. The 19-year-old finished with
a world record equalling total of 249.6, which is also a new Paralympic record.
• She is only the fourth Indian athlete to win a Paralympics gold after swimmer Murlikant Petkar (1972),
javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia (2004 and 2016) and high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu (2016).
• She also won the bronze medal in the women’s 50m 3 position SH-1 event.
• Avani’s achievement made her only the second Indian to win multiple medals at the same Paralympics after
Joginder Singh Sodhi, who won three medals at the 1984 Games.
Pramod Bhagat win Gold in Badminton Men’s Singles; Manoj Sarkar wins Bronze medal
The current World Number 1 badminton para-athlete, Pramod Bhagat won the Gold medal in the men’s singles
SL3 class while Manoj Sarkar bagged a bronze medal in the Badminton Men’s Singles SL3.This is India’s first
medal in badminton at the Paralympics Games.
• Pramod Bhagat won the finals against Britain’s Daniel Bethell to win the gold medal
• Manoj Sarkar defeated Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in the third place play-off to win the Bronze medal.
Suhas Yathiraj – 1st ever IAS Officer to win Paralympic Medal
India’s Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj won Silver medal in Badminton at the Tokyo Paralympics, to become the 1st
ever IAS Officer to win a medal in the Paralympic games.
• Suhas Yathiraj currently serves as the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
• In the finals of men’s singles SL4 class, Suhas Yathiraj lost to France’s Lucas Mazur in the decider round.
Bhavinaben Patel creates history, Becomes 1st Indian para-paddler to win silver medal
Indian table tennis player Bhavinaben Patel creates history, becomes the first Indian para-paddler to win silver
medal.
Krishna Nagar wins Gold in the inaugural edition of Para-Badminton

India’s 5th gold medal in the Tokyo paralympics came from Krishna Nagar, who won the Badminton Men’s singles
SH6 event against Hong Kong’s Chu Man Kai. India has bagged 5 medals with 2 Gold from the Badminton events in
2020 Paralympics.He becomes the first-ever SH6 gold medallist in the history of the Indian Paralympics.
Praveen Kumar wins High Jump Silver medal creating Asian Record
The 18-year-old para-high jumper, Praveen Kumar, won Silver medal in the high jump T64 event creating the
Aisan record in Paralympic games.
• Praveen Kumar made his best jump of 2.07m to create the Asian record, while he also broke his personal
best of 2.05m which bagged him a Gold medal in 2021 World Para Athletics FAZZA Grand Prix in Dubai.

Manish Narwal wins Gold, while Singhraj Adhana secures Silver medal in Shooting events
The Paralympic Shooting event witnessed India’s Manish Narwal creating a new Paralympics shooting record of
218.2 points in the mixed 50m pistol SH1 event finals by winning gold medal in the event.
• Singhraj Adhana won the Silver medal in the Shooting – P1 – Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1 event. Taking the total
count to 5 medals for the Indian side, only from shooting events.
Rio Gold Medalist Mariyappan Thangavelu settles for Silver medal in High Jump
2016 Rio Paralympics gold medalist Mariyappan Thangavelu won Silver medal in the Tokyo T42 category high
jump event with a best jump of 1.86m, while India’s Sharad Kumar won Bronze with the best jump of 1.83m.
India’s 1st Medal in Archery – won by Harvinder Singh
India’s 1st ever medal in an archery event in Paralympic games was won by Harvinder Singh the current World
Number 23. He defeated Korea’s Kim Min Sun in the Bronze medal match of Men’s individual recurve.
• Notably, he was also the 1st para-athlete from India to win a gold medal at a major para competition in the
2018 Asian Games.
List of Indian Medal Winners:
Athlete Event Medal
Pramod Bhagat Badminton – Men’s Singles SL3
Krishna Nagar Badminton – Men’s Singles SH6
Sumit Antil Men’s Javelin Throw – F64
Avani Lekhara Shooting – R2 – Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1
Manish Narwal Shooting – P4 – Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 Gold
Nishad Kumar Men’s High Jump – T47 (Asian Record)
Mariyappan Thangavelu Men’s High Jump – T63
Praveen Kumar Men’s High Jump – T64
Yogesh Kathuniya Men’s Discus Throw – F56
Devendra Jhajharia Men’s Javelin Throw – F46
Suhas Yathiraj Badminton – Men’s Singles SL4
Singhraj Adhana Shooting – P4 – Mixed 50m Pistol SH1
Bhavina Patel Table Tennis – Women’s Singles – Class 4 Silver
Avani Lekhara Shooting – R8 – Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1
Singhraj Adhana Shooting – P1 – Men’s 10m Air Pistol SH1
Harvinder Singh Archery – Men’s Individual Recurve – Open
Sharad Kumar Athletics – Men’s High Jump – T63
Sundar Singh Gurjar Athletics – Men’s Javelin Throw – F46
Manoj Sarkar Badminton – Men’s Singles SL3 Bronze
Closing Ceremony
i.Avani Lekhara, India’s 1st woman to win a Gold in Paralympics, was named as India’s flag-bearer for the
Closing Ceremony of 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games
ii.At the closing ceremony, Yuriko Koike – Governor of Tokyo passed the Paralympic flag to the Mayor of Paris,
Anne Hidalgo. The French Capital city will host the 17th edition of Paralympic games in 2024.
Note – For the 1st time, a Refugee Paralympic Team (RPT) consisting of 6 athletes (5 Men & 1 Woman) took part
in the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
About Paralympics:
• The 1st ever Paralympic games were held in 1960 at Rome, Italy
• Paralympic Symbol consists of 3 ‘Agitos’ (meaning – ‘I Move’)
• Motto of 2020 Tokyo Paralympics – “United by Emotion”

• President of International Paralympic Committee – Andrew Parsons
President of Paralympic Committee of India – Deepa Malik
Guinness World Records Honoured Cristiano Ronaldo as Highest Scoring Man in International
Football
Guinness World Records has honoured Portugal football player Cristiano Ronaldo for becoming the highest-
scoring man in International football history with his 111th goal for Portugal against Ireland in a World Cup
qualifier. This marked his 180th game representing Portugal.
• He has surpassed the record held by Iranian footballer
Ali Daei who has scored 109 goals in 149 games for Iran
between 1993 and 2006.
• Cristiano Ronaldo achieved the feat of scoring goals for
Portugal between 2003 and 2021 over a period of 18
years.
Note:
Ronaldo and Daei are the only men to score more than 100
goals for their countries.
About Cristiano Ronaldo:
i.Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of the Portugal National football team, has represented the Premier League club
Manchester United and Real Madrid.
ii.He became the first player to score in five different editions of the continental tournament, taking his haul to 11
to overtake Michel Platini’s record of nine goals at Euros.
iii.With 137 goals he became the top scorer in the history of the champions league.
Overview of 2021 US Open Tennis Championship

The 141st edition of the US Open Tennis Championship was held in USA’s New York City, which is also the 4th &
last Grand Slam title of 2021 being conducted in a ‘Hard Court’ between 30th August and 12th September 2021.
The finals of the tournament were held at Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York, USA.
Daniil Medvedev wins Maiden Grand Slam defeating
Novak Djokovic
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, the current World No.2 ranked
tennis player, defeated Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the finals
of Men’s Singles in the US Open 2021 winning 3 straight
sets with 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
i.Notably, Djokovic was in line for breaking the 52-year old
record by Rod Laver of winning all 4 Grand Slams in a
Calendar year. (Djokovic won Men’s Singles at 2021 French
Open, Australian Open & Wimbledon)
ii.Previously in the 2021 Australian Open, Daniil Medvedev was defeated by Novak Djokovic in 3-straight sets.
iii.Medvedev became the 3rd Russian to win a Grand Slam title after Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1996 French Open) &
Marat Safin (2000 US Open)
Emma Raducanu – Youngest Female since Maria Sharapova to Win a Grand Slam
18-year old Emma Raducanu from Britain defeated Canada’s Leylah Fernandez to win the Women’s Singles Title
in the 2021 US Opens tournament. She became the youngest female to win a Grand Slam Title since Maria
Sharapova’s 2004 Wimbledon victory.
i.Emma Raducanu, ranked 150th, entered the Women’s singles finals by winning 10 straight matches, becoming
the 1st woman to win a US Opens title without dropping a set, since Serena Williams victory in 2014.
ii.In the finals Raducanu defeated Fernandez in 6-4, 6-3 sets.
iii.Raducanu is also the 1st British Woman to win a Grand Slam singles trophy since the 1977 Wimbledon win by
Virginia Wade.

Note- In the Open Era (professional tennis since 1968), Swiss legend Martina Hingis is the youngest Grand Slam
winner ever, courtesy her Australian Open triumph in 1997 at the age of just 16 years and 117 days.USA’s Michael
Chang is the youngest men’s tennis player to win a Grand Slam title. He won the 1980 French Open title at the age
of 17 years and 110 days.
US Open 2021
Category Winners Runner-ups
Daniil Medvedev Novak Djokovic
Men’s Singles (Russia) (Serbia)
Emma Raducanu Leylah Fernandez
Women’s Singles (Britain) (Canada)
Rajeev Ram – Joe Salisbury Bruno Soares – Jamie Murray
Men’s Doubles (USA – UK) (Brazil – UK)
Sam Stosur – Zhang Shuai Coco Gauff – Caty McNally
Women’s Doubles (Australia – China) (USA)
Desirae Krawczyk – Joe Salisbury Giuliana Olmos – Marcelo Arevalo
Mixed Doubles (USA – UK) (Mexico – El Salvador)
Samantha Jane Stosur – Zhang Shuai pair wins Women’s Doubles Title
Samantha Jane Stosur and Zhang Shuai (Australia – China) pair won their 2nd Grand Slam Women’s title after
defeating Coco Gauff and Caty McNally in the finals winning 2 of the 3 sets with 6-3 3-6 6-3 victory.
• The pair has already won the Australian Open doubles in 2019.
Rajeev Ram – Joe Salisbury pair wins Men’s Doubles Title
Rajeev Ram (USA) paired with Joe Salisbury (Britain) to win the Men’s Doubles Title in the 2021 US Open by
winning 2 of the 3 sets with 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 against Bruno Soares – Jamie Murray (Brazil – UK).
• The 2020 Australian Open winning pair won 2 consecutive sets after losing the 1st set to seal their victory in
the finals.
Desirae Krawczyk – Joe Salisbury pair wins Mixed Doubles Title
Desirae Krawczyk – Joe Salisbury (USA – UK) pair won the 2021 US Open Mixed doubles title after defeating
Giuliana Olmos – Marcelo Arevalo in the finals with 7-5, 6-2 set victory.
• Salisbury paired with Rajeev Ram has also won the Men’s Doubles title in the tournament.
• While Krawczyk becomes the first man or woman to win three consecutive Slam mixed doubles titles since
India’s Mahesh Bhupathi win in 2005 Wimbledon & US Open.
Tournament Men’s Singles Women’s Singles Location Court Type
Wimbledon Championships 2021 Novak Djokovic Ashleigh Barty London, UK Grass
French Open 2021 (125th Edition) Novak Djokovic Barbora Krejcikova Paris, France Clay
Tennis World Rankings:
Global Ranking ATP Men’s Ranking WTA Women’s Ranking
1 Novak Djokovic Ashleigh Barty
2 Daniil Medvedev Aryna Sabalenka
3 Stefanos Tsitsipas Karolína Plíšková
About International Tennis Federation (ITF):
President – David Haggerty
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom
Daniel Ricciardo wins 2021 Italian Grand Prix

On 12th September 2021, McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, making his 1st
victory since 2018, notably this is McLaren’s 1st win after 9-years. Ricciardo was closely followed by McLaren’s
Lando Norris and Mercedes Valtteri Bottas finishing the race in 2nd and 3rd position.

i.World No.1 racer Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes collided with his close rival Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing on
the 26th Lap while attempting an overtake in the F1 race.
ii.Max Verstappen was found guilty for the collision and
handed a three-place grid penalty for the next F1 race, in
Russia on September 26.
About Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM):
President – Jorge Viegas
Headquarters – Mies, Switzerland
About Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA):
President – Jean Todt
Headquarters – Paris, France
Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor retires from International Cricket

On 13th September 2021, Brendan Taylor, the former Zimbabwe captain retired from international cricket
during the ongoing One Day International (ODI) series against Ireland. The 34-year old batsman has scored 6677
runs from 204 ODI matches in his 17-year-old career since his debut in 2004.
• Brendan Taylor is currently the 2nd highest run scorer for Zimbabwe only 112 runs short of Andy Flower.
• Taylor has also scored a massive 2,320 runs from 45 Tests and 934 runs from his 45 T20I appearances.
About International Cricket Council(ICC):
Chairman–Greg Barclay
Acting CEO–Geoff Allardice
Headquarters– Dubai, UAE
Eight esports included in medal events at 2022 Asian Games

For the first time in Asian games, eight electronic sports (esports) are included in the medal events at the 19th
Asian Games 2022 which are going to be held in Hangzhou, China. The games will start from September 10, 2022
and continue till September 25.
• The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced the titles for the debut of esports.
• It includes eight medal events and two demonstration games.
List of esports
• Arena of Valor Asian Games Version
• Dota 2
• Dream Three Kingdoms 2
• EA SPORTS FIFA branded soccer games
• HearthStone
• League of Legends
• PUBG Mobile Asian Games Version
• Street Fighter V
Demonstration events
1. AESF Robot Masters-Powered by Migu
2. AESF VR Sports-Powered by Migu
1. Hong Kong based Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) is appointed as the technical delegate of the
esports competition.
2. The AESF will manage and operate esports competition in Hangzhou.
3. Earlier, esports were introduced in South Asian Games 2019 which took place in the Philippines.

India leads in Test Series against England
India lead in the 5-match Test Series against England by winning 2 of the 4-matches played and drawing the 1st
match, that was held between 4th August and 6th September 2021, in England. The Fifth match of the series was
cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak among 4 of the Indian crew members.
i.At the end of the 4th Test match, the Indian team moved up to the 1st position in the ICC World Test
Championship 2021-2023, replacing Pakistan from the top position.
ii.During the Test Series, India was aiming for an historic victory against England. As India won a Test series
against England in England only on 3 occasions – 1971, 1986 and 2007.
Result of Test Series:
Both India & England were not in a position to find an outcome for the result of the 5th match, which could lead to
a loss of 40 million pounds for England, if results favoured India.
i.The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) called for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to resolve the
dispute of the 5th match.
Possible outcomes:
• Test match abandoned – India wins the Series
• Match Forfeiture as per DRC ruling – Series leveled with 2-2
ii.Previously, 4 Indian Crew members – Ravi Shastri (Head Coach), Bharat Arun (Bowling Coach), Ramakrishnan
Sridhar (Fielding Coach) & Yogesh Parmar (Physiotherapist) were tested COVID-19 positive.
Virat Kohli – Fastest Cricketer to reach 23,000 International runs
During the Test series, Virat Kohli broke the long-standing record of Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest to
score 23,000 international runs in Cricket.
• Virat Kohli took an overall 490 innings to reach the milestone, while Sachin reached the landmark in 522
innings.
• His 23,000 runs came from 13,646 runs in 96 Tests, 13,061 runs in 254 ODIs and 2272 runs from 89 T20
Internationals, with an average of over 50 in all three formats.
Jasprit Bumrah becomes Fastest Indian to take 100 Test wickets
During the 4th Test, Indian fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah became the fastest Indian bowler to take 100 test wickets.
He achieved this in just 24 games, surpassing Kapil Dev, who reached the mark in 25 Test matches.
• Other Indian bowlers to reach the fastest 100 Test wickets are Irfan Pathan (28 Tests) & Mohammad Shami
(29 Tests).
ICC Test Batsman Ranking – Rohit Sharma 5th Spot, Joe Root move to Top spot
In the September 2021 ranking for Test Batsman, ICC has ranked India’s Rohit Sharma in the 5th spot pushing
Virat Kohli to the 6th position. While the England captain Joe Root was placed at the Top spot.
• Notably, Rohit Sharma has made his 1st Test Century outside India, during the test series.
• While England’s Joe Root scored 564 runs at an average of 94, including three hundred, in the Test Series.
Note – ICC has also named ‘Joe Root’ as the ‘Player of the Month for August 2021’
KL Rahul – 1st Indian Opener to score Test Hundred in Lord’s in 31 years
During the Test Series, Indian opening batsman KL Rahul scored a Test century during the Lord’s Test to become
the 1st Indian Opener to score a Test hundred in Lord’s in the last 31-years.
• The last Test hundred by an Indian opener at Lord’s was hit by Ravi Shastri in 1990.
MS Dhoni to mentor India’s T20 World Cup Squad
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed former Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the
mentor of India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad, which is set to play in the ICC T20 World Cup that is set to
start on October 17 at UAE and Oman.
• MS Dhoni captained the Indian team that won 2-world titles – 2007 T20 World Cup & 2011 ODI World Cup
i.In March 2021, Ravichandran Ashwin became the 1st Bowler in Test Cricket to take 200 wickets against left-
handed batsmen, he is also the 2nd Fastest Bowler (only after Muttiah Muralitharan) to take 400 Test Wickets.
ii.New Zealand defeated India to win the inaugural ICC World Test Championship 2021, the finals were held at
Southampton, England.

About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Chairman – Greg Barclay (New Zealand)
Headquarters – Dubai, UAE
About the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
President – Sourav Ganguly
Secretary – Jay Shah
Headquarters – Wankhede stadium, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Sri Lankan Pacer Lashith Malinga retires from all formats of cricket
Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.He retired from Test
cricket in 2011 and ODI in 2019.
Contribution to Sri Lanka
Malinga played 30 Tests, 226 ODIs and 84 T20Is.
He picked 546 wickets (101 in Tests, 338 in ODIs and 107 in T20Is) across formats.
Achievements
i.He led Sri Lanka T20 team to victory in the 2014 World Cup.
ii.He is the only bowler to take 4 wickets in 4 balls in a row on two occasions in international cricket and to take 3
ODI hat-tricks and two in T20I cricket.
iii.First bowler to take 100 and 150 wickets in the history of Indian Premier League.
i.He represented Mumbai Indian since 2008 in Indian Premier League (IPL)
ii.He also represented in Melbourne Stars, Kent Cricket Club, Rangpur Riders, Guyana Warriors, Maratha Arabians
and Montreal Tigers.
IOC bans N Korea till the end of 2022

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has suspended North Korea until the end of 2022 as it failed to send a
team to the Tokyo Games.
• With this suspension, the country will miss the Beijing Winter Games 2022 and it will not receive financial
aid during the suspension
• To protect its athletes from Covid-19, North Korea did not send a delegation to the Tokyo Games.
• IOC reserves the right to make decisions on any individual North Korean athletes who qualify for Beijing
2022 and to reconsider the duration of the country’s suspension.
Former Olympic shooter Randhir Singh appointed as acting president of OCA
Former Olympic shooter Raja Randhir Singh, 72, has been appointed as the acting president of Olympic Council of
Asia (OCA) as the president Sheikh Ahmad al Fahad al Sabah stepped aside after being found guilty of forgery by a
Geneva Court.
• Randhir Singh is currently an Honorary Life Vice-President of the OCA
He served as Secretary General of OCA from 1991 to 2015.
• He also served as Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from 1987 to 2012
• He was full member of the International Olympic Committee from 2001 to 2014
In March 2021, He was appointed as the chairman of the Coordination Committee of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian
Games by OCA General Assembly
About IOC
Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
President: Thomas Bach
Raja Rithvik becomes India’s 70th chess Grandmaster

R.Raja Rithvik, 17, became India’s 70th chess Grandmaster (GM) after defeating FIDE Master Finek Vaclav of
Czechoslovakia in 57 moves and reaching the live rating of 2501 in Vezerkepzo Grandmaster Chess Tournament
at Budapest, Hungary.

• He is native of Warangal, Telangana.
• Rithvik earned his first GM norm in 2019
• He got his third GM norm in the First Saturday Grandmaster Round Robin Tournament at Budapest in
Hungary, by scoring 7 points out of 9 rounds.
Note: Pune’s Harshit Raja became India’s 69th GM in August 2021.
Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Unveils Official Motto: Together for a Shared Future
The organisers of the Beijing 2022 announced the official motto of Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games
2022, “Together for a Shared Future” over a ceremony at the Capital Museum, Beijing.
• The motto highlights unity and a collective effort, embodying the core values and vision of the Olympic
Movement and the aim of pursuing world unity, peace and progress as well as the vision of the Paralympic
Games.
Key People:
i.Cai Qi, the President of Beijing 2022, Beijing Mayor Chen Jining and Governor of Hebei province Xu Qin
participated in the event.
ii.Yang Yang and Long Yun, the athlete representatives were also present during the event.
Note:
Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place from February 4 to 20, 2022, and the Winter
Paralympics are scheduled to take place from March 4 to 13, 2022.
Beijing 2022 Mascot:
Mascots of Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic were designed by Cao Xue.
• 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games Mascot- Bing Dwen Dwen (a Panda)
• 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games Mascot- Shuey Rhon Rhon (a Chinese Lantern)
India’s Pankaj Advani won ACBS’s Asian Snooker Championship 2021; 2nd consecutive time
Indian Snooker player Padma Awardee Pankaj Advani won the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports
(ACBS) Asian Snooker Championship 2021 held at Al Messila in Doha, Dubai against Amir Sarkhosh of Iran.
The 23-time billiards and snooker world champion Pankaj Advani has won the title for the 2nd consecutive year,
he won the title in 2019.
The Asian Snooker Championship is the first event for billiards and snooker since March 2020.
• Pankaj Advani has been honoured with the Arjuna award (2004), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award (2006),
Padma Shri award (2009) and Padma Bhushan (2018).
• The event series is sanctioned by the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports and started from 1984.
Odisha to Host U-21 FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup 2021; To be held in Kalinga Stadium,
Bhubaneswar
Odisha is set to host the U-21 FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup 2021, the men’s under-21(U-21) field
hockey world championship, organized by the International Hockey Federation(FIH- Fédération Internationale
de Hockey). This is the 12th edition of the FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup.
• The U-21 FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2021 will be held in the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar,
Odisha from 24 November to 5 December 2021.
• Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha unveiled the trophy and logo for the tournament.
About the Junior World Cup:
i.A total of 16 teams will compete in the FIH U-21 Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup 2021.
ii.The event will feature India(host and the defending champion), South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Africa,
Egypt, Belgium, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, United States of America(USA), Canada, Chile
and Argentina.
iii.FIH announced that the USA and Canada will replace Australia and New Zealand, which withdrew from the
event due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions.

Additional info:
i.In 2016, India won its 2nd Junior World Cup title at the 11th edition of FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup,
hosted in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
ii.Previously Bhubaneswar has hosted the 2014 FIH Men’s Champions Trophy, 2017 FIH Hockey World League
and 2018 FIH Men’s World Cup.
iii.Bhubaneswar and Rourkela of Odisha are set to co-host the 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup.
About International Hockey Federation(FIH):
President– Dr Narinder DhruvBatra
Chief Executive Officer– Thierry Weil
Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland
Magnus Carlsen won 9th EY Norway Chess 2021; India’s Gukesh won Norway Open 2021 Masters
Magnus Carlsen, Norwegian chess Grandmaster won the 9th edition of EY Norway Chess 2021 against Russian
Grandmaster Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi. This marks Magnus Carlsen’s 3rd consecutive title in Norway
chess and 4th overall title.
Norway Chess 2021, a 6-player double round-robin tournament was held from 7th to 17th September 2021 in
Stavanger, Norway.
• Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja (Iranian-French Chess Player) finished 2nd by defeating Hungarian
grandmaster Richárd Rapport.
• Richárd Rapport finished 3rd in the Norway Chess 2021.
About Norway Chess:
i.Norway chess started in 2012 is one of the world’s most prestigious chess tournaments annually hosting a
tournament with the global top players.
ii.This is an annual super tournament for the highest-ranked chess players in the world.
FIDE ranking:
i.Magnus Carlsen tops the September ranking of FIDE (International Chess Federation) followed by Fabiano
Caruana of the USA(2nd) Liren Ding of China (3rd). Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand is ranked 17th.
ii.Among women players, China’s YifanHou tops the list followed by Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia (2nd) and
Humpy Koneru of India(3rd).
India’s Gukesh D won Norway Open 2021 Masters:
Indian Grandmaster Gukesh D won the Norway Chess open 2021 under the masters’ section and won 60000
(Norwegian Krone)NOK (around Rs 509000).
• This marks his 2nd consecutive win in a month.
• Gukesh’s ranks 18th in FIDE’s Juniors September ranking.
Indian Grandmaster Iniyan P secured the second position with 7½/10 points, finishing a half-point ahead of
Dmitrij Kollars (Germany) and Valentin Dragnev (Austria).
• Iniyan P has won 40000 NOK(around Rs 339000).
L Hamilton become first F1 driver in history to seal 100 wins

Lewis Hamilton sets a new record by registering his 100th win after finishing first in Russian Grand Prix held at
Sochi Autodrom in Russia on September 28.Hamilton is a
British racer, competes for Mercedes.
• With this win, Hamilton became the first Formula-one
driver in the history to reach 100 wins. Max
Verstappen finished second at Russian Grand Prix
2021.
F1 drivers with most wins in history
i.Lewis Hamilton (Britain) 100
ii.Michael Schumacher (Germany) 91
iii.Sebastian Vettel (Germany) 53

iv.Alain Prost (France) 51
v.Ayrton Senna (Brazil) 41
England All-Rounder Moeen Ali Retires from Test Cricket

34-year-old England cricketer Moeen Ali has retired from Test cricket or red ball format and he will continue his
career in other formats of cricket. He is an all-rounder, left-handed batsman and right-arm off-spinner.
His Test Cricket Records
i.He started his test career in 2014.
ii.Ali has taken 195 wickets with his off-spin bowling and he scored 2914 runs in 64 Test at an average of 28.29.
About Moeen Ali
• Ali was born in Birmingham, England.
• He was named as one of five Cricketers of the Year in the 2015 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
• He won Warwickshire’s NBC Denis Compton Award in both 2004 and 2005 and Worcestershire’s NBC Denis
Compton Award in 2009.
Pankaj Advani won IBSF 6-Red Snooker World Cup 2021 in Doha; his 24th World Title
Indian snooker player Pankaj Advani won his 24th world title by winning the International Billiards and
Snooker Federation (IBSF) 6-Red Snooker World Cup2021 by defeating Pakistan player and 2017 World Team
Snooker Champion Babar Masih.
• The IBSF 6-Red Snooker World Cup 2021 was organised by IBSF in association with Qatar Billiards and
Snooker Federation held from 17th to 21st September 2021 in Doha, Qatar.
• The total prize money of 6-Red Snooker World Cup 2021 is 38000 USD which includes the winner’s prize of
12000 USD.
OBITUARY
Eminent Bengali Author Buddhadeb Guha Passed Away
Eminent Bengali Author Buddhadeb Guha, a professional chartered accountant and a noted classical singer and a
proficient illustrator has passed away at the age of 85 in Kolkata, West Bengal. He was born on 29th June 1936 in
Kolkata, West Bengal.
His wife Ritu Guha, an eminent Rabindra Sangeet exponent passed away in 2001.
About Buddhadeb Guha:
i.Buddhadeb Guha is well known for his novel ‘Madhukari’ which is considered as one of the milestones in Bengali
literature.
ii.He is well known as the creator of the fictional characters in Bengali literature – Rijuda, a hunter turned
conservationist and Ribhu.
iii.He has been honoured with various awards including the Ananda Purashkar in 1976, Shiroman Purashkar and
Sharat Puraskar.
iv.The award-winning Film(Bengali) ‘Dictionary’ was based on his novels ‘Baba Howa’ and ‘Swami Howa’.
v.His other notable books include Koeler Kachhe; Sobinoy Nibedon; Jangalmahal; Charibeti, etc.
Chandan Mitra Former Rajya Sabha MP & Senior Journalist Passed Away
Chandan Mitra (65), former Rajya Sabha MP and a senior journalist have passed away in Delhi. He has served as
the Editor and Managing Director of the Pioneer newspaper, Delhi.
About Chandan Mitra:
i.Chandan Mitra, a senior journalist, who has served in the Statesman(Kolkata), The Pioneer Newspaper, The
Times of India, Sunday Observer and Hindustan Times.
ii.He was first nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha in August 2003 and served till 2009.

iii.He got his 2nd term in Rajya Sabha in 2010 when he was elected as a BJP Member from Madhya Pradesh.
iv.He has been a part of the Bharatiya Janata party till 2018 and later joined the All India Trinamool Congress.
Former IOC President Jacques Rogge Passed Away

Former International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge Passed away at the age of 79 in
Deinze, Belgium.He was born in Ghent, Belgium.He served as the President of IOC for 12 Years.
• He represented Belgium in rugby and was a world champion in sailing.
• He participated in the Finn class at three Olympic Games from 1968 through 1976.
• He earlier served as the President of the Belgian and European Olympic Committees.
Indian Cricketer and Coach, Vasoo Paranjape Passed away

Former Indian cricketer and renowned coach, Vasoo Paranjape passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He
played cricket between 1956 and 1970 for Mumbai and Vadodara, Gujarat and served as a coach at National
Cricket Academy and was also appointed as director of coaching by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in the
1980s.
• His son Jatin co-authored a book along with cricket journalist Anand Vasu based on the life story of Vasudeo
Paranjape titled ‘Cricket Drona: For the Love of Vasoo Paranjape’.
• As a coach, he contributed more to improving the careers of eminent cricketers including Sunil Gavaskar,
Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, among others.
Former Union Health Secretary Keshav Desiraju Passed Away in Tamil Nadu
Keshav Desiraju, former Union Health Secretary and grandson of former first President of India Dr. Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan, passed away at the age of 66 years in Chennai, Tamil Nadu due to “acute coronary syndrome“.
About Keshav Desiraju:
i.He was an IAS officer of 1978 batch of Uttarakhand cadre.
ii.He played an important role during the drafting of the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016.
iii.He has also been credited with several awareness initiatives undertaken by the National Institute of Mental
Health and Neuro Science.
iv.Book-
• Keshav Desiraju has written a book on legendary Carnatic singer M.S. Subbulakshmi, titled Of Gifted Voice:
The Life and Art of M.S. Subbulakshmi.
• He had also co-edited “Healers or Predators? Healthcare Corruption in India”, a book on corruption in the
healthcare system in 2018 with Samitan Nundy and Sanjay Nagral.
Former French Footballer Jean-Pierre Adams Passed Away

Former French footballer(defender) Jean-Pierre Adams who has been in a coma for the past 39 years has passed
away in Nîmes, France. He was born in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa.
• He played 22 games for France between 1972 and 1976 and later joined the Paris Saint Germain(PSG).
• He has made more than 140 appearances for Nice, 84 appearances for Nimes.
• He has also been a player-coach for Mulhouse then FC Chalon-sur-Saone.
Former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes Passed Away in Karnataka

Former Union Minister and Congress leader Oscar Fernandes passed away in Mangaluru, Karnataka. He was 80
year old.
About Oscar Fernandes
i.He was born in March 27, 1941 Udupi district of Karnataka.
ii.Fernandes was also a trained performer of Yakshagana, the traditional art form of coastal Karnataka.
iii.Political Career- He has served as the Union Cabinet Minister for Transport, Road and Highways during the
time of 2013-14. He was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) in Lok Sabha from Udupi constituency during
1980-1996 and MP of Rajya Sabha during 1998-2021 from Karnataka constituency.

iv.During the same time, he was provided additional charge of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
v.He has also served as the Chairman of the Central Election Authority of the All India Congress
Committee (AICC).
vi.He is the founder of the ” Jolly Club” NGO. The NGO provides library room facilities for the youth.
vii.He was the Director of the Young Indian and Director of the Associated Journals Private limited.
Former Indian footballer and Mohun Bagan captain Bhabani Roy passed away
Former India international football player and Mohun Bagan legend Bhabani Roy, 75, died in Kolkata on Monday
following a prolonged illness.
Sports career
1. Roy joined Mohun Bagan in 1966 and played for the club till 1972
2. He made his international debut in the Merdeka Cup in 1969 and represented Indian national team in three
matches
3. Roy known for his overlapping skills, flourished in 1969 under Amal Dutta’s coaching and the same year Mohun
Bagan won the Calcutta Football League and the IFA Shield
Trophies
1. Roy guided his club to win the Rovers Cup in 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972 (joint-winners)
2. Dr HK Mookherjee Shield in 1968 and 1969 (joint-winners)
3.Amrita Bazar Patrika Centenary Trophy and the Babu Kunwer Singh Shield in 1968
4.Nehru Trophy in 1970.
• Mohun Bagan Athletic Club is an Indian professional sports club based in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• It was founded in 1889.
Eminent Kashmiri Writer Sahitya Akademi winner Dr Aziz Hajini Passed Away
Sahitya Akademi winner Dr Abdul Aziz Parrey (Pen Name- Aziz Hajini), an eminent Kashmiri writer, poet, and
critic passed away in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). He hails from Hajin-Sonawari, Bandipora district, J&K.
• He won the Sahitya Akademi Award (criticism) in 2016 for his book ‘Aane Khane’ written in Kashmiri.
• He has also won the Sahitya Akademi Translation Award in 2013 for Za Gaz Zameen, Kashmiri translation of
Abdul Samad’s Urdu novel Do Gaz Zameen.
About Aziz Hajini:
i.Aziz Hajini has served as the secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages.
ii.He has also served as a member of the Sahitya Akademi from 1997 to 2002 and later served as the convenor of
the Sahitya Akademi for Kashmiri languages.
iii.He has authored several books in Kashmiri, which include poetry and criticism.
iv.He has translated various Kashmiri books into English to promote Kashmiri literature.
Some of his Books:
• Paer Zaan
• Noor-e-Nooran
• Asi Chi Puran Hamsayan tal
• Me and My Animal
Ukrainian Hammer Thrower & 2 times Olympic Gold Medalist Yuriy Sedykh Passed Away
Double Olympic hammer throw gold medallist Yuriy Sedykh, a Ukrainian track and field athlete who represented
the Soviet Union until 1991, has passed away in Moscow, Russia.
• He was born on 11th June 1955 in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic(SFSR), Soviet Union.
• He set the world record for the hammer throw with a throw of 86.74 metres at the European Championships
in Stuttgart in 1986 which is still not broken.

About Yuriy Sedykh:
i.Yuriy Sedykh, who is considered the greatest hammer thrower of modern times, has set 6 world records and
won 3 Olympic medals (2 gold and 1 silver).
ii.He won his first gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and his second gold at the 1980 Olympics in
Moscow.
iii.He won a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
iv.He won the World Championship title at the 1991 championships held in Tokyo.
Former Gabonese PM Casimir Oye Mba dies in Paris

The former Prime Minister (PM) of Gabon Casimir Oye Mba passed away due to COVID-19 in Paris, France. He
was 79 year old.
About Casimir Oye Mba
i.He was born on 20 April 1942 in Nzamaligué, Gabon.
ii.Initially, he was hospitalized in Libreville,Gibbon’s
capital, then transferred to hospital in Paris due to critical
condition.
iii.He served as the PM from 1990-1994. He was also the
Governor of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) in
Central Africa from 1978- 1990.
iv.BEAC is the common bank of six Central African countries headquartered in Yaounde, Cameroon.
v.Subsequently he remained in the government as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1999,
Minister of State for Planning from 1999 to 2007, and Minister of State for Mines and Oil from 2007 to 2009.
Padma Shri awardee, noted cosmologist Thanu Padmanabhan passed away

Padma Shri awardee, a noted physicist and cosmologist Thanu Padmanabhan, 64, passed away in Pune on
September 17, due to cardiac arrest. He was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• He was professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune,
Maharashtra.
Achievements
i.In 2007, He received Padma Shri Award in Science and Engineering field.
ii.He was ranked 24th amongst top scientists in the world by the Stanford University for his research in
Theoretical Physics.
iii.He was awarded ‘Kerala Sasthra Puraskaram’, a lifetime achievement award by the Kerala State Council for
Science, Technology and Environment recently
Works
i.Padmanabhan has authored over 300 research papers
ii.He also authored several books on gravitation, quantum gravity, and structure and formation of the universe.
Algeria’s former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika Passed Away

Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has passed away at the age of 84 in Zéralda, Algeria. He was
born on 2nd March 1937 in Oujda, Morocco. Having served as the
president for nearly 20 years, from 1999 until his resignation in
2019, he became Algeria’s longest-serving president.
About Abdelaziz Bouteflika:
i.After Algerian independence in 1962, Abdelaziz Bouteflika
served as the Minister of youth and tourism.
ii.He has also served as the first foreign minister of Algeria.
iii.He served as the President of the United Nations General
Assembly in 1974 and the 7th special session in 1975, becoming the youngest person to do so.
iv.He was first elected as the President of Algeria in 1999 and later re-elected in 2004.

v.He changed the constitution of Algeria to cancel the presidency’s two-term limit and was later re-elected for his
3rd and 4th terms in 2009 and 2013.
vi.He resigned from the post of President in 2019.
Former England Footballer Jimmy Greaves Passed Away

Jimmy Greaves, a former professional footballer from England, who holds the record for most goals in the
English top-flight with 357, passed away at the age of 81 in Danbury, United Kingdom(UK). He was born on 20
February 1940 in Manor Park, London, United Kingdom.
About Jimmy Greaves:
i.Jimmy Greaves, a part of England’s 1966 World cup winning team, has scored 44 goals in 57 appearances for
England.
ii.He is the 4th all-time leading scorer of England after Gary Lineker, Sir Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney.
iii.He has scored 266 goals in 379 games representing Tottenham Hotspur between 1961 and 1970.
iv.He is also 7th on Chelsea’s all-time list with 132 goals in 169 matches.
Eminent Odia Litterateur Manorama Mohapatra Passed Away

Manorama Mohapatra, a noted Odia litterateur and former editor of “The Samaja”, an Odia daily, has passed
away in Cuttack, Odisha. She was born on 10th June 1934 in Athagarh in Cuttack district, Odisha.
• She has won numerous honours including the Soviet Nehru Award (1988), Critic Circle of India Award
(1990).
• She has authored more than 40 books, Poems and novels which includes her debut book ‘Juar
JeiunthiUthe’(1960), ‘Ardhanareeswara’, ‘BaidehiVisarjita’, ‘Sanghatir Samhita’.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

New Book Titled “The Murderer, The Monarch And The Fakir” Authored by Appu Esthose Suresh
& Priyanka Kotamraju
Investigative journalist Appu Esthose Suresh and Gates Cambridge scholar Priyanka Kotamraju has co-
authored a new book titled “The Murderer, The
Monarch And The Fakir: A New Investigation of
Mahatma Gandhi’s Assassination”. The book is set to
release on 1st October 2021.
The book will be published by HarperCollins Publishers
India Private Limited.
About the book:
i.The book based on various unseen intelligence reports
and police records recreates the circumstances of the
murder of Mahatma Gandhi and the investigation of the
murder.
ii.The book also examines the role of princely states, hypermasculinity and a militant right-wing in the context of
a country that just got independence.
iii.The book relies on investigative journalism and new evidence to reveal the significance of the event.
About Authors:
Appu Esthose Suresh:
i.Appu Esthose Suresh, the founder of Pixstory has worked as an editor in Hindustan Times and has also worked
with the Indian Express and Mint, among other publications.
ii.He was a part of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) team that investigated the
offshore accounts in the British Virgin Islands and the HSBC Swiss accounts.

Priyanka Kotamraju:
i.Priyanka Kotamraju has served as the editor of Khabar Lahariya, an award-winning grassroots media
organization.
ii.She has also worked with the Indian Express and the Hindu Business Line
iii.She is the co-founder of the Chitrakoot Collective, a feminist research collective.
Angelina Jolie has Written Child Rights Book titled ‘’Know Your Rights and Claim Them”
The book ‘‘Know Your Rights and Claim Them: Guide for Youth” is written by the Hollywood actress Angelina
Jolie in collaboration with Human Right lawyer Geraldine Van Buren and Amnesty International.
• The book is like a guide for every child and young person who access their rights.
• It talks about gender rights, racial equality, free expression, healthy environment and sustainable life.
• Note – Geraldine is one among the drafters of the United Nations Convention of the Child Right in 1989.
About Angelina Jolie
She is a hollywood actress, works for human rights awareness, for children, women and other society.she is also
working as a special envoy for UN Refugee agency UNHCR.
About Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
i.The CRC was adopted by the United Nations in 1989. It came into existence in 1990 after receiving the minimum
of 20 ratifications.India ratified UNCRC on 11 December 1992.
ii.It has been ratified by all members of the UN except for the United States. It is the most widely ratified human
rights treaty in the history of the world.
iii.The Convention on the Rights of the child defines a child as “every human being below the age of 18 years
unless, under the law applicable, majority is attained earlier”.
Haryana CM Released New Book Titled “Haryana Environment and Pollution Code” Compiled by
Former IAS Dheera Khandelwal
Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister(CM) of Haryana, released the new book titled “Haryana Environment and
Pollution Code” compiled by former IAS officer and poet Dheera Khandelwal.
• Dheera Khandelwal has compiled the book while working in the Department of Environment, understanding
the problem faced by the department, compiled laws and rules, guidelines related to the environment and
pollution.
• This book will be useful for entrepreneurs, who do not have access to the knowledge of Laws and regulations
related to the environment for setting up new ventures.
• This book will also benefit the students, law researchers and practitioners.
New Book “Bullets Over Bombay: Satya and the Hindi Film Gangster” Authored by Uday Bhatia
The new book titled ‘Bullets Over Bombay: Satya and the Hindi Film Gangster’ authored by Film Critic Uday
Bhatia details the making of Ram Gopal Varma’s 1998 film ‘Satya’. The book is published by HarperCollins
Publishers India.
• The book revisits the making of the film with testimonies from Ram Gopal Varma, Anurag kashyap, Manoj
Bajpayee, Vishal Bhardwaj and others.
GK Reddy Launched Book ‘’Gita Govinda :Jayadeva’s Divine Odyssey ”; Launched

‘BujurgonkiBaat–DeshKeSaath’ ProgramThe Union Minister of Culture, Gangapuram Kishan (GK) Reddy
has launched the book titled “ Gita Govinda: Jayadeva’s Divine Odyssey ” written by Padma Shri awardee Dr
Utpal K. Banerjee. He also launched an exhibition on “Gita Govinda ” and a program ‘BujurgonkiBaat-
DeshKeSaath’ in New Delhi.Highlights
• The objective of the program is to enhance the interaction between youth and elderly people who are around
95 years and above. It will involve the elders in AzadikaAmritMahotsav.
• The exhibition was based on the theme of Krishna from various schools of arts such as Amber, Kangra, etc.

About Gita Govinda
• Gita Govinda, an important text of the Bhakti Movement, depicts the relationship between Lord
Krishna and his consort Radha.
• Jayadeva (12 century A.D.) is the last great name in Sanskrit poetry, who wrote the lyric poetry
Gitagovinda to describe every phase of love between Krishna and Radha – longing, jealousy, hope,
disappointment, anger, reconciliation and fruition – in picturesque lyrical language.
About Ministry of Culture
Union Minister- G. Kishan Reddy (Secunderabad, Telangana)
Minister of State- Arjun Ram Meghwal (Bikaner,Rajasthan), Meenakshi Lekhi (New Delhi, Delhi)
Indian Actress Tamannaah Bhatia Launched Her Book Titled “Back to the Roots”; Co-authored
with Luke Coutinho
Indian Actress Tamannaah Bhatia coauthored a book on Indian wellness, titled “Back to the Roots: Celebrating
Indian Wisdom and Wellness” with Celebrity lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho. The book is published under the
imprint ebury Press, under the Penguin Random House.
About the book:
i.The book was written based on intensive research which reveals India’s ancient secrets of health and wellness.
ii.The book offers the rationale behind various traditional Indian practices which promote long-term wellness.
About Authors:
Luke Coutinho:
i.Luke Coutinho the co-founder of GOQii, a digital healthcare platform, is a renowned holistic lifestyle coach and
award-winning holistic nutritionist.
ii.He is an adviser and the head of integrative lifestyle and nutrition at Pure Nutrition
Other Books:
• ‘Great Indian Diet’ and ‘the Magic Immunity Pill – Lifestyle’ coauthored with Shilpa Shetty.
• ‘The Dry Fasting Miracle – from Deprive to Thrive’ coauthored with Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Ali Bin Rashid Al
Nuaimi
• ‘The Magic Weight-loss Pill: 62 Lifestyle Changes’ coauthored with Anushka Shetty
• ‘Circadian Rhythm: A New Way Of Living’
Tamannaah Bhatia:
Tamannah Bhatia from Mumbai, Maharashtra is an Indian actress who appears in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films.
New Book Titled “A Rude Life: The Memoir” Authored by Vir Sanghvi
Veteran journalist Vir Sanghvi has authored a memoir titled “A Rude Life: The Memoir” which shares his views
and experience as an Indian journalist. The book has been published by Viking Penguin India.
• The book also features the events of his personal life and talks about the people he has met and also the story
of a lost India.
• Vir Sanghvi is a television journalist, author, columnist and talk show host who has served as the editor of
Hindustan Times from 1999 to 2004.
Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar Inaugurated the Digital Population Clock at IEG

Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State(MoS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW), inaugurated
a digital population clock at the Institute for Economic Growth(IEG) inside the University of Delhi.
• She also launched a book titled ‘Infant and Child Mortality In Assam – Demographic and Socio-Economic
Interrelations’ written by Dr Dipanjali Haloi and Dr Suresh Sharma and a Health Management Information
System (HMIS) Brochure during the event.
• She presided over the seminar on “Population, Human Capital and Sustainable Development”.

Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri’s New Book “Translating Myself and Others” to be Released
Jhumpa Lahiri, the Pulitzer Prize-winning fiction writer, has authored a new book titled “Translating Myself
and Others”, which is set to be released in 2022. The book includes several essays (previously published and
unpublished) about translation.The book has been acquired by the Princeton University Press.
About the book:
i.The essays featured in the book reflects Jhumpa Lahiri’s experiences with translation, self-translation and
writing across languages.
ii.The book also includes an essay on her ambition to translate “The Metamorphoses” by the Roman poet Ovid.
About Jhumpa Lahiri:
i.Jhumpa Lahiri born in London, United Kingdom, is an author and translator of Indian origin.
She is serving as the director of Princeton University’s program in creative writing.
ii.Her first book, a collection of short stories titled “Interpreter of Maladies” won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in
2000
iii.Her book titled “The Namesake” was later made into a movie in 2006.
Other books:
• Unaccustomed Earth.
• The Lowland
• Whereabouts: A novel
A book “Human Rights and Terrorism in India” by Subramanian Swamy

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has authored a book “Human Rights and Terrorism in India” which traces how
the combating of terrorism can be harmonised with human and fundamental rights within reasonable restrictions
that are permitted by the Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court.
• The book was published by Har Anand
Publications pte Ltd.
• The book mentions the release of three dreaded
terrorists in exchange of hijacked Indian Airlines
passengers in Afghanistan’s Kandahar in 1999 as
the “worst capitulation” to terrorists in India’s
modern history.
About Subramanian Swamy
i.Subramanian Swamy is the founder of the Janata Party
and he served as its chairman till the merger of Janata
Party with Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP).
ii.Swamy served as a member of the Planning Commission of India and the Cabinet Minister of Commerce and
Law during the 1990 and 1991.
iii.He was also the Chairman of the Commission on Labour Standards and International Trade.
iv.He is founder of the Action Committee Against Corruption in India (ACACI).
Note: The America Tamil sangam honoured BJP leader Subramanian Swamy with ‘Tamil Ratna’ award in 2018.
Books Of Subramanian Swamy
He has authored more than 20 books, some of them are:
• Himalayan Challenge: India, China and the Quest for Peace
• RESET: Regaining India’s Economic Legacy
• Economic Growth in China and India, 1952–70
• India’s economic performance and reforms: a perspective for the new millennium
AP CM Jagan Mohan Reddy Released “Dancing with Dreams” Book Authored by Chief Secretary
Adityanath Das
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister(CM) of Andhra Pradesh(AP) and Somesh Kumar, Chief Secretary to
Government of Telangana released the book titled “Dancing with Dreams”, a collection of poems written

by Adityanath Das IAS, Chief Secretary to Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Somesh Kumar presented the first copy of “Dancing with Dreams” to Padmaja Das, wife of Adityanath Das to
whom the book is dedicated.
• Publisher Ramprasad, senior bureaucrats Neerab Kumar Prasad, Arvind Kumar, S.S. Rawat and Naveen
Mittal were present during the release.
About the book:
i.The book is a collection of 40 poems that exhibits the creative, philosophical, spiritual and humane side of
Adityanath Das.
ii.The book features various poems written by Adityanath Das during his college days.
iii.The poems reflect hope and confusion about the future.
About Adityanath Das:
i.Aditya Nath Das, an IAS officer of the 1987 batch has been serving as the chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh since
2020. He is set to retire on 30th September 2021.
ii.He has served as the special chief secretary in the water resources department.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh releases book on Sikh youth of India

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released a book titled ‘Shining Sikh Youth of India’, in New Delhi, authored
by Dr Prabhleen Singh, as part of the commemoration of the 400th birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the
9th Guru of Sikhs.
• The book covers 100 inspirational and motivational success stories of Sikh youth in India of their exemplary
work in their respective fields.
About Dr Prabhleen Singh
i.He is an administrative officer at the Punjab University, Patiala
ii. Earlier, he has written two books, namely
• ‘Prominent Sikhs of India’ which was released by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and was published by
Panjab University, Chandigarh, and
• ‘Prominent Sikhs of USA’ which was released at the Capitol Hill jointly by 15 Congressmen, three senators
and the Lieutenant Governor of California.
New Book Titled “The Three Khans: And the Emergence of New India” Authored by Kaveree
Bamzai
Senior journalist Kaveree Bamzai has authored a new book titled “The Three Khans: And the Emergence of
New India” which collocates the careers of Aamir Khan, Shahrukh khan and Salman khan with turbulent times in
Indian history.
The book published by Westland Non-Fiction explores their careers and examines their social and emotional
impact on Indian audiences.
• Kaveree Bamzai is an independent journalist who has worked with India Today, The Indian Express and The
Times of India,
• She was the 1st and the only woman editor of India Today.
Zoho founder Dr Sridhar Vembu launched the book titled “Smart Villages: Bridging the Global
Urban-Rural Divide”
Zoho Founder Dr Sridhar Vembu launched the new book titled “Smart Villages: Bridging the Global Urban-
Rural Divide” published by Springer Nature Switzerland AG. The book is a collection of case studies on
uplifting villages.
The book is edited by
• Dr. V.I. Lakshmanan is Vice-Chair and CEO of Process Research ORTECH Inc. and Adjunct Professor, the
University of Toronto in Canada.
• Dr. Arun Chockalingam is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine and Global Health at the Faculty of Medicine, the
University of Toronto in Canada

• Dr. Kumar Murty is Director, Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, and Professor of
Mathematics at the University of Toronto in Canada.
• Mr. S. Kalyanasundaram is a Former Telecom Executive and Former Executive Director at the Canada India
Foundation.
Launch event:
i.The launch event was organized by the Sona Valliappa group.
ii.The launch event coincides with the day (22nd September 1921) on which Mahatma Gandhi made the decision
to change his attire from Gujarati attire to simple dhoti and shawl.
About the book:
i.The book put together technical expertise, best practices, case studies and ground-level applications of the ideas
to empower the rural population to live a life on par with the quality of life enjoyed by the global urban
population.
ii.Chocko Valliappa, vice chairman of Sona Valliappa group and Nirmalesh Sampath Kumar Director,
Innovation & R&D at the Sona Group has contributed two chapters on the contributions of the sona group in the
villages around Salem, Tamil Nadu(TN).
The Battle of Rezang La, a book depicts 120 Indian soldiers’ Bravery in 1962 Sino-India war
‘The Battle of Rezang La’, a book which describes the story of 120 soldiers who put up a strong fight against the
5,000 Chinese military troop preventing a possible occupation of the Ladakh region in the 1962 Sino-Indian war
which happened between India and China .
• The book was written by ex-naval officer and author Kulpreet Yadav
• It was published by Penguin Veer.
• The book was released towards to honour the 50th anniversary of 1962 Indi-China war.
About Author
i.Kulpreet Yadav has authored several books in diverse genres, including espionage, true crime and romance.
ii.He won the Best Fiction Author Award for ‘Murder in Paharganj’ at the Gurgaon Literary Festival (2018).
IndraNooyi Penned a Memoir Titled ‘My Life in Full: Work, Family and Our Future’
IndraNooyi, former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Inc, has penned her memoir titled ‘My Life in Full: Work,
Family and Our Future’. The book is published by Hachette India.
• The book offers a firsthand view of IndraNooyi’s life, career and the sacrifices she made.
• The book features the life events of IndraNooyi that shaped her from childhood in India to her role as a
senior executive at PepsiCo.
About IndraNooyi:
i.IndraNooyi is an Indian-American business executive, who served as the chairperson and chief executive officer
(CEO) of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2019.
ii.She was the first woman of colour and an immigrant to head a Fortune 50 company.
iii.She is serving as the director on the board of Amazon since 2019.
iv.She has also served as the director of Royal Philips since May 2021 and a director of Schlumberger Limited
from April 2015 to April 2020.
v.The government of India honoured her with Padma Bhushan in 2007 for trade and industry.
New Book ‘The Fractured Himalaya: India Tibet China 1949-1962’ by Nirupama Rao
Retired Indian Diplomat Nirupama Menon Rao(Nirupama Rao) has authored a new book titled ‘The Fractured
Himalaya: India Tibet China 1949-1962’, which provides an understanding of India-China relations.
The book published by Penguin Viking, owned by Penguin Random House, is based on archival materials and her
personal experience as India’s ambassador to China.
• Nirupama Menon Rao, 1973 batch IFS officer from Kerala, served as India’s Foreign Secretary(2009-2011).
• She was the 1st woman high commissioner from India to Sri Lanka and the 1st woman ambassador to the
People’s Republic of China and also served as the Ambassador of India to the United States.

IMPORTANT DAYS
National Nutrition Week 2021 – 1st to 7th September
National Nutrition Week(NNW) has been annually observed across India in the first week of September since
1982. The day aims to create awareness about the benefits of eating a nutritious diet and the importance of
nutrition in maintaining better health, which impacts national development.
• The theme of National Nutrition Week(NNW) 2021 is ‘feeding smart right from start’.
• The National Nutrition Week(NNW) 2021 is observed from 1st to 7th September 2021.
Background:
i.The National Nutrition Week (NNW) was initiated in 1982 as a Mass Awareness Campaign by the Food and
Nutrition Board under the Ministry of Women and Child Development(MWCD), Government of India.
ii.The first NNW was observed from 1st to 7th September 1982.
Note:
The NNW was first marked in 1975 by the member of the American Dietetic Association(ADA), which is now the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Poshan Abhiyan:
i.In 2018, The Government of India launched Poshan Abhiyan or Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic
Nutrition, a multi-ministerial convergence mission to address malnutrition in a targeted approach.
ii.The Poshan Abhiyan was previously known as the National Nutrition Mission.
iii.The scheme aims to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
Targets:
• To reduce stunting, underweight, and low birth weight, each by 6% at 2% per year
• To reduce anaemia among young children, adolescents and women each by 9% at 3% per year
• To achieve malnutrition free India by 2022.
‘Thematic’ Poshan Maah:
i.The MWCD is set to celebrate the month of September as the ‘Thematic’ POSHAN Maah(Nutrition Month).
ii.The month is subdivided into weekly themes focused on improving Holistic Nutrition.
Poshan Pakhwada 2021(Nutrition Fortnight) – 16th to 31st March
i.MWCD celebrated ‘Poshan Pakhwada’ (Nutrition Fortnight) across India under the POSHAN Abhiyaan.
ii.The Poshan Pakhwada 2021 was observed from 16th to 31st March 2021.
About Ministry of Women and Child Development(MWCD):
Union Minister– Smriti Zubin Irani(Constituency- Amethi, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai (Constituency- Surendranagar, Gujarat)
First-ever International Day for People of African Descent – 31st August 2021
The United Nations(UN)’s first-ever International Day for the people of African Descent was observed across
the globe on 31st August 2021. The day aims to promote the contributions of the African diaspora across the
globe and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against the descents of Africans.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/75/170 on 16th December
2020 and proclaimed the 31st August of every year as the International Day for People of African Descent.
ii.Costa Rica led the efforts to establish the International Day for People of African Descent.
Note:
Costa Rica changed its political constitution in 2015 and defined itself as a multiethnic and multicultural nation.
Significance of 31st August:
i.31st August marks the end date of the first International Convention of the Negro Peoples of the World 1920.
ii.The convention resulted in the Declaration of Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World.
African Descents across the globe:
i.Latin America houses more than 134 million people of African heritage

ii.The report of the UN economic commission for the region, ECLAC, states that the people of African heritage
suffer from poverty, lack of access to basic services and inequality.
Efforts to Protect the Rights of African Descent:
i.Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in 2001 in Durban, South Africa requested the
commission on human rights to
• Establish a working group or other mechanism of the United Nations to study the problems of racial
discrimination faced by people of African descent
• make proposals for the elimination of racial discrimination against people of African descent.
Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent was established in 2002.
Other Related observances:
International Decade for People of African Descent: 2015 to 2024:
The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/68/237 on 23rd December 2013 and proclaimed the decade 2015 to
2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent.
International Year for People of African Descent – 2011:
The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/64/169 on 18 December 2009 and proclaimed the year 2011 as the
International Year for People of African Descent.
World Coconut Day 2021 – September 2

World Coconut Day is annually observed across the globe by the coconut growing countries on 2nd
September. The day aims to create awareness about the various uses of coconut and its health and commercial
benefits.
The day also marks the foundation day of the International Coconut Community (ICC) (former Asian and Pacific
Coconut Community (APCC)). ICC is an Intergovernmental organization of coconut growing countries established
under the aegis of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific(UNESCAP) in
1969.
• The 2nd September 2021 marks the observance of the 13th World Coconut Day.
The theme of World Coconut Day 2021 is “Building a Safe Inclusive Resilient and Sustainable Coconut
Community Amid COVID-19 Pandemic & Beyond”.
Background:
i.The Asia Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) celebrated the first World Coconut Day on 2nd September 2009.
ii.The day is annually organised by the UNESCAP under the ICC.
World Coconut Day In India:
The celebration of World Coconut day in India is supported by the Coconut Development Board (CDB) across the
coconut growing states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, etc.
World Coconut Day 2021:
i.The World Coconut Day 2021 is included in the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ as a part of the Commemoration of 75
years of India’s Independence.
ii.The day is celebrated by the CDB, in association with the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture
(MIDH) Division of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare(MoA&FW).
Additional info:
i.India is the 3rd largest producer of coconut in the world with 14.68 Million Metric Tons.
ii.Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of coconut which produces around 17.13 million metric tons followed
by the Philippines with 14.77 Million Metric Tons.
About International Coconut Community (ICC):
Executive Director– Jelfina C. Alouw
Headquarters– Jakarta, Indonesia
Established in 1969

About Coconut Development Board (CDB):
CDB is under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
Chairman– Rajbir Singh Panwar
Headquarters – Kochi, Ernakulam, Kerala
Established on 12th January 1981
Poshan Maah 2021(Nutrition Month) – September

The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) has decided to celebrate the Poshan
Maah across India throughout the month of September under the Poshan Abhiyan. The Poshan Maah 2021 will
be observed as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
The observance of Poshan Maah aims to address malnutrition among children, protect the children who are
suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition(SAM) and encourage consumption of a variety of vegetables and fruits
among families in rural areas.
• September 2021 marks the observance of 4th Poshan Maah which will be celebrated as “Thematic Poshan
Maah”.
Significance:
i.To ensure the outreach of the celebration the Poshan month has been subdivided into weekly themes focused
towards improving holistic nutrition.
ii.The weekly theme for the activities to be taken up are,
• September 1 to 7 – Plantation Activity as “PoshanVatika”
• September 8 to 15 – Yoga and AYUSH for Nutrition
• September 16 to 23 – Distribution of ‘Regional Nutrition Kit’ to Anganwadi beneficiaries of High Burden
Districts.
• September 24 to 30 – Identification of children with SAM and distribution of nutritious food.
Minister of WCD inaugurates Poshan 2.0:
i.Smriti Zubin Irani, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development(WCD) inaugurated Poshan 2.0,
National Conference and urged all the districts to establish a Poshan Vatika(Nutrition Garden) during the
nutrition month starting from September 1 to protect the children with SAM.
ii.The 3 main missions of the national conference are
• Poshan 2.0
• Mission Vatsalya
• Mission Shakti
Poshan 2.0:
i.The Mission Poshan 2.0 was launched by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in February 2021 with an aim to
prevent any backsliding of nutrition indicators.
ii.The Poshan 2.0 was launched following the decision of the government to devote attention and resources to
integrate the various nutrition schemes of India.
iii.The Poshan 2.0 brings together the Integrated Child Development Services(ICDS)- Anganwadi
Services, Supplementary Nutrition Programme, Poshan Abhiyaan, Scheme for Adolescent Girls and National
Crèche Scheme.
iv.The ICDS are designed to bridge the gap between the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and the Average
Daily Intake (ADI)
NUTRI GARDEN at AIIA:
i.Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated the NUTRI GARDEN at All India Institute of Ayurveda(AIIA) to mark the
beginning of Poshan Maah 2021.
ii.Plantation drive and distribution of plants having health and nutritional benefits were carried out for patients
and health care workers like Shatavari, Ashwagandha, Musli and Yashtimadhu.
iii.Information brochure of selected plants having nutritive value was also provided to the common public.

Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD):
Union Minister– Smriti Zubin Irani (Constituency- Amethi, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of state– Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai(Constituency- Surendranagar, Gujarat)
International Day of Charity 2021 – September 5

The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Charity is annually observed across the globe on 5th
September to recognise the role of charity in attenuating humanitarian crises and human suffering across the
globe.
The day also commemorates the death anniversary of Nobel laureate Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Objective of the Day:
To sensitize and mobilize people, Non-Governmental Organisations(NGOs) and other stakeholders across the
globe to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities.
Background:
i.The International Day of Charity was first celebrated by the Hungarian civil society with the support of
government of Hungary.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/67/105 on 17th
December 2012 and proclaimed the 5th September of every year as the International Day of Charity.
iii.The first International Day of Charity was observed on 5th September 2013.
Mother Teresa:
i.Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia, on 26th August 1910.
ii.She gained Indian Citizenship in 1948 and founded the Order of Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata (Calcutta) in
1950.
iii.In 1979, She was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize for her work for bringing help to suffering humanity.
iv.The government of India honoured her with Bharat Ratna India’s highest civilian award in 1980 for Social
work.
v.She was honoured with Padma Shri in 1962 for social work.
vi.In 2016, Pope Francis declared Mother Teresa as a saint.
Importance of Charity in SDGs:
i.Charity contributes to the creation of inclusive and more resilient societies and alleviates the effects of
humanitarian crises, supplement public services in health care, education, housing and child protection.
ii.2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015, recognises the eradication of poverty in all forms.
iii.The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set forth in the 2030 Agenda provides the framework required
for philanthropic institutions to enable the people to contribute to the development of the world.
National Teachers Day 2021 – September 5

National Teachers day is annually observed across India on 5th September to commemorate the birth
anniversary of the respected teacher and prolific statesman Bharat Ratna awardee Dr Sarvapalli
Radhakrishnan, the first Vice president of India and the 2nd President of India. He was born on 5th September
1888 in Tiruttani, Madras Presidency (Now Tamil Nadu).
• The day recognises the contribution of the teachers to the development of society.
• National Teachers day is celebrated across schools, colleges, universities and educational institutions.
• The first-ever National Teachers Day was observed on 5th September 1962.
Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan:
i.Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan served as the first vice president of Independent India from 1952 to 1962 and later
served as the 2nd President of India from 1962 to 1967.
ii.The government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 1954 for
public affairs.
President Ram Nath Kovind awarded National Teachers’ Award 2021:
On the occasion of National Teachers Day 2021, Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, presented the National
Teachers Awards 2021 to the 44 teachers who were selected from all over India.

• A documentary film on each of the 44 awardees was also shown at the online ceremony.
• The list of the 44 winners was released by the Ministry of Education (MoE) in August 2021.
Key People:
Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan; Ministers of State for Education Annpurna Devi, Subhas
Sarkar and Rajkumar Ranjan Singh; Anita Karwal, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy(DOSEL),
and Amit Khare, Secretary, Department of Higher Education participated in the event.
National Teachers Award:
i.The National Teachers Award was first instituted in 1958 to recognise the excellence and commitment of the
teachers to shape the minds of the future generation.
ii.The awards recognise the efforts of teachers working in elementary and secondary schools.
Shikshak Parv 2021 5th to 17th September:
i.The National Teachers Day 2021, 5th September 2021, also marks the beginning of Shikshak Parv 2021, which
will be celebrated till 17th September 2021 through virtual mode.
ii.The decision to celebrate the Shikshak Parv was made by the Department of School Education &
Literacy(DOSEL), Ministry of Education(MoE) to recognise the contributions of teachers and take the new
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 a step forward.
iii.As a part of the Shikshak Parv, webinars, discussions and presentations will be organised till 17th September.
About Ministry of Education(MoE):
Union Minister– Dharmendra Pradhan (Rajya Sabha- Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State– Annpurna Devi (Kodarma- Jharkhand); Subhas Sarkar (Bankura- West Bengal); Rajkumar
Ranjan Singh (Inner Manipur- Manipur)
International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies 2021 – September 7

The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is annually observed across the globe
on 7th September to create awareness about the importance of healthy air and the effects of air pollution, one of
the environmental threats, on humans health.
• 7th September 2021 commemorates the observance of
the 2nd International Day of Clean Air for blue skies.
• The International Day of Clean Air for blue skies 2021
highlights the link between air pollution, human health
and the environment.
• The official commemoration of the 2021 International
Day of Clean Air for blue skies takes place in Nairobi,
Kenya; New York, United States of America and Bangkok,
Thailand.
The theme of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies 2021 is “Healthy Air, Healthy Planet”.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/74/212 on 19th December 2019
and proclaimed the 7th September 2021 of every year as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.
ii.The first-ever International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies was observed on 7th September 2020 under the
theme “Clean Air for All”.
BreathLife Campaign:
i.The BreathLife Campaign aims to mobilize cities and individuals to protect our health and environment from
the adverse effects of air pollution.
ii.The campaign is supported by the World Health Organization(WHO), the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), the World Bank and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.
Clear Air & Sustainable Development:
i.2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, recognises abatement of air pollution as an important factor to attain
Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).

ii.The outcome of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development titled “The Future we
want” committed to promoting sustainable development policies that support healthy air quality in the context of
sustainable cities and human settlements.
UNEP Report: European and Central Asian Actions on Air Quality:
The report titled “European and Central Asian Actions on Air Quality” by UNEP along with the IVL Swedish
Environmental Research Institute has been launched ahead of the International Day of clear air for blue skies.
Gist of the report:
i.The report states that the air quality levels are continuing to be recorded throughout Europe and Central Asia
and the ammonia emissions are also increasing in all the sub-regions despite the efforts to control air pollution.
ii.The report states that the efforts to control air pollution picked up pace in some European countries, while
some hotspots remained, especially in the western Balkans that includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North
Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia.
iii.More than 60% of the population in these regions uses solid fuels (coal and firewood) to heat their homes.
iv.According to the study, the emission of most monitored air pollutants in Western, Central, Eastern and South-
Eastern Europe has decreased between 2010 and 2017.
v.The emission-related to electricity, heat production and industries have decreased up to 20% in some countries
in western and central Europe.
International Literacy Day 2021 – September 8

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s International Literacy Day
(ILD) is annually observed across the globe on September 8th to highlight the importance of literacy as a matter
of dignity and human rights.
The day also aims to advance the literacy agenda towards a
more literate and sustainable society.
The theme of UNESCO’s ILD 2021 is “Literacy for a
human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide”.
Background:
i.In 1966, UNESCO proclaimed the 8th September of every
year as International Literacy Day to highlight the
importance of literacy for individuals, communities and
societies.
ii.The first-ever International Literacy Day was observed on 8th September 1967.
Literacy & SDG:
Literacy is a major component of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4: Quality
Education) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
UNESCO Strategy for Youth and Adult Literacy 2020-2025:
i.UNESCO adopted a new UNESCO Strategy for Youth and Adult Literacy for 2020 to 2025 at UNESCO’s 40th
General Conference in Paris with support from the Member States.
ii.The 4 strategic priority areas of the new 5-year strategy are
• Developing national literacy policies and strategies.
• Addressing the learning needs of disadvantaged groups,(especially women and girls).
• Utilising digital technologies to increase access and improve learning outcomes.
• Monitoring progress and assessing literacy skills and programmes.
UNESCO International Literacy Prizes:
UNESCO International Literacy Prizes has been recognising the excellence and innovation in the field of literacy
since 1967.
The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize:
i.The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize was established in 1989 with the support of the Government of the
Republic of Korea which recognises mother language-based literacy development.
ii.Each prize consists of a medal, a diploma and 20000 USD.

2021 Winners:
• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), India.
• Puku Children’s Literature Foundation, South Africa.
• Limitless Horizons Ixil (LHI), Guatemala.
The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy:
i.The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy was established in 2005 with the support of the Government of the
People’s Republic of China which considers functional literacy, leveraging technological environments, in support
of adults in rural areas and out-of-school youth.
ii.Each prize consists of a medal, a diploma and 30000 USD.
2021 Winners:
• Construyendo y Creciendo, Mexico
• Ain-Shams University, Egypt
• ‘Association of Literacy Teachers Who Use Information and Communications Technology (GA-TIC)’, Côte
d’Ivoire
About United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Founded on 16th November 1945
Food Processing Week – 6th to 12th September 2021

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries(MoFPI) has announced the celebration of the Food Processing Week
from 6th to 12th September 2021, as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration to commemorate 75
years of India’s independence.
The MoFPI has been organising various events as a part of the Food Processing week.
Events:
A seed capital amount of Rs 1.06 crore has been transferred to 12 District Project Management Units (DPMU) of
State Rural Livelihood Mission for 311 Self Help Group (SHG) enterprises under the Pradhan Mantri
Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme in the State of Chhattisgarh.
MoFPI Inaugurated 5 food Processing Projects:
Pashupati Kumar Paras, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries and Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State
for Food Processing Industries virtually inaugurated five food processing projects in the states of Assam (1),
Gujarat (3) and Karnataka (1).
Inaugurated Projects:
Project Name District, State Scheme Project Cost Grant from MoFPI
Phoenix Frozen Anand, Gujarat Cold Chain Scheme 22.69 crore 8.02 crore
Athos Collagen Surat, Gujarat CEFPPC 11.67 crore 5 crore
Vasant Masala Gandhinagar, Gujarat BFL 34 crore 5 crore
Hain Future Natural Products Tumkur, Karnataka CEFPPC 36.76 crore 5 crore
Graintech Foods Nalbari, Assam CEFPPC 19.32 crore 5 crore
Key Points:
i.The total cost of these 5 projects is around Rs 124.44 crores and the grant from MoFPI is around Rs 28.02 crores.
ii.These projects will provide direct and indirect employment to about 820 people and benefit about 7700
farmers in the catchment area.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana:
i.Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-
Processing Clusters) launched in 2016 to boost the growth of food processing sector.
ii.This is a comprehensive scheme that provides for creating modern infrastructure with robust supply chain
management from farm gate to retail outlet.

On March 31, 2021, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Central Sector
Scheme- ‘Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI)’ with a total outlay of INR
10, 900 Crores.
Duration: six-year period from 2021-22 to 2026-27.
About Ministry of Food Processing Industries(MoFPI):
Union Minister– Pashupati Kumar Paras (Constituency- Hajipur, Bihar)
Minister of State– Prahlad Singh Patel (Constituency- Damoh, Madhya Pradesh)
International Day to Protect Education from Attack 2021 – September 9

The United Nations (UN)’s International Day to Protect Education from Attack is annually observed across the
globe on September 9th to create awareness about the importance of preserving education and protecting it
against attacks.
The day also aims to create awareness about the difficulties faced by millions of children living in countries
affected by military conflicts.
• 9th September 2021 marks the observance of the 2nd International Day to Protect Education from
Attack.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted a resolution A/RES/74/275 on 28th May 2020 and
proclaimed the 9th September of every year as the International Day to Protect Education from Attack.
ii.The resolution was presented by the state of Qatar and co-sponsored by 62 countries.
iii.The annual observance of this day is facilitated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization(UNESCO) and United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) in collaboration with the partners within or
outside the UN system.
iv.The first-ever International Day to Protect Education from Attack was observed on 9th September 2020.
6 Grave Violations:
The first resolution on children and armed conflict adopted by the United Nations Security Council in 1999
identified and condemned six grave violations that affected children in times of war, they are,
• Attacks against schools or hospitals
• killing and maiming of children
• recruitment or use of children as soldiers
• sexual violence against children
• abduction of children
• denial of humanitarian access.
Key Points:
i.In the last 5 years, more than 22000 students, teachers and academics were injured, killed or harmed in the
attack on education during armed conflicts.
ii.93 countries have reported at least one attack on education between 2015 and 2019.
iii.Between 2015 and 2019, in 34 countries the schools, universities and other educational institutions have been
used by the armed forces and armed groups for military purposes.
Efforts to Protect Education from attack:
Education under Attack:
UNESCO commissioned a study titled “Education under Attack” in 2007, the first study on targeted political and
military violence Against Education Staff, Students, Teachers, Union and Government Officials, and Institutions.
Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA):
i.Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), a unique inter-agency coalition was formed in 2010
to address the problem of targeted attacks on education during armed conflict.
ii.UNESCO is a core member of GCPEA(link is external)

Safe Schools Declaration:
i.The Safe Schools Declaration, an inter-governmental political commitment to protect students, teachers, schools,
and universities from the worst effects of armed conflict
ii.It was launched in May 2015 at the Oslo Conference on Safe Schools: Protecting Education from Attack. As of
June 2021, 109 states have endorsed it.
Himalaya Diwas 2021 – September 9

Himalaya Diwas, also known as the Himalayan day is annually observed across India especially in Uttarakhand
on September 9th to create awareness about the importance and significance of the Himalayas. The day also
celebrates the unique biodiversity of the Himalayas.
Background:
i.In 2014, then Chief Minister(CM) of Uttarakhand Harish Rawat proclaimed that the 9th September of every
year will be observed as Himalaya Diwas to create awareness about the conservation of the Himalayan ecosystem.
ii.He also announced that the day will be celebrated by the Government of Uttarakhand.
iii.The observance of the Himalaya Diwas was proposed by Ajay Bhatt, senior BJP leader and then leader of the
opposition.
iv.The first Himalaya Diwas was celebrated on 9th September 2015.
About the Himalayas:
i.The word the Himalayas is derived from Sanskrit words ‘Hima’ which means snow and ‘Alaya’ which
means adobe.
ii.The Himalayas, the world’s loftiest and youngest mountain ranges, constitute a crescent-shaped mountain
range extending over 2500 km from the south of the Indus Valley beyond Nanga Parbat in the west to Namcha
Barwa in the east.
Peaks:
The world’s 14 eight-thousanders, mountains higher than 8000 metres are located in either the Karakoram or
Himalayan mountain ranges of central Asia. Mount Everest is the highest of the Himalayan mountains
Flora and Fauna:
The Himalayan region houses various unique, endemic and endangered species of flora and fauna such as
snowcock, the Himalayan choughs, rose finches and accentors.
UNESCO Heritage sites in the Himalayas:
• Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area(Himachal Pradesh, India)
• Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks(Uttarakhand, India)
• Khangchendzonga National Park(Sikkim, India)
• Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal)
World Suicide Prevention Day 2021 – September 10

World Suicide Prevention Day(WSPD) is annually observed across the globe on September 10th to create
awareness about suicide prevention across the world. The day also aims to address self-harm and suicide
through preventative action.
• WSPD is annually organised by the International
Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and endorsed
by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• The theme of WSPD 2021 is “Creating hope through
action”, a reminder that there is an alternative to suicide
and aims to inspire confidence and hope in everyone.
Background:
i.World Suicide Prevention Day is an initiative of the WHO
and IASP created as an effort to make people socially aware of
suicide prevention.

ii.The first-ever World Suicide Prevention day was hosted by the IASP in collaboration with WHO and the World
Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) on 10th September 2003.
Key Points:
i.According to the WHO, annually around 70000 people across the globe die by suicide and suicide is the 4th
leading cause of death in 15 to 29 year-olds
• India tops the South-East Asian countries in the Suicide rate.
ii.Around 77% of the global suicides occur in low and middle-income countries.
iii.20% of global suicides are due to pesticide self-poisoning, most of which occur in rural agricultural areas in
low- and middle-income countries.
WHO’s Effort to Suicide Prevention:
i.WHO recognizes suicide as a public health priority and to create awareness WHO published the first WHO World
Suicide report in 2014.
ii.Suicide is one of the priority conditions in the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) launched in
2008.
iii.The members of WHO has committed to achieving the global target of reducing the suicide rate in countries by
one third by 2030.
NCRB’s “Accident Deaths and Suicides in India in 2019”: Kerala Among top 5
i.According to the annual report of the National Crime Record Bureau(NCRB) titled “Accident Deaths and
Suicides in India in 2019”, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has reported the highest rate of suicide (45.5)
followed by Sikkim (33.1), Puducherry (32.5), Chhattisgarh (26.4) and Kerala (24.3).
ii.Kerala is among the top five States, Union Territory(UT) to report most suicides in 2019.
iii.In India, Kollam (Kerala) followed by Asansol (West Bengal) have reported the highest suicides rate of 41.2
and 37.8 respectively.
Click here for the complete report
About International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) :
• IASP is a non-governmental organization dedicated to suicide prevention.
• It was founded in 1960 by Professor Erwin Ringel and Dr Norman Faberlow and co-sponsored by the WHO.
President– Professor Rory O’Connor
Headquarters– Washington DC, United States of America
National Forest Martyrs Day 2021 – September 11

The National Forest Martyrs Day is annually observed across India on September 11th to pay tribute to the
people who laid down their lives to protect the environment, forests and wildlife across India.
The 11th September 2021 marks the observance of the 16th National Forest Martyrs Day.
Background:
i.The National Forest Martyrs Day was made official following the declaration made by the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEF&CC) in 2013.
ii.In 2020 the observance of the national forest Martyrs day was made at national level by the MoEF&CC.
Why September 11?
The 11st September was chosen to commemorate the Khejarli massacre on 11th September 1730.
About Khejarli Massacre:
i.More than 360 people from the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, led by Amrita Devi Bishnoi, were killed for
protesting against the cutting down of Khejarli trees, ordered by Maharaja Abhay Singh of Rajasthan.
ii.The Khejarli trees were considered sacred by the people that belonged to the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan’s
Khejarli village.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEF&CC):
Union Minister– Bhupender Yadav(Rajya Sabha- Rajasthan)
Minister of State– Ashwini Kumar Choubey(Constituency- Buxar, Bihar)

World EV Day 2021 – September 9
World EV Day is annually observed across the globe on 9th September to mark the celebration of e-mobility. The
day is observed with special awareness campaigns aimed to globally educate people on the benefits of electric
vehicles(EV).
• This year, education, accessibility and sustainability will be the headline themes for the 2021 World EV Day
campaign
• It is an initiative created by Green TV, a sustainability media company.ABB partnered with Green.tv to
observe this day.
• The first World EV Day was observed on 9th September 2020.
• China is the largest EV market worldwide. Currently, the automotive industry of India is the fifth largest
worldwide and is set to become third largest by 2030.
UN’s International Day for South-South Cooperation 2021 – September 12

The United Nations (UN)’s International Day for South-South Cooperation is annually observed across the
globe on September 12th to highlight the economic, social and political developments of the countries in the
southern region. The day also highlights the efforts of the UN towards cooperation among the developing
countries.
• South-South cooperation refers to the technical cooperation among developing countries in the Global South.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/58/220 on 23rd December 2003
and proclaimed the 19th December of every year as the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation.
ii.December 19 marks the day on which UNGA endorsed the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and
Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries.
iii.In 2011, the UNGA moved the date of UN Day for South-South Cooperation from 19th December to 12th
September.
iv.The date 12th September marks the day on which UNGA adopted the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for
Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries.
Events:
The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) organised a high-level virtual panel discussion
with a focus on boosting solidarity in support of a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future.
South-South Cooperation:
i.South-South cooperation is a framework of collaboration among countries of the South in the political, economic,
social, cultural, environmental and technical domains.
ii.South-South cooperation can take place on a bilateral, regional, intraregional or interregional basis involving 2
or more developing countries.
iii.Triangular cooperation is collaboration in which traditional donor countries and multilateral organizations
facilitate South-South initiatives through the provision of funding, training, management and technological
systems
Objectives of South-South Cooperation:
• To strengthen the self-reliance of developing countries by enhancing their creative capacities to get solutions
to their development problems and develop strategies to address them.
• To promote collective self-reliance through the exchange of experiences.
• To Recognise and respond to the problems and requirements of the least developed countries and enable
them to achieve a greater degree of participation in international economic activities.
United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC):
UNOSSC was established to advocate for and coordinate South-South and triangular cooperation globally and
within the UN system.
UNOSSC has been hosted by the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) since 1974.
Establishment:
In 1974, UNGA adopted a resolution and endorsed the establishment of a special unit within UNDP.

In 2012, UNGA adopted a resolution and changed the name of the special unit to United Nations Office for South-
South Cooperation (UNOSSC).
About United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC):
Director– Adel Abdellatif
Established in 1974
Headquarters– New York, United States of America
World First Aid Day 2021 – September 11

World First Aid Day is annually observed across the globe on the 2nd Saturday of September to promote and
celebrate the importance of first aid in preventing injuries and saving lives in critical situations.
World First Aid Day is celebrated by the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies across the globe to encourage first
aid training.
The world First Aid Day 2021 was observed on 11th
September 2021
• World First Aid Day 2020 was observed on 12th
September 2020
• The World First Aid day 2022 will be observed on
10th September 2022.
The theme of World First Aid Day 2021 is “Be a hero at
school and in your community”.
Background:
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world’s largest humanitarian network, established World First Aid Day in 2000
with an aim to encourage the people to learn first aid and to ensure the availability of pre-hospital care for
everyone.
Note:
All 192 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies of IFRC offer first aid training, education and services to its
communities.
About International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC):
The IFRC was founded in 1919
Secretary General– Jagan Chapagain
TN celebrates 11th September as “Mahakavi Day”

M.K. Stalin, Chief Minister(CM) of Tamil Nadu(TN) announced that the 11th September of every year starting
from 2021 will be observed as the “Mahakavi Day”. The day aims to pay tribute to the Freedom fighter, eminent
Tamil Poet Mahakavi Subramania Bharati.
• 11th September 2021 marks
the 100th Death anniversary of Subramania Bharati.
• The government of Tamil Nadu has also announced 14
measures to honour the contributions of Bharati to
society.
Key Points:
i.The government of Tamil Nadu is set to provide financial
assistance to maintain the house of Bharathiyar at Kasi,
Uttar Pradesh.
ii.A chair named after Bharati will be established in the Bharathidasan University, Trichy, Tamil Nadu.
iii.The park proposed by the Rural Development Department for the welfare of women from self-help
groups(SHGs) will be named after Bharati.

About Subramania Bharati:
i.Subramania Bharati, popularly known as Mahakavi Bharati, was born on 11th December 1882 in Ettayapuram
(now Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu).
ii.At the age of 11, he was conferred the title of “Bharati” by the Raja of Ettayapuram.
iii.He worked as a journalist in various newspapers such as The Hindu, Bala Bharata, Vijaya, Swadesamitran and
India.
v.At the age of 38, he died on 11th September 1921 in Madras (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu).
National Hindi Diwas 2021 – September 14

National Hindi Diwas is annually observed across India on September 14th to commemorate the adoption of
Hindi in the Devanagari Script as one of the official languages of India.
The day aims to promote the progressive use of Hindi and for the enrichment and promotion of the Hindi
Language.
Background:
i.The government of India led by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru declared the 14th September of every year as
the Hindi Diwas to highlight the significance of the day on which Hindi became one of the official languages of
India along with English.
ii.The day also marks the birth anniversary of the acclaimed Hindi Stalwart, Beohar Rajendra Simha, the
illustrator of the original final manuscript of the Constitution of India
Hindi – Official Language of India:
i.On 14th September 1949, Hindi was adopted as the Official Language of the Union of India.
ii.In 1950, Under Article 343, The Constitution of India declared Hindi in the Devanagari script as the official
language of India.
Hindi Pakhwada 2021 – 1st to 15th September:
The Films Division, under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting(MIB), has been observing Hindi
Pakhwada from 1st September 2021 to 15th September 2021 to encourage the use of practical Hindi among
the officers and officials.
Events 2021:
i.As a part of the celebration of Hindi Diwas 2021, the Film Division has organised an Online Film Festival
– “Hindi: Bharat Ki Vani” which will be screened on the official website and youtube channel of the film division
on 14th and 15th September 2021.
ii.The documentaries on great personalities from Hindi Literature like Premchand(novelist), Bharatendu
Harishchandra(Father of Modern Hindi literature), Maithili Sharan Gupta, Jai Shankar Prasad(writer and poet),
and others will also be screened during the online film festival.
IIT Bombay Launched ‘Project Udaan’, an AI-based Translation app:
i.Indian Institute of Technology(IIT)-Bombay virtually launched ‘Project Udaan’, an artificial intelligence (AI)-
based translation app to assist the students from linguistic minorities, on the occasion of Hindi Diwas 2021.
ii.The Project Udaan is an AI-based software ecosystem that translates scientific and technical content from
English to Hindi and other Indian languages.
iii.The app can translate engineering textbooks and other technical learning materials.
iv.Through this donation-based project, the IIT-Bombay team aims to translate more than 500 engineering texts
in Hindi in 1 year and other 15 Indian languages in 3 years.
About Ministry of Information & Broadcasting(MIB):
Union Minister– Anurag Singh Thakur(Constituency- Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh)
Minister of State– Dr. L. Murugan
Telangana Language Day 2021 – September 9

The Telangana Language Day is annually celebrated across the state of Telangana on September 9th to mark
the birth anniversary of eminent Telangana poet, Padma Awardee Kaloji Narayana Rao.
The state of Telangana celebrates the Telangana language day as “Telangana Bhasha Dinosthavam”.

9th September 2021 marks the 107th birth anniversary of Kaloji Narayana Rao.
Background:
In 2014, K Chandrasekhar Rao, Chief Minister(CM) of Telangana declared the 9th September of every year as the
Telangana Language Day or Telangana Bhasha Dinosthavam to honour the Telangana poet Kaloji Narayana Rao.
The First Telangana Language Day was observed on 9th September 2015.
About Kaloji Narayana Rao:
i.Kaloji Narayana Rao is a poet and freedom fighter who has contributed to the promotion of the culture of
Telangana.
ii.He was born on 9th September 1914 in the village of Rattihalli, Karnataka.
iii.He has served as a member of the Legislative Council of Andhra Pradesh and as a member of the member of
Andhra Saraswati Parishad, Andhra Pradesh Literacy Academies and the President of Telangana Writers
Association.
iv.The government of India honoured him with the Padma Vibhushan in 1992 for Arts.
Kaloji Smaraka Puraskaram award 2021:
i.The government of Telangana has honoured Poet Penna Sivaramakrishna with the Kaloji Smaraka
Puraskaram award 2021 for his contribution to the various genres of modern Telugu literature.
ii.The award consists of a cash prize of Rs 1,01,116, a memento and a shawl.
About Kaloji Smaraka Puraskaram award:
i.The Kaloji Smaraka Puraskaram award, named after poet and freedom fighter Kaloji Narayana Rao was
instituted by the government of Telangana in 2015.
ii.The inaugural award was presented to Vengalpopal Ammangi in 2015.
International Day of Democracy 2021 – September 15

The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Democracy is annually observed across the globe on September
15th to provide an opportunity to review the state of democracy across the globe.
The day also promotes democratic principles, values of freedom, and respect for human rights.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/62/7 on 8th November 2007 and
proclaimed the 15th September of every year as the International Day of Democracy.
ii.The first-ever International Day of Democracy was observed on 15th September 2008.
Why September 15?
The day marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Democratic by the Inter-Parliamentary
Union(IPU) on 15th September 1997.
Democracy:
i.The word democracy is derived from the Greek word “Demos” which means people and “Kratos” which means
power.
ii.Democracy is defined as a form of government in which the people of the nation hold political power and can
either rule directly or through elected representatives.
iii.Democracy provides the natural environment for the protection and effective realization of human rights.
Efforts of UN to promote Democracy:
The activities of the UN to promote and support democracy are carried out through the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), the Department of Peace
Operations (DPO), the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), and the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), among others.
UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF):
The UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF), provides fundings for projects that empower civil society, promote human
rights and encourage the participation of all in the democratic process.

About Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU):
The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments.
President– Duarte Pacheco
Secretary-General– Martin Chungong
Established in 1889
National Engineers Day 2021 – September 15

National Engineers Day is annually observed across India on September 15th to mark the birth anniversary of
eminent Engineer, Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya.
The day commemorates the achievements of engineers and encourages them for improvement and innovation.
Sri Lanka and Tanzania also celebrates Engineers day to honour Sir M Visvesvaraya’s innovations.
• The 15th September 2021 marks the observance of the 54th National Engineers Day.
• The National Engineers day 2021 marks the 160th birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya
who was born on 15th September 1861 in Muddenahalli village, Karnataka.
Background:
i.The government of India declared the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya as National
Engineers day.
ii.The first-ever National Engineers Day was observed on 15th September 1968.
Events 2021:
i.The Institution of Engineers (India), (IEI) has organised a central webinar as a part of National Engineering day.
ii.The theme of the central webinar is “Engineering for Skill Development & Employment in combating COVID-
19”.
About Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya:
i.Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya has made significant contributions in the field of engineering, which includes,
Block systems, in irrigation in Deccan canals, Irrigation systems with water floodgates at Khadakwasla reservoir,
Gwalior and Krishnaraja Sagar Dam.
ii.He was popularly known as the ‘Father of Modern Mysore’ because of his contributions to society. He served
as the Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918 and founded the Mysore Soap Factory, Bangalore Agricultural
University and State Bank of Mysore.
Honours:
i.The government of India honoured him with India’s highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1955.
ii.King George V knighted him as a knight commander of the British Indian Empire(KCIE).
About The Institution of Engineers (India), (IEI):
President– Er Narendra Singh
Secretary & Director General– Maj Gen Mohan Jeet Singh Syali
Established in 1920
MGNREGA Entitlement Awareness Week – 27th August to 2nd September 2021

The States and Union Territories (UTs) across India organised the MGNREGA Entitlement Awareness
Week from 27th August to 2nd September 2021, as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The MGNREGA Entitlement Awareness Week was organised to create awareness among workers about their
rights and entitlements under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA)
2005.
• This will enable the beneficiaries to gain maximum advantage from the MGNREGA scheme.

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2021 – September 16
United Nations(UN)’s International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is annually observed across
the globe on September 16th to create awareness about the importance of the Ozone layer in protecting the
Earth from harmful rays of the sun.
The day also commemorates the signing of ‘Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer’ in
September 1987.
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
is also known as Global Ozone Day or World Ozone
Day.
16th September 2021 marks the observance of
the 27th International Day for the Preservation of the
Ozone Layer.
The theme of International Day for the Preservation of
the Ozone Layer 2021 is “Montreal Protocol – Keeping us, our food and vaccines cool”.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/49/114 on 19th
December 1994 and proclaimed September 16th of every year as the International Day for the Preservation of
the Ozone Layer.
ii.The first-ever International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed on September 16,
1995.
Ozone Layer:
i.The ozone layer is the common term for the high concentration of ozone (Three Oxygen atoms or O3) that is
found in the stratosphere between 10 to 40 kilometres above the earth’s surface. The stratosphere contains 90%
of all the ozone in the atmosphere.
ii.The ozone layer observes the harmful UltraViolet-B (UV-B) radiation from the sun and protects life on earth.
Events in India:
The national and State level events of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer or World
Ozone Day in India have been celebrated by the Ozone Cell under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India since 1995.
Ashwini Kumar Choubey released ICAP, 1st of its Kind developed by MoEF&CC:
i.Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, MoEF&CC released the Action Plan for implementing
recommendations of the ICAP for thematic Area Space Cooling in Buildings.
ii.ICAP aims to reduce direct and indirect emissions.
iii.ICAP, developed by the MoEF&CC is the first of its kind in the world, to address cooling requirements across
sectors.
iv.It also looks for synergies in actions that will reduce the cooling demand for securing environmental and socio-
economic benefits.
Other releases:
• Study Report on the Cold Chain sector in India for Promoting non-ozone depleting substances and Low-
global warming potential Refrigerants.
• Study Report on Public Procurement Policies for Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Equipment using non-
Ozone Depleting Substances based refrigerants.
Montreal Protocol:
i.The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, is a multilateral environmental agreement
that regulates the production and consumption of around 100 man-made chemicals which are referred to as
ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
• This is the only UN treaty that has been ratified by all the 198 UN Member States.
ii.The Montreal Protocol phases down the consumption and production of the different ODS in a stepwise manner
with different timetables for developed and developing countries

Multilateral fund:
i.Under Article 10 of the treaty, the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol was
established in 1991
ii.The activities of the Multilateral fund are implemented by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN
Development Programme (UNDP), UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the World Bank.
iii.Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), an ODS and greenhouse gases, are being phased out under the Montreal
Protocol since they deplete the ozone layer.
Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol:
The Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol aims to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by cutting their
production and consumption. This aims to achieve an 80% reduction in HFC consumption by 2047.
About United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP):
Executive Director– Inger Andersen
Headquarters– Nairobi, Kenya
Founded in June 1972
World Lymphoma Awareness Day 2021 – September 15

World Lymphoma Awareness Day (WLAD) is annually observed across the globe on September 15th to create
awareness about Lymphoma, the cancer of the lymphatic system.
The day is observed by the patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals and others who are affected by
lymphoma across the globe.
Lymphoma Awareness is represented using the lime green ribbon.
The message of WLAD 2021 is “We Can’t Wait”.
Background:
i.World Lymphoma Awareness Day (WLAD) was initiated in 2004 to raise public awareness about both Hodgkin
and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in terms of symptom recognition, early diagnosis and treatment.
ii.It is a global initiative hosted by the Lymphoma Coalition, a non-profit network organisation of 83 lymphoma
patient groups from 52 countries.
About Lymphoma:
i.Lymphoma is the general term for the cancer of the lymphatic system, which produces, stores, and carries white
blood cells.
ii.Lymphoma develops in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.
iii.The lymphatic system is a part of the immune system of the body, which includes the lymph nodes (lymph
glands), spleen, thymus gland, and bone marrow.
Types:
i.The two categories of lymphatic cancer Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are differentiated by the type of
lymphocyte that is affected.
ii.Hodgkin’s lymphoma is identified by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells, and in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
these cells are not present.
World Patient Safety Day 2021 – September 17

World Health Organisation(WHO)’s World Patient Safety Day is annually observed across the globe
on September 17th to promote the aspects of patient safety and reduce patient harm.
17th September 2021 marks the observance of 3rd World Patient Safety Day.
• The theme of World Patient Safety Day 2021 is “Safe maternal and newborn care”.
Background:
i.The 72nd World Health Assembly(WHA) adopted the resolution WHA72.6 – “Global action on patient safety” on
28th May 2019 and proclaimed September 17th of every year as the World Patient Safety Day.
ii.The first-ever World Patient Safety Day was observed on 17th September 2019.

World Patient Safety Day 2021:
The campaign slogan of 2021 is “Act now for safe and
respectful childbirth!” which calls the stakeholders to
speed up the actions to ensure safe and respectful
childbirth.
Objective:
• To create awareness on the issues of maternal and
newborn safety, especially during childbirth.
• To engage the stakeholders and adopt effective and
innovative strategies to improve maternal and
newborn safety.
• To call for sustainable actions by all stakeholders to scale up efforts and ensure safe maternal and newborn
care.
• Advocate the adoption of best practices to prevent avoidable risks and harm to all women and newborns
during childbirth.
Key points:
Every day more than 810 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth and more than
6700 newborns die every day which accounts for 47% of all under 5 deaths.
About World Health Organisation(WHO):
Director-General– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus(Ethiopia)
Founded on 7 April 1948
57th ITEC Day – 15th September 2021

Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) day is annually commemorated on 15th September to mark
the launch of the ITEC programme on 15th September 1964.
ITEC programme presents scholarships to deserving candidates for short-term and medium-term training
courses.
About ITEC:
i.Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme under the Ministry of External Affairs, is a
flagship programme of the government of India established in 1964.
ITEC aims to offer the benefits of India’s development experiences and appropriate technologies to the other
developing countries.
ii.Under ITEC, every year more than 10000 training slots are offered to 161 partner countries for training courses
across various areas like Accounts, Audit, Management, SME, Rural Development and Parliamentary Affair.
ITEC Day in Bangladesh:
i.The High Commission of India in Bangladesh celebrated the 57th ITEC day in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
ii.Mohibul Hasan Chowdhoury, Deputy Minister for Education of Bangladesh attended the event as Chief guest.
ITEC Day in Thailand:
i.The Embassy of India, Bangkok organised the celebration of ITEC Day 2021 in Thailand.
ii.H.E. Suchitra Durai, Ambassador of India to Thailand presided over the events of ITEC Day 2021.
ITEC Day in Vietnam:
i.The Embassy of India, Hanoi hosted a virtual celebration to mark ITEC Day 2021.
ii.Ambassador Pranay Verma and Deputy Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam, His Excellency Nguyen
Van Phuc presided over the celebrations.
World Bamboo Day 2021 – September 18

World Bamboo Day (WBD) is annually observed across the globe on September 18th to create awareness about
Bamboo, a non-wood forest product, which is considered Green Gold.

The day also aims to promote the new cultivation of bamboo for new industries across the globe and ensure the
sustainable utilization of bamboo.
World Bamboo Organisation(WBO) has launched a new hashtag #PlantBamboo to mark WBD 2021.
• The Message of WBD 2021 is “#PlantBamboo: It is Time to Plant Bamboo”.
Background:
i.The World Bamboo day was initiated by Kamesh Salam from Assam, India, during his tenure as the President of
the World Bamboo Organisation(WBO) from 2007 to 2009.
ii.In 2009, the WBO organised the VIII World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok with the support of the Royal Forest
Department of Thailand.
iii.On 18th September 2009, the last day of the VIII World Bamboo Congress, WBO along with the participants of
the congress proclaimed the 18th September of every year starting from 2009 as World Bamboo Day.
iv.The first-ever World Bamboo Day was observed on 18th September 2009.
Note:
September 18th is also observed as the Royal Thai Forestry Day.
Bamboo:
i.Bamboo is native to Africa, Asia, South America, North America and Australia.
ii.China, the largest producer and exporter of bamboo, accounts for around 65% of the export of bamboo and
rattan products, India contributes around 2% of the global supply.
iii.There are more than 35 million hectares of bamboo around the world.
Bamboo in India:
i.The Indian Forest Act 1927 defined bamboo as a tree and prohibited cutting from outside forests and
transporting it.
ii.Following the amendment of Section 2(7) of the Indian Forest Act 1927, bamboo is no longer a tree and felled
bamboo too is not timber.
About World Bamboo Organization:
Founder & Executive Director– Susanne Lucas
Headquarters– Antwerp, Belgium.
World Water Monitoring Day 2021 – September 18

World Water Monitoring Day(WWMD) is annually observed across the globe on September 18th to create
awareness about the importance of water conservation across the globe.The WWMD is an international education
program that aims to educate and involve people across the globe in protecting the world’s water resources.
• The day is jointly coordinated by the Water Environment Federation(WEF) and International Water
Association (IWA).
• The events of the WWMD2021 are organised by EarthEcho International in partnership with Xylem
Watermark and Western Digital.
Background:
i.World Water Monitoring day was established as National Water Monitoring Day (NWMD), a global water
education outreach exercise on 18th October 2002 by America’s Clean Water Foundation (CWF) to mark the 30th
Anniversary of the Clean Water Act.
ii.WWMD was adopted by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) in July 2006 as the International education
programme.
EarthEcho Water Challenge:
The EarthEcho Water Challenge, formerly World Water Monitoring Challenge, is an international program that
runs annually from March 22, United Nations’(UN)s World Water Day through December.
The challenge promotes public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources.
International Coastal Cleanup Day 2021 – September 18

International Coastal Cleanup(ICC) day is annually observed across the globe on the third Saturday of
September to maintain a clean coastline in order to protect the coastal flora and fauna.

The day is observed by organising the coastal cleanup campaigns that engage volunteers to clean up the beaches
and other waterways.
18th September 2021 marks the observance of the 36th International Coastal Cleanup Day.
• ICC Day 2020 was observed on 19th September 2020.
• ICC Day 2022 will be observed on 17th September 2022.
Aim:
To create awareness about the impacts of trash and debris in Oceans on coastline and beaches, identify the
sources and change the behaviours.
The Association for Community Awareness (ASCOA)’s the theme of ICC day 2021 is “Save Our Ocean and
Beach”.
Background:
i.The International Coastal Cleanup Day was established by the Ocean Conservancy, a non-profit environmental
advocacy group based in the United States of America, that works to protect the ocean against various challenges.
ii.The first International Coastal Cleanup Day was observed in 1986
International Coastal Cleanup Day 2021 in India:
i.The Indian coast guard conducted the ICC day 2021 under the aegis of the United Nations Environment
Programme(UNEP) and South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) in the South Asian Region.
ii.The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) organised a coastal cleanup drive at various seafronts including Yarada
Beach, Bheemili Beach within the premises of naval units at Visakhapatnam.
iii.The Southern Naval Command (SNC) observed the ICC Day 2021 with a focus on mangrove plantation and
clearance of plastic/non-biodegradable waste along with waterfront areas in and around Kochi.
iv.INS Netaji Subhas and allied units at Station Kolkata observed the ICC day 2021 according to the global
campaign to keep our Coastline clean. The observance was themed on “Keep trash in the bin and not in the
Ocean”.
International Red Panda Day 2021 – September 18

The International Red Panda Day(IRPD) is annually observed across the globe on the 3rd Saturday of
September to create awareness and support the conservation of Red Pandas and their natural habitats across
India, Nepal and Bhutan.
18th September 2021 marks the observance of the 12th International Red Panda Day.
• IRPD 2020 was observed on 19th September 2020.
• IRPD 2022 will be observed on 17th September 2022.
Background:
i.International Red Panda Day was founded by the Red Panda Network in association with Nicki Boyd, Behavior
Husbandry Manager, San Diego Zoo in 2010.
ii.The first international Red Panda day was celebrated on 18th September 2010.
About Red Panda:
i.Red Pandas are mostly herbivorous mammals that are classified into 2 separate species, the Chinese red panda
(Ailurus styani) and the Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens).
ii.Almost 50% of the red panda’s habitat is in the Eastern Himalayas.
iii.In 2011, Sikkim, India declared that the state holds an estimated 300 red pandas.
Challenges faced by Red Panda:
i.Habitat loss and degradation, human interference and poaching are the threats faced by the red pandas.
ii.The loss of nesting trees and bamboo resulted in the decline in red panda populations.
iii.Red pandas are endangered and are legally protected in India, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Myanmar.
Efforts to protect Red Panda:
i.The International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) prioritized 4 actions for the conservation of red
pandas, protect against habitat loss, reduce habitat degradation, reduce deaths of red pandas (through poaching
and removing man-made threats), and improve awareness.

ii.According to the IUCN Red list, the status of the Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is endangered species. The
category indicated that the species has suffered a population reduction of 80% or more.
International Equal Pay Day 2021 – September 18

United Nations(UN)’s International Equal Pay Day is annually observed across the globe on 18th September as
an effort to eliminate the gender pay gap and to overcome the sexual discrimination against women and girls in
employment.
18th September 2021 marks the observance of the 2nd International Equal Pay Day.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted a resolution A/RES/74/142 on 18 December 2019 and
proclaimed the 18th September of every year as the International Equal Pay Day.
ii.The first International Equal Pay Day was observed on 18th September 2020.
International Equal Pay Day 2021:
The International Equal pay Day 2021 focuses on the efforts of key labour market actors to ensure that equal pay
is central to global epidemic reactions and to fully recognize women’s contribution to COVID-19 recovery.
Gender Pay Gap:
i.Women across the globe are paid less than men, the estimated global gender pay gap is at 23%.
ii.Women earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn for work of equal value, it is estimated that it will take 257
years to close the global gender pay gap.
iii.Equal pay is one of the important aspects of human rights and gender equality.
Efforts Against Gender Pay Gap:
Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC):
i.The Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC), led by the International Labour Organization(ILO), UN Women,
and partners, was established to contribute to the achievement of equal pay for work of equal value and the
relevant Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).
ii.EPIC focuses on SDGs target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all
women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
iii.SDGs address the need to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls to ensure
inclusive development.
UN Equal Pay Champions:
Oscar-winning actress Patricia Arquette joined the United Nations Equal Pay Platform of Champions
#Stoptherobbery Campaign:
The UN Women’s equal pay campaign “#Stoptherobbery’ aims to create awareness about the gender pay gap.
About UN Women:
UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Executive Director– Sima Sami Bahous
Headquarters– New York, United States of America(USA)
International Day of Peace 2021 – September 21

The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Peace is annually observed across the globe on September
21st to strengthen the idea of peace both within and among all nations and people by observing 24 hours of non-
violence and cease-fire.
The theme of the International Day of Peace 2021 is “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable
world”.
• The 2021 theme focuses on the efforts of the UN on recovering better for a more equitable and peaceful
world.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/36/67 in 1981 and declared that
the 3rd Tuesday of September, the opening day of the regular session of the UNGA as the International Day of
Peace.

ii.The first ever International Day of Peace was observed on 14th September 1982.
iii.In September 2001, the UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/55/282 and proclaimed the 21st September of
every year as the International Day of Peace and the resolution also declared the International Day of Peace
(September 21) as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
Japanese Peace Bell:
i.In 1954, the United Nations Association of Japan donated the “Peace Bell” to the United Nations(UN).
ii.The bell was cast from the coins donated by the delegates of 60 nations at the 13th General Conference held in
Paris in 1951.
iii.The bell is rung twice a year: on the first day of spring, at the Vernal Equinox, and on 21 September to
celebrate the International Day for Peace.
World Alzheimer’s Day 2021 – September 21

World Alzheimer’s Day is annually observed across the globe on September 21st to create awareness about
Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behaviour.
World Alzheimer’s Month – September:
World Alzheimer’s Month is annually observed during the month of September to create awareness and
challenge the stigma around dementia.
World Alzheimer’s Month campaigns:
The World Alzheimer’s Month campaign was first launched in 2011.
• September 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of the global awareness campaign.
• The theme of the 2021 World Alzheimer’s Month campaigns is “Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer’s”.
Background:
i.Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched World Alzheimer’s
Day at the opening of ADI’s annual conference in Edinburgh on 21 September 1994.
ii.World Alzheimer’s Month was first piloted in 2010 in 12 countries.
About Dementia and Alzheimer’s:
i.Dementia is an overall term used to describe brain syndromes that affect memory, behaviour and emotions.
ii.Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia that affects around 50 to 60% of people with
dementia.
Cause: Dementia is caused by damage to or changes in the brain. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of
dementia.
Types: Vascular dementia, Lewy Body Disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Alcohol-related dementia, Down
syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease.
Symptoms: The most common symptoms are loss of memory; difficulty in finding the right words or
understanding what people are saying; difficulty in performing previously routine tasks and personality and
mood changes.
About Alzheimer’s Disease International(ADI):
CEO- Paola Barbarino
Headquarters- London, United Kingdom
Founded in 1984
World Car Free Day 2021 – September 22

World Car Free Day is annually observed across the globe on September 22 to encourage motorists across the
globe to give up on their vehicles for a day and experience streets free of motor traffic.
The day also highlights the benefits of going car-free and adopting Alternative transportation such as walking,
biking, public transportation, hybrid vehicle travel, and carpooling.
Background:
i.The Carfree days were observed in several European cities during the early 1990s.

ii.In Europe, International Car-free Day, a pilot project for the European Union’s “In Town Without My Car” was
organised in 1999.
iii.The Carbusters (now World Carfree Network) and Adbusters Media Foundation launched and promoted the
first Global Car-free day in 2000.
Why September 22?
i.September 22, was chosen to coincide with the European Mobility Week, sponsored by the European
Union(EU).
ii.The European Mobility Week is annually observed from September 16th to 22nd.
Effects of pollution by transport:
i.Motorised transportation is the leading source of fossil fuel CO2 emissions, one of the major contributors to
climate change.
ii.According to the World Health Organization(WHO), ambient air pollution has caused more than 4.2 million
deaths in 2016.
iii.In India, diesel vehicles are responsible for around 66% of air pollution-related deaths.
World Rose Day 2021 – September 22

World Rose Day is annually observed across the globe on September 22 to honour and provide hope for the
people who are suffering from cancer. The day also aims to create awareness about early identification and
prevention of cancer, which can save much Malignancy.
Background:
World Rose Day was first observed to honour the memory of Melinda Rose, a 12-year-old cancer patient who died
in 1996 due to Askin’s Tumour, a rare form of blood cancer.
Significance of Rose Day:
i.Rose Day is celebrated as a ray of hope for cancer patients who are suffering from the physiological implications
along with stress, psychological impact, and anguish caused by cancer.
ii.On this day people across the globe exhibit their love and support for the patients suffering from cancer and the
caregivers.
World Rhino Day 2021 – September 22

World Rhino Day is annually observed across the globe on September 22 to create awareness about all five
species of rhino and recognise the efforts taken towards the conservation of rhinos.
• 22nd September 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of World Rhino day.
The theme of World Rhino Day 2021 is “Keep the Five Alive”.
Background:
i.In 2010, World Wide Fund for Nature(WWF)-South
Africa announced to celebrate world rhino day on 22nd
September.
ii.Since 2011 the world rhino day has been observed
globally.
About Rhinoceros:
i.Rhinoceroses are large herbivorous mammals, among
the 5 species(Sumatran rhino; Black Rhino; Greater one-
horned rhino; Javan rhino and White rhino) 2 are native
to Africa, and 3 are native to South and Southeast Asia.
ii.Greater one-horned rhino found in India and Nepal, Sumatran rhino found on the islands of Sumatra and
Borneo; and the Javan rhino that is found only in one protected area on the island of Java, Indonesia.
iii.The word “rhinoceros” is derived from the Greek words “rhino” (nose) and “ceros” (horn).
Conservation of Rhinos:
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the greater one-horned rhino as Vulnerable;
Javan, Sumatran, and black rhinos as Critically Endangered and white rhinos as Near Threatened.

Challenges faced by rhinos:
i.The Rhinos are threatened by the illegal trade of rhino horn across Asia particularly China and Vietnam where it
is used in Traditional medicines.
ii.The international trade in rhino horn has been banned under CITES (Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora) since 1977.
International Day of Sign Languages 2021 – September 23

The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Sign Languages(IDSL) is annually observed across the globe on
September 23rd to create awareness about the importance
of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of
people who are deaf.
• 23rd September 2021 also marks the 70th
anniversary of the World Federation of the Deaf
(WFD).
The theme of International Day of Sign Languages 2021,
declared by WFD, is “We Sign For Human Rights”.
Background:
i.The observance of the International Day of Sign
Languages(IDSL) was proposed by the World Federation of the Deaf(WFD), a federation of 135 national
associations of deaf people.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/72/161 on 19th December 2017
and proclaimed the 23rd September of every year as the International Day of Sign Languages.
iii.The resolution was sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda and co-sponsored by 97 UN
Member States.
iv.The first IDSL was observed on 23rd September 2018, as a part of the International Week of the Deaf
People(IWDP).
Why September 23?
September 23rd was chosen to commemorate the establishment of the World Federation of the Deaf(WFD) on
23rd September 1951.
International Week of Deaf People 2021 – September 20 to 26:
The International Week of Deaf People (IWDP) is annually observed across the globe in the last full week of
September to recognise that deaf people have their own communities, own cultures, own languages, and sign
languages that unite all.
The IWDP is an initiative of the WFD launched in 1958 in Rome, Italy.
The 2021 International Week of the Deaf People is observed from 20th to 26th September 2021.
• The 2020 IWDP was observed from 21st September to 27th September 2020.
• The 2022 IWDP will be observed from 19th September to 25th September 2022.
The theme of the International Week of the Deaf People (IWDP) 2021 is “Celebrating Thriving Deaf
Communities”.
Sign Language:
i.Sign Language is the communication tool for many deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
ii.Sign language has been developing since 1950, there is no single or common sign language used around the
world.
Indian Sign Language (ISL):
i.Indian Sign Language (ISL) is used among the deaf community in India.
ii.In 2011, The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment approved the establishment of the Indian Sign
Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC), an autonomous center of the Indira Gandhi National Open
University (IGNOU), Delhi.
ii.ISLRTC launched the first Indian Sign Language Dictionary of 3000 terms in March 2018 and the 2nd edition of
the dictionary of 6000 words in February 2019.

About World Federation of the Deaf(WFD):
WFD was established in Rome, Italy on 23 September 1951.
President– Dr Joseph J. Murray (United States of America)
Headquarters– Helsinki, Finland
World Pharmacists Day 2021 – September 25

World Pharmacists Day is annually observed across the globe on September 25th to recognise the role of
pharmacists towards improving health across the globe. The day also marks the foundation day of the
International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP- Fédération Internationale Pharmaceutique).
25th September 2021 marks the observance of the 11th World Pharmacists Day.
The theme of World Pharmacists Day 2021, developed by
the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP),
is “Pharmacy: Always Trusted for Your Health”.
The 2021 theme highlights the importance of trust in the
health sector and the practice of pharmacy.
Background:
i.The idea of the celebration of World Pharmacist Day
was proposed by the Turkish Pharmacists Association at
the 2009 council meeting of the FIP Congress held in
Istanbul, Turkey.
ii.The Council unanimously accepted the proposal to designate the 25th September of every year as World
Pharmacist Day.
iii.The first ever Word Pharmacist Day was observed on 25th September 2010.
Significance of Pharmacy:
i.The practice of pharmacy involves interpretation, evaluation and implementation of medical orders, dispensing
of prescription drugs and taking part in the selection of drugs and medical devices.
ii.The efficient knowledge of the pharmacists on drugs, their side effects, mobility and toxicity, makes the
medicine safe.
About International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP):
President– Dominique Jordan (Switzerland)
CEO– Dr Catherine Duggan (UK)
Headquarters– The Hague, Netherlands
Antyodaya Diwas – 25th September 2021

Antyodaya Diwas is annually observed across India in September 2021, to celebrate the birth anniversary of
Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, former leader of the political party Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), the forerunner of
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
• 25th September 2021 marks the 105th birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.
• The word Antyodaya means the ‘rise of the last person’, one of the concepts promoted by Pandit Deen Dayal
Upadhyaya.
Aim:
To uplift the poor people in society to the better sector.
Background:
i.On 25th September 2014, the 98th birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya the government of
India(GOI) led by Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi declared the 25th September of every year as “Antyodaya
Diwas” to honour Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.
ii.25th September 2014 also marks the day on which the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) revamped the
Aajeevika Skills, a skill development program as “Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana” (DDU-
GKY) a part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).

About Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya:
i.Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya was born on 25th September 1916 in Nagla Chandrabhan(now Deendayal Dham),
Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
ii.In 1940, he launched “Rashtra Dharma”, a monthly journal to disseminate the ideology of Hindutva nationalism.
iii.His philosophical idea of “Integral humanism” was adopted as the official doctrine of the Jan Sangh in 1965 and
later the Bharatiya Janata Party.
iv.On 11th February 1968, he was found dead near the Mughalsarai railway station, Uttar Pradesh.
About Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana(DDU-GKY):
DDU-GKY is a skill training initiative of the Ministry of Rural Development aimed at rural poor youth between 15
and 35 years of age.
Purpose:
To create income diversity in poor families and help rural youth realize their career aspirations
World Rivers Day 2021 – September 26

World Rivers Day is annually observed across the globe on the fourth Sunday of September to create
awareness about water bodies and to promote the conservation of water bodies across the globe.
World Rivers Day 2021 was observed on 26th September 2021.
• World Rivers Day 2020 was observed on 27th September 2020
• World Rivers Day 2022 will be observed on 25th September 2022.
Background:
i.The first ever World Rivers Day was observed in 2005 following the launch of the United
Nations(UN)s International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ 2005-2015.
ii.The idea of World Rivers Day was proposed by Mark Angelo, a renowned Canadian river advocate.
iii.Mark Angelo founded and led the observance of British Columbia(BC) Rivers Day, the largest River
appreciation event in Canada, since 1980.
About Mark Angelo:
i.Mark Angelo, from Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, is the founder and chair of both BC Rivers Day and World
Rivers Day.
ii.He is also the Chair Emeritus of the Rivers Institute at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and
the head of BCIT’s Fish, Wildlife and Recreation Program.
iii.He has been honoured with both the Order of British Columbia and the Order of Canada (Canada’s highest
honour) in recognition of his river conservation efforts over 40 years.
World Environmental Health Day 2021 – September 26

World Environmental Health Day(WEHD) is annually observed across the globe on September 26 to create
awareness about the health of the environment and
to highlight the importance of investing in the
healthy and green recovery of the environment.
The day also aims to create a better understanding
of the integral connection between the environment,
health and economy.
The theme of WEHD 2021 is “Prioritizing
Environmental Health for healthier
communities in global recovery”.
Background:
i.The World Environmental Health Day was
launched by the International Federation of Environmental Health council during the meeting held in Indonesia
on 26th September 2011.
ii.The first ever World Environment Health Day was observed on 26th September 2011.

Environmental Health:
i.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), environmental health plays a major role in the global
burden of diseases. A healthier environment could prevent around one-fourth of the global burden of diseases.
ii.The WHO’s study on the burden of diseases shows that the modifiable environmental risk factor causes around
24% of the total burden of diseases, around 13.7 million deaths a year, these could be prevented by implementing
required environmental health interventions.
iii.Almost 1 in 4 of the total global deaths are related to environmental conditions.
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons 2021 – 26 September
The United Nations(UN)’s International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is annually
observed across the globe on September 26th to create public awareness and to educate people about the threat
posed to humanity by nuclear weapons.
The day also highlights the necessity for the total elimination of nuclear weapons to achieve a nuclear-weapon-
free world.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/68/32 on 5th September 2013 and
proclaimed the 26th September of every year as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear
Weapons.
ii.The first ever International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons was observed on 26th
September 2014.
Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones:
The establishment of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZ) is a regional approach to strengthen global nuclear
non-proliferation and disarmament norms and consolidate international efforts towards peace and security.
The NWFZ is defined as
1. The statute of total absence of nuclear weapons to which the zone shall be subject, including the procedure
for the delimitation of the zone, is defined;
2. An international system of verification and control is established to guarantee compliance with the
obligations deriving from that statute.
Treaties Involved in NWFZ:
• Treaty of Tlatelolco- Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Treaty of Rarotonga- South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty
• Treaty of Bangkok- Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone
• Treaty of Pelindaba — African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty
• Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia
At present there are 5 NWFZs, covering most of the Southern Hemisphere and in Central Asia. Antarctica and
Mongolia have a special Nuclear-weapon-free status.
World Contraception Day 2021 – September 26

World Contraception Day (WCD) is annually observed across the globe on September 26th to create awareness
about the importance of sexual and reproductive healthcare services and to highlight the rights of all couples and
individuals to decide on the number and spacing of their children.
Background:
i.World Contraception Day was established by 10 International Family planning organisations to create
awareness about contraception.
ii.The first ever World Contraception day was observed on 26th September 2007.
iii.At present, the WCD is supported by a coalition of 15 international NGOs, governmental organisations, and
scientific and medical societies across the globe.
Sexual & Reproductive health-care services & SDG:
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, target 3.7 states, by 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and
reproductive healthcare services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of

reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.
Key Points:
i.Around 255 million women in developing countries do not have access to modern contraceptive methods.
ii.In 2019, Among the 1.9 billion Women of Reproductive Age groups across the globe, 842 million are using
contraceptives and 270 million do not have access to contraception.
iii.Globally, the number of women using contraceptive methods would increase by 778 million in 2030.
World Tourism Day – 27 September

The United Nations(UN)’s World Tourism Day(WTD) is annually observed across the globe on 27th
September to create awareness about the importance of tourism and its impact on social, economic and political
aspects of a region. The day also highlights the contributions of the tourism sector towards achieving Sustainable
Development Goals(SDGs).
WTD 2021:
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has designated World Tourism Day 2021 as a day to
focus on “Tourism for Inclusive Growth” as the COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive social and economic
impact on both developed and developing countries.
Background:
i.In September 1979, during the 3rd session of the UNWTO General Assembly held in Torremolinos, Spain, the
UNWTO General Assembly decided to proclaim the 27th September of every year as the “World Tourism
Day” starting from 1980.
ii.The first World Tourism Day was observed on 27th September 1980.
Why September 27?
September 27th was chosen to commemorate the adoption of UNWTO statutes on 27th September 1970.
Tourism and SDG:
According to the UN, tourism is recognised as the pillar of most of the SDGs especially, Goals 1 (no poverty), 5
(gender equality), 8 (decent work and economic growth) and 10 (reduce inequalities).
Impacts of COVID-19 on Tourism:
The COVID-19 impacts on tourism have resulted in more than 4 trillion USD loss to the global economy.
The tourism experts do not expect a return to pre-COVID arrival levels until 2023 or later.
UNWTO expects that domestic tourism will return before international tourism.
One in every 10 people across the globe are employed in the tourism sector, the covid-19 pandemic has affected
100-120 million direct tourism jobs.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launched “Dekho Mere Dilli”:
On the occasion of World Tourism Day 2021, Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister(CM) of Delhi launched “Dekho Mere
Dilli”, the Official Tourism App of Delhi Government, Government of NCT of Delhi, to promote Tourism in Delhi.
The mobile app is offered by Delhi Tourism and Transportation Dev. Corp. Ltd.
Tourists can use this mobile app to plan their trip to Delhi and buy tickets for the tourist sites in Delhi.
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO):
UNWTO is a leading UN international agency in the field of tourism.
Secretary-General- Zurab Pololikashvili
Headquarters– Madrid, Spain
Military Engineer Services Day 2021 – September 26

Military Engineer Services Day, or Military Engineering Services Raising Day, is annually observed across
India on September 26th to mark the establishment of Military Engineer Services (MES), one of India’s largest
government construction and maintenance organisations, with an annual workload of approximately Rs 30000
crore.
• 26th September 2021 marks the observance of the 99th Military Engineering Services Raising Day.
Background:
On 26th September 1923, MES was created and brought under the control of an Engineer in Chief by the then

Secretary of State of India by amalgamating the Royal Corps of Engineers Personnel and Civilian Staff.
Function of MES:
MES is one of the pillars of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army that provides quality engineering support to
the army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and other government organisations through intensive interaction with
users and administrative staff.
Key points:
i.MES has been instrumental in the development and modification of existing structures to be used as COVID-19
care facilities across the military stations in India and ensured seamless essential services for defence personnel
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ii.MES is committed to energy conservation and ecosystem preservation by adopting solar power projects,
LEDisation and (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) GRIHA green building norms.
About Military Engineer Services(MES):
Engineer-In-Chief– Lt Gen Harpal Singh
World Rabies Day 2021 – September 28

World Rabies Day is annually observed across the globe on September 28th to create awareness about the viral
disease – rabies, its impact and how to prevent it.
The day also marks the death anniversary of Louis
Pasteur, the French biologist, microbiologist and
chemist, who developed the first rabies vaccine.
• 28th September 2021 marks the observance of
the 15th World Rabies Day.
• The theme of World Rabies Day 2021 is “Rabies:
Facts, not Fear”.
Background:
i.In 2006, World Rabies Day was established by the
Global Alliance for Rabies Control(GARC), a non-profit
organization that aims to eliminate deaths from canine rabies by 2030 and recognized by the World Health
Organization (WHO).
ii.World Rabies Day was first observed on 28th September 2007.
About Rabies:
i.Rabies is a viral disease caused by a group of viruses, which includes Rabies Lyssavirus (RABV), that affects the
central nervous system (CNS), in particular the brain.
ii.Most of the other viruses that cause rabies are associated with bats.
Transmission: Rabies is transmitted through direct contact with the saliva or brain/nervous system tissue from
an infected animal.
Symptoms: The initial symptoms of rabies are fever, headache similar to that of flu, the person may experience
delirium, abnormal behaviour, and hallucinations when the disease progresses.
Elimination: Rabies is a 100% preventable disease. The disease can be prevented through effective vaccines for
dogs and effective preventative treatments for people when they are exposed.
Rabies Vaccine: Rabies vaccine is an active immunizing agent that can prevent the infection of the rabies virus.
About Global Alliance for Rabies Control(GARC):
Executive Director– Prof. Louis Nel
Headquarters– Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
International Day for Universal Access to Information 2021 – September 28

United Nations(UN)’s International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) is annually observed across
the globe on September 28th to create awareness about the importance of access to information and its
importance in sustainable development and for claiming human rights.

• 28th September 2021 marks the observance of the 2nd IDUAI.
• The theme of the 2021 IDUAI is “The Right to Know
– Building Back Better with Access to
Information.”
Background:
i.In2015 during the 38th session, the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) General Conference adopted a resolution and
proclaimed the 28th September of every year as
“International Day for the Universal Access to
Information”.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/74/5 on 15th October 2019 and
proclaimed the 28th September as the International Day
for Universal Access to Information.
iii.Thefirst UN International Day for Universal Access to Information was observed on 28th September 2020.
IDUAI 2021:
IDUAI 2021 highlights the importance of expanding access to the information laws and their implementation
across the globe to build back strong institutions for sustainable development.
Objective:
To accelerate the sustainable solutions that aim to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by
mobilizing governments, civil society and people to contribute to Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive
societies
Universal access to information:
i.Universal access to information means that everyone has the right to search, receive and provide information.
ii.This is a vital part of the right to freedom of expression.
iii.The right to universal access to information is associated with the right to freedom of the press since the media
plays a major role in informing the public about the issues of interest.
World Heart Day 2021 – September 29

World Heart Day is annually observed across the globe on 29th September to create awareness about
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, one of the world’s leading causes of
death(around 18.6 million deaths per year).
• The day also focuses on the prevention of CVDs and their global impacts.
• Harnessing the power of digital health to improve awareness, prevention and management of CVD globally is
our goal for Word Heart Day 2021.
• This year World Heart Day emphasis on ‘USE HEART TO CONNECT” & focus on three pillars namely Equity,
Prevention, Community.
Background:
i.The idea of World Heart Day was initiated by Antoni Bayés de Luna, President of the World Heart
Federation(WHF)(1997-1999).
ii.In 1999, the World Heart Federation(WHF) announced the establishment of World Heart Day and proclaimed
the last Sunday of September as World Heart Day.
iii.The first ever World Heart Day was observed on 24th September 2000.
iv.Since 2011, World Heart Day has been observed on 29th September.
Significance:
The day highlights that by controlling risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity,
around 80% of premature deaths due to heart diseases and stroke can be avoided.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD):
CVDs are a group of heart and blood vessel disorders that include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular
disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions.

Risk factors:
The behavioural risk factors of heart disease and stroke are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and
harmful use of alcohol.
Prevention:
Quitting tobacco use, reducing consumption of salt in the diet, consumption of more fruit and vegetables, regular
physical activity and avoiding harmful use of alcohol reduces the risk of CVDs.
About World Heart Federation(WHF):
President– Prof Fausto Pinto
International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2021 – September 29

United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste (IDAFLW) is annually observed
across the globe on September 29th to focus on the opportunities to reduce food loss and waste and restore a
resilient ready food system.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO) and UN Environment Programme(UNEP) are
the leading agencies in facilitating the observance of the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and
Waste Reduction.
29th September 2021 marks the observance of the 2nd IDAFLW.
Events 2021:
FAO and UNEP have organised a global event “Stopping food loss and waste. For the people. For the planet” as
a part of the observance of IDAFLW 2021.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/74/209 on 19th December 2019
and proclaimed the 29th September of every year as the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste.
ii.The first ever IDAFLW was observed on 29th September 2020.
Food Loss across the globe:
i.Around 14% of food produced across the globe, valued at 400 billion USD, is lost between harvest and retail, and
an estimated 17% of total global food production is wasted(11% in households, 5% in foodservice and 2% in
retail).
ii.FWL accounts for 38% of the total energy usage in the global food system.
Importance of reducing FLW:
i.The FLW contributes to climate change since the disposal of food waste in landfills results in the emission of
greenhouse gases.
ii.Food waste also impacts food security and food availability and contributes to the increase in food costs.
SDG & FLW:
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3: “By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and
consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses.”
highlight the need to accelerate collective action to reduce food loss and waste.
UNEP’s Food Waste Index Report 2021:
i.According to the UNEP’s Food Waste Index Report 2021, around 931 million tonnes of food waste was generated
in 2019, which is around 17% of the total food produced globally.
ii.India has generated around 68, 760, 163 tonnes of food waste each year, and the per capita food wastage of
India is 50Kg.
About Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO):
Director-General– QU Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy
India Celebrated 195th Gunners Day – 28th September 2021

The Regiment of Artillery, an operational arm of the Indian Army, annually observes September 28th as
the “Gunners Day” to mark the anniversary of its raising.

The day commemorates the raising of 5 (Bombay) Mountain Battery, equipped with 2.5-inch Guns as the 8th
Company of the Golandaz Battalion, Bombay Foot Artillery, India’s first Artillery unit, on 28th September 1827.
The 28th of September 2021 marks the observance of the 195th Gunners day.
Artillery:
i.Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons built to launch munitions far beyond the range and power
of infantry firearms
ii.The word “artillery” refers to a group of soldiers primarily armed with some form of manufactured weapon or
armour.
Significance of Regiment of Artillery:
i.The Regiment of Artillery, the second-largest arm of the Indian Army, has been a part of the Indian defence since
its independence.
Motto – “Sarvatra Izzat-O-Iqbal” – “Everywhere with Honour and Glory”
ii.The achievements of the regiment of artillery include 1 Victoria Cross, 1 Distinguished Service Order, 15
Military Crosses during the pre-independence era and 1 Ashok Chakra, Seven Maha Vir Chakras, Nine Kirti
Chakras, 101 Vir Chakras, 63 Shaurya Chakras, 6 Bar to Sena Medal, 502 Sena Medals besides many other
decorations.
APPS & WEB PORTAL

BharatPe Launched P2P Lending app ‘12% Club’
BharatPe launched a P2P (Peer-to-Peer) investment-cum-borrowing application named the ‘12% Club’, which
will enable its consumers to invest and borrow at a 12 percent interest rate.
• Under the 12% Club, the consumers could invest their savings through BharatPe’s partner P2P NBFCs (Non-
Banking Finance Companies).
• Through the app, the consumers could obtain collateral-free loans of up to Rs 10 lakh for a tenure of 3
months.
Sarbananda Sonowal Launches Y Break App in New Delhi

Union Minister of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy (AYUSH), Sarbananda Sonowal has
launched Mobile Appplication–Y Break App from Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi as part of week long activities &
campaigns to commemorate ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ from August 30th to September 5th.
• The mobile application has been developed by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), New Delhi.
• Objective: A platform to make Yoga an integral part of people’s life at Workplace.
• A 5 minutes Yoga protocol for Office goers which includes Asanas, Pranayama & Dhyan.
• It will be helpful for all government & private employees to Refresh, reduce stress and refocus with
enhanced immunity at their workplaces.
• Along with the app launch ,he also inaugurated the yearlong campaigns of cultivation of medicinal plants in
farmland and distribution of medicinal plants to households, sensitisation of School and College going
students on Ayush systems.
Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav
It is an initiative by the Government of India (GoI) to organise a series of events to commemorate the 75th
Anniversary of India’s Independence.
• It will continue till 15th August, 2023. The Mahotsav will be celebrated as a Jan-Utsav in the spirit of Jan-
Bhagidari.
About Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy (AYUSH)
Union Minister – Sarbananda Sonowal (Currently, He is not a member of Parliament)
Minister of State – Mahendra Munjapara (Loksabha – Surendranagar, Gujarat)

PhonePe Launched India’s 1st Interactive Geospatial Website ‘Pulse’ to Offer Insights on Digital
Payments
PhonePe, the Payments and financial services company, launched India’s 1st interactive geospatial
website named ‘Pulse’ to provide data and insights about the evolution of Digital Payments of India.
• The geospatial website showcases more than 2000+ crore digital transactions by consumers on an
interactive map of India.
• PhonePe has also launched the Pulse Report which provides a thorough study on the evolution of digital
payments over the past 5 years.
• Source: Presently, the data on the PhonePe Pulse platform is collected from PhonePe’s network, which
currently owns a 45 percent market share of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) landscape.
• Usage: The website will be beneficial for the government, policymakers, regulatory bodies, merchant
partners, start-ups, students, etc. to identify new opportunities for growth.
About PhonePe:
CEO – Sameer Nigam
Manipur CM launched Electronic Inner Line Permit (e-ILP) portal for overstayers
The Chief Minister (CM) of Manipur, Nongthombam Biren Singh, virtually launched an electronic Inner Line
permit (ILP) or e-ILP platform at Imphal, Jiribam and Mao. It is developed by Cubeten Technologies Pvt. Ltd to
monitor the entry, exit and tracking of visitors to the state under the Manipur Inner Line Permit Rules, 2019 with
immediate effect.
• In this regard, an ILP Monitoring Cell has been set up with DIG-Intelligence (Deputy Inspector General of
Police) as its Chairman.
• The purpose of e-ILP is to protect the identity of its people.
Key Points:
i.With this portal, a person outside the state can apply online for ILP and get the permit from issuing centres at
Imphal Airport, Mao Gate, Jiribam Railway Station and Jiribam ILP Exit Counter after proper onsite verification.
ii.The reason behind this development is the overstaying of visitors without renewing of permit.
About ILP:
It is an official travel document issued by the Government of India (GoI) to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen
into a protected area or state for a limited period.
About Manipur:
Governor– La Ganesan
Festivals– Cheiraoba (April), Kang (July), and Lui-Ngai-Ni (15th day of February)
Stadiums– Khuman Lampak Main Stadium, cycle velodrome, and Imphal indoor stadium
Bhupender Yadav Launched Portal “PRANA” to Monitor Air Pollution in 132 cities; Inaugurated
India’s 1st functional Smog Tower
Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)
launched “PRANA” – Portal for Regulation of Air-pollution in Non-Attainment Cities(NACs), a portal to monitor
the implementation of India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
• The portal was launched during the event organised as a part of the United Nations(UN)’s 2nd International
Day of Clean Air For Blue Skies.
• The Union Minister Bhupender Yadav virtually inaugurated India’s 1st functional Smog Tower at Anand
Vihar, Delhi during the event.The tower has been built over 20metre Height by Tata Projects Limited with
NBCC (India) Ltd. as the project management consultant.
About PRANA:
i.The portal will track the physical and financial status of the implementation of the air action plan across the 132
Non-Attainment Cities under NCAP.
ii.The portal will also disseminate information on the air quality management efforts under NCAP.

iii.The information related to activities and their progress under NCAP by stakeholders will be available on the
portal.
iv.The action plans for improving the air quality across the 132 NACs targeting specific air polluting sources such
as Soil & Road Dust, Vehicles, Domestic Fuel, MSW Burning, Construction materials and Industries have been
prepared and are being implemented.
Funding for action plans:
i.Around Rs 375.44 crores has been released to 114 cities during the FY 2019-20 & 2020-21 for initiating actions
under the city action plan.
ii.As per the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission report for FY 2020-21, 4400 crores have been
released to 42 cities with a million-plus population.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC):
Union Minister- Bhupender Yadav(Rajya Sabha- Rajasthan)
Minister of State- Ashwini Kumar Choubey(Constituency- Buxar, Bihar)
LIC launches ‘PRAGATI’ mobile app for Development Officers

On 17th September 2021, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched its new mobile app
– ‘PRAGATI’ (Performance Review Application, Growth And Trend Indicator) for exclusive performance analysis
of the company by development officers.
i.PRAGATI has provisions for real-time performance analysis by analysing various information related to
Premium collection, Policy activation, NACH validation among others.
ii.Using the real-time data, development officers can monitor the activities of their LIC agents.
iii.PRAGATI has provisions for calculators to measure Cost ratio.
LIC launches AI based app – “Jeevan Saakshaya”
“Jeevan Saakshaya”, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology based application, was launched by LIC that offers
retired employees for online submission of life certificates.
• LIC’s Individual Pension Plan (IPP) Annuitants and Staff Pensioners can submit their digital existence life
certificate through the app.
Note – In India, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) upto 74% is allowed in the Insurance sector, which is not
applicable to LIC which is 100% owned by the Government of India.
Digital Initiatives by LIC:
• In August 2021, LIC launched ‘Ananda’ (Atma Nirbhar Agents New Business Digital Application) Mobile App,
an Aadhaar based paperless KYC processing application for LIC Agents.
• ‘LIC Mitra’, a Chatbot that is available in English, Hindi and Marathi currently serves over 50,000 daily
enquiries.
“Bachat Plus” a non-linked individual savings plan was launched by LIC, with a minimum basic assured sum of
Rs. 1 lakh and a maturity period of 5-years.
About LIC:
Chairman – M R Kumar
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Launches Samarpan Portal for People to Offer Voluntary
Service
On the 105th birth anniversary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay, the Chief Minister (CM) of Haryana Manohar Lal
Khattar launched ‘Samarpan Portal’, a web portal where people can register themselves to offer voluntary
service in the field of education, sports, agriculture, and skill development.
• The birth anniversary of Upadhyaya is being celebrated as ‘Samarpan Divas’ across the country.
Highlights:
i.The voluntary services offered by the people through the web portal will be linked to various programmes of

the government such as in the sectors of education, women and child development, farmer welfare, etc.
ii.The voluntary services could help the government and the local community in fulfilling the goal of good
governance.
Launch of the official website of the Foreign Cooperation Department (FCD)
i.The website will provide overall information about Haryana, Haryanvi culture, a reason to invest in Haryana,
and the export performance of the Haryana to non-residents of Haryana.
ii.It will offer Diaspora Registration Form, Export Registration Form, Business Information Form and Export
Guide for potential exporters from Haryana.
HUNAR app:
• It was launched by the CM of Haryana to generate self-employment in the state. HUNAR stands
for ‘’Haryana, Udyam, Naukri Aur Rozgar’’ app, developed by Haryana Skill Development Mission.
• It will provide training to people for self-employment and setting up an enterprise.
About Haryana
Airport-Ambala Air Force Station, Hisar Airport, Sirsa Air Force Station
Stadium- Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Mahavir Stadium, Tau Devi Lal Stadium
Festival -Lohri, Basant Panchami, Gangore
ENVIRONMENT
New Species of Gecko Discovered in Goa Named Hemiphyllodactylus goaensis
Scientists of the Department of Zoology, Goa University and the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, Mumbai,
discovered a new species of slender gecko on the campus of Goa University. It was commonly termed as Goan
slender gecko.
• The species belongs to the Hemiphyllodactylus genus
and it was given a scientific name after Goa (as it was
found there) – Hemiphyllodactylus goaensis. It is
the only 2nd Indian Hemiphyllodactylus known from
a distance of 100 m above sea level.
Key Points:
i.It is the smallest known species of Hemiphyllodactylus
genus (with a maximum length of 32 mm) and it is
the 1st species of animal to be discovered from Goa
University.
ii.The species is found in two different locations viz, the Western Ghats region and Chandor, Goa.
iii.Prior to the gecko, a cecilian and a crab that were found in Goa also have been named after the Goa.
iv.The research study was led by Akansh Khandekar, Thackeray Wildlife Foundation and the other members of
the research team include Dikansh S. Parmar, Nitin Sawant, and Ishan Agarwal.
About Goa:
Chief Minister – Pramod Sawant
Wildlife Sanctuary – Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary
Airport – Goa International Airport
Tamil Nadu to get India’s 1st ever Dugong Conservation reserve in Palk Bay
During the Assembly session of the government of Tamil Nadu, K. Ramachandran, Minister for Environment,
Climate Change, and Forests, Government of Tamil Nadu, announced the plan to establish India’s first-ever
Dugong (also known as Sea cows) Conservation Reserve in the marine region of Palk Bay, in the southern
coastal region of Tamil Nadu.
About Dugong Conservation:
i.The conservation reserve aims to protect the Dugong and its habitat.

ii.The Marine Conservation Reserve will cover an area of 500km in Palk Bay spanning from Adirampattinam to
Amapattinam.
iii.The species of Dugong has been threatened due to the
destruction of its feed which includes ocean surface weeds
and seagrass/weeds.
About Dugong:
i.The dugong, a herbivorous marine mammal that is one of
the four living species of the order Sirenia, is facing
extinction due to water pollution, habitat loss and loss of
seagrass.
ii.The dugong are endangered and currently listed as vulnerable to extinction species based on the International
Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) 1996 red list- species.
iii.It is estimated that there are more than 200 individual dugongs living in the area.
iv.In India, dugongs are found in Palk Bay, Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu, Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat and Andaman
and Nicobar islands.
v.The dugong is related to the Steller’s Sea cow, which became extinct in the 18th century.
Additional info:
Other major initiatives proposed by the government of Tamil Nadu are,
• Establishment of an elephant sanctuary
• Establishment of 3 medical facilities for Emergency critical care and rehabilitation of wildlife.
About Tamil Nadu:
Chief Minister– M.K.Stalin
Tiger Reserve– Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve; Srivilliputhur – Meghamalai Tiger Reserve
Zoological park– Arignar anna zoological park; Amirthi zoological park
India’s largest Open-Air Fernery Developed in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand

India’s largest Open-air Fernery, consisting 120 different varieties of ferns, was inaugurated by the famous
expert on Pteridophyte (Ferns), Dr Nilambar Kunetha in Ranikhet, Uttrakhand.However, it is the country’s first
open-air fernery in natural surroundings which is not under any poly-house/ shade house.
• The fernery has the largest collection of fern
species, second to only Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical
Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI),
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Objective–
To conserve and protect various ferns and species and to
spread awareness about its ecological values.
About the Ranikhet Fernery-
i.It was developed by the research wing of
Uttarakhand Forest Department, under Central
Government’s Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme. It takes 3
years to complete.
ii.The fernery is spread around an area of 4 acres at an altitude 1800m.
iii.It consists of a mixture of species from western and eastern Himalayan region.
Threatened Species-
Some rare species such as Tree Fern (Cyathea spinulosa), which has been declared as threatened by the State
Biodiversity Board of Uttarakhand. Only a few plants of this species have been left in the wild and it is
considered to be one of the most ancient species of fern. It is believed that herbivore dinosaurs used to feed on its
trunk as it is starch rich.

iv.It has around 30 species of high medicinal importance such as Hansraj(Adiantum venustum). The herb
Hansraj has an important role in Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine. Therefore it has a high value to cure several
diseases.
v.Some edible species, fern-like Lingura( Diplazium esculentum). It’s a nutritional vegetable found in
Uttarakhand.
vi.The fernery also has the rich collection of species like epiphyte, aquatic ferns, and the more popular and
interesting ferns like Vishkanya, Mayur Shikha, Boston fern, Lady Fern, Rock Fern, Basket Fern, Ladder fern,
Golden fern and Horse-tail fern.
What are ferns?
• Ferns are non-flowering pteridophytes.They belong to one of the ancient groups of plants that propagate
through spores. They are the first plants to have a fully developed vascular system.
• They help in filtering heavy metals from polluted water and the nitrogen fixation process.
About Compensatory Afforestation Funds Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)
The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) was introduced in 2004 to accelerate activities for the
preservation of natural forests, management of wildlife, infrastructure development in forests, and other allied
works.
Researchers Discover Earth’s Northernmost Island Off Greenland

A team of researchers discovered a new island, the northernmost point of land on Earth, off the coast of
Greenland during a Danish-Swiss research expedition. This island was revealed by the movement of the ice.
• The island was discovered by a group of 6 scientists,
working with the Arctic Station research facility in
Greenland, who set out to collect the samples
from Oodaaq island, which was discovered by a
Danish survey group in 1978.
• The researchers proposed to name the
island “Qeqertaq Avannarleq”, which means ‘the
northernmost island’ in Greenlandic.
About the island:
i.The newly discovered island measuring around 30 by 60
metres in size is the closest point of land to the North pole.
ii.The island is located 780 metres northwest of Oodaaq.
iii.It is made up of mud from the ocean and rock soil from the glaciers.
Note:
To qualify as an island, the piece of land has to remain above sea level at high tide, failing to do so it would remain
a bank.
New Species of Hybodont Shark discovered from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

A team of officers from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) discovered the teeth of a new species of hybodont
shark of the Jurassic age from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan and
named it as Strophodusjaisalmerensis . The rare
discovery of the crushing teeth of Hybodont sharks has
been reported for the first time from the Jurassic rocks
(160-168 million years old) of Jaisalmer.
• This also marks the first identification of the genus
Strophodus from India and 3rd such discovery from
Asia. The other 2 were recorded from Japan and
Thailand.
About the team:
The discovery was made by the team of officers comprising Krishna Kumar, Pragya Pandey, Triparna Ghosh and

Debasish Bhattacharya from the GSI western region, Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Publication: The finding has been published in Historical Biology, a Journal of Palaeontology of International
repute, in its August 2021.
• Co-author: Prof. Dr Sunil Bajpai, Head of the Department, Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of
Technology(IIT) Roorkee.
• He played a major role in the identification and documentation of the discovery.
About Hybodont Sharks:
i.Hybodonts is an extinct group of sharks that was a dominant group of fishes in both marine and fluvial
environments during the Triassic and early Jurassic times.
ii.The population of Hybodonts started to decline in the Middle Jurassic and became extinct at the end of
Cretaceous time 65 million years ago.
Note:
The new species has been included in Shark references.com, an international platform operating in association
with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Species Survival Commission (SSC), and
Germany.
About Geological Survey of India (GSI):
Director-General- R.S. Garkhal
Headquarters- Kolkata, West Bengal
Established in 1851
GA Questions Asked in Exams
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• SBI Clerk Mains 2020
• IBPS RRB Officer Scale II GBO Exam 2020
• RBI Assistant Mains 2020
• GA Questions Asked in IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2020 – 90% Questions Covered by AC
• GA Questions asked in SBI PO 2019 Main Exam
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• GA Questions asked in IBPS PO Main Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in RBI Grade B Prelims Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS RRB Clerk Mains Exam 2019
• GA Questions asked in IBPS RRB PO Mains Exam 2019
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IRCTC Launched India’s 1st Indigenous Luxury Cruise Liner

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World’s highest EV charging station inaugurated at Kaza, Himachal Pradesh

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National Action Plan for dog Mediated Rabies Elimination by 2030

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Agrarian festival ‘Nuakhai’ being celebrated in Odisha

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India leases Dornier aircraft to Mauritius to enhance maritime security