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Current Affairs
(SSC/
Defence/Railways)
September Week
1 - Study Notes

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English

National Affairs

DRDO, Amity University jointly roll out a course

 DRDO has joined hands with Amity University to roll out a defence technology course to augment the human
resource pool and create talent to build startups.
 The programme will focus on six subjects of specializations -- Combat Vehicle Engineering, Aerospace Technol-
ogy, Communication Systems and Sensors, High Energy Materials Technology , Naval Technology and Directed
Energy Technology.

National Nutrition Week: 1-7 September

 In India, the National Nutrition Week is observed every year from September 1 to September 7 to raise public
awareness about nutrition and healthy eating habits.
 In India, the history of National Nutrition Week dates back to 1982 when the government launched a campaign
in 1982 to educate individuals about the importance of nutrition.
 The theme for 2021 is 'feeding smart right from start'.

Infosys launches digital skilling programme Springboard

 Infosys has announced the launch of Springboard.

 It is a digital skilling programme aimed at everyone from Std VI students to professionals as it looks to reach its
goal of reskilling more than 10 million people by 2025. Springboard is part of Infosys’ environment, social, and
governance (ESG) goals.
 It will also allow learners to assess themselves and be certified through examinations.

Centre signs a tripartite ‘Karbi Peace Accord’

 The Union government signed a tripartite "Karbi Peace Accord" on 4 Sept 2021. Nearly 200 Karbi militants,
who were part of those 1,040 militants who surrendered before the Assam government were present during
the event.
 The accord is significant as the insurgency by Karbi has had a long history in Assam, marked by killings, ethnic
violence, abductions, and taxation since the late 1980s.

BMC commissions its first mini waste-to-energy plant

 The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has commissioned its first mini waste-to-energy plant at Haji
Ali in Mumbai.
 It will convert two metric tonnes of wet waste into 300 units of electricity per day.
 This is the first decentralized organic waste processing centre set up in Mumbai and there are plans to start
such a project in other municipal wards as well.

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Ladakh Administration, BRO sign MoU

 Ladakh Administration and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has signed an MoU for upgradation and improve-
ment of the road network in the UT.
 Ladakh has assigned seven projects to BRO considering their expertise in hilly areas to construct tunnels and
roads.
 The MoU comprises DPR preparation of tunnels and roads besides the upgradation of three roads as per the
required standards.

24th meeting of Financial Stability and Development Council

 Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 3 September 2021 chaired the 24th meeting of
the Financial Stability and Development Council, FSDC in New Delhi.
 The meeting deliberated on the various mandates of the FSDC, financial stability, financial sector development,
inter-regulatory coordination, financial literacy, and financial inclusion.

Indian Army, Navy, Air Force sign deal for inducting anti-drone system

 Indian Army, Navy, Air Force have signed a deal for inducting a DRDO-developed anti-drone system.
 The Drone Detect, Deter and Destroy system (D4S), developed by Defence Research and Development Organi-
zations(DRDO), is the first indigenously developed anti-drone system to be inducted into the Indian Armed
Forces.
 It has been manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).

J-K L-G launches Tourist Village Network initiative

 Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on 3 September 2021 launched the Jammu and Kashmir
Tourist Village Network under Mission Youth.
 The objective of the initiative is to adopt best practices recognizing the uniqueness of each village and show-
casing the landscapes, local values, and traditions, besides encouraging film shooting and offering financial
incentives.

Kerala launches ILGMS portal

 The Kerala government on 3 September 2021 has launched a portal, an integrated local self-government man-
agement system (ILGMS),
 It aims to provide the people access to the service of the panchayat offices from home.
 The ILGMS is an open-source software developed by Information Kerala Mission.
 The project was launched across 153-gram panchayats in the State and 150 more would be added.

APEDA signs MoU with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research

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 The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority(APEDA) on 3 September 2021
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research.
 The objective of the MoU is to build the export-centric ecosystem with the requisite supply chain linkages,
technological repository, clinical studies, awareness creation, and a pipeline of entrepreneurs.

Biological E nod to study its Covid vaccine Corbevax

 The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted approval to Biological E for two clinical trials of its
Covid-19 vaccine candidate Corbevax.
 With this, it can begin midstage studies of its Covid-19 vaccine in children and adolescents.
 So far, six vaccines have been authorized for use in the country where only about 11.28% of the entire popula-
tion has been fully vaccinated so far.

National e-Governance Division (NeGD) signs MoU with NLU

 National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has
signed an MoU with National Law University (NLU), Delhi and National Law Institute University (NLIU), Bhopal.
 It will establish a Cyber Lab for the ‘Online Capacity Building Programme on Cyber Law, Crime Investigation
and Digital Forensics’.

Forty five solar parks approved under solar park scheme

 India has approved 45 solar parks with a cumulative capacity of 37 gigawatt (GW) under the solar park scheme.
 India’s solar and wind generation recorded an all-time high of 43.1GW on 27 July 2021. India has also crossed
the 100 GW milestone of installed renewable energy capacity.
 India is running the world’s largest clean energy programme to achieve 175 GW of renewable capacity.

India's forex reserves surge $16.663 bn to record high

 India's foreign exchange reserves soared by $16.663 billion to touch a lifetime high of $633.558 billion in the
week ended 27 August 2021. It was mainly due to an increase in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) holdings.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) made an allocation of SDR 12.57 billion (equivalent to around $17.86 billion at
the latest exchange rate) to India on August 23, 2021. Vartika Shukla: First woman CMD of Engineers India Ltd

 Engineering consultancy firm Engineers India Ltd (EIL) has announced that Vartika Shukla has assumed charge
as the first woman Chairperson and Managing Director of the company.
 Shukla joined EIL in 1988 and possesses consulting experience.
 She has been spearheading the company’s initiatives in new energy areas including Bio Fuels, Coal Gasification,
Waste to Fuel and Hydrogen.

RBI to set up five-member panel on NUE licences

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 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will set up a committee to scrutinize applications and give recommendations
on new umbrella entity (NUE) licenses.
 The five-member committee will be headed by RBI chief general manager P Vasudevan.
 NUEs will establish their own payment infrastructure to compete with the National Payments Corp of India
(NPCI).

Ladakh announces snow leopard as state animal

 The Ladakh Union Territory administration has announced snow leopard as its state animal and black-necked
crane as its state bird.
 This big update comes after the Union Territory was made from the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state in
2019.
 Earlier, the black-necked crane was the state bird of J&K that existed until 5 August 2019.

HDFC Life to acquire Exide Life

 HDFC Life Insurance's board has approved the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Exide Life Insurance
Company for a total consideration of ₹6,687 cr.
 It will acquire stake in Exide Life from Exide Industries through issuance of 8,70,22,222 shares at an issue price
of ₹685 per share and a cash payout of ₹726 cr.
 It is the biggest insurance deal in the country.

Gujarat to host 12th Defence Expo-2022 in Gandhinagar

 The Gujarat Government will host the 12th Defence Expo-2022 in Gandhinagar.
 An MoU has been signed between the Department of Defence Production and the Gujarat Government in this
regard.
 About 100 countries are expected to participate in this biannual event.
 It will be held in Gandhinagar from 10th to 13th March.

Ministry of Education to organize Shikshak Parv-2021

 Ministry of Education will be organizing Shikshak Parv-2021 from Teacher's Day on 5 September 2021, which
will continue till 17 September through virtual mode.
 President Ram Nath Kovind will also confer the awards to 44 awardees through virtual mode on the Teacher's
Day.
 The National Awards to Teachers were first instituted in 1958 to recognize the excellence and commitment of
teachers.

Granules India gets licence from DRDO

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 Drug firm Granules India has received a license from Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) to
manufacture and market COVID-19 treatment drug, 2- Deoxy-D-Glucose 2-DG.
 The drug reduces a patient's average recovery time by two and a half days.
 2-DG has been granted permission by the Drug Controller General of India for emergency use as an adjunct
therapy in moderate COVID patients.

Indian govt departments to participate in Dubai Expo

 A number of Indian states, union territories, government departments, would participate in the six-month
Expo 2020 Dubai beginning from October 1, 2021. India Pavilion at the expo would showcase the country's
march to becoming a USD 5 trillion economy.
 Live models of many of our heritage buildings such as Ram Mandir and Varanasi reconstruction would also be
shown at the Expo.

Govt appoints Atul Bhatt as CMD of RINL

 The Central Government has appointed Atul Bhatt as chairman and managing director (CMD) of steel company
Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL).
 RINL is a special steel-making player based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had earlier given in-principle approval for 100 percent disinvest-
ment of government stake in RINL.

Microsoft, Ed4All partner with NIOS to empower students

 Microsoft and Ed4All have collaborated with the National Institute of Open Schooling to transform learning in
the open schooling system in India.
 Microsoft and Ed4All have launched a customised tech platform for the NIOS Virtual Open School, BLEAP for
NIOS, as part of the collaboration.
 It aims to empower 170 million learners across the open schooling ecosystem.

WBJFA award function to be held on Oct 6

 West Bengal Film Journalists Association Award function would be held on October 6, 2021. It is also known as
'Cinemar Samabartan'.
 The festival would have the tagline 'Cinemar Moja Cinemar Hall E' (you can truly enjoy the charm of films by
watching on the big screen).
 A lifetime Achievement Award in the name of the auteur Satyajit Ray would be given at WBJFA.

First consignment of Ladakh Apricot exported to Dubai

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 The first commercial shipment of Apricot sourced from the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh has been exported
to Dubai.
 The shipment was exported by APEDA registered exporter from Mumbai.
 Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has been working to estab-
lish an export value chain for Ladakh Apricot in association with an importer group based in Dubai.

Agriculture Minister addresses 16th Sustainability Summit

 The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar addressed the 16th sustainabil-
ity summit 2021 of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the Chief Guest on 2 Sept 2021. The confer-
ence was also addressed by Denmark's Environment Minister Ms. Lea Wermelin and CII Director General Mr.
Chandrajit Banerjee.

Ayush Ministry starts a campaign to distribute prophylactic medicine

 The Ministry of Ayush has launched a campaign of distributing Ayush prophylactic medicines and written
guidelines on diet and lifestyle.
 In the next one year, the immunity booster medicines and the guidelines to combat Covid-19 will be distrib-
uted to 75 lakh people across the country.
 Special focus will be given on geriatric population and the front-line workers.

Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani passes away

 Kashmiri separatist leader and former chief of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani
passed away in September 2021. Geelani, an uncompromising campaigner against Indian rule in Kashmir, had
been under house arrest for the past 11 years.
 He was elected to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly from the Sopore constituency in 1972, 1977 and in 1987.

Indore gets clean street food hub status from FSSAI

 Indore's famous eat streets of 56 Dukan and Sarafa Chowpaty have bagged the ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ certifi-
cation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
 56 Dukaan market has been declared as the second 'clean street food hub' in India.
 The FSSAI certification – valid for two years -- is given for adopting best practices like garbage disposal, etc.

Actor Siddharth Shukla passes away

 Actor and Bigg Boss 13 winner Sidharth Shukla passed away in September 2021. Sidharth Shukla began his ca-
reer as a model and made his acting debut with a lead role in the television show ‘Babul Ka Aangann Chootey
Na’.

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 He also participated in reality shows, including Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6, Fear Factor, and Bigg Boss 13. He was also
a part of the film Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania.

J-K LG Sinha inaugurates 'Saath' initiative

 Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched Rural Enterprises Acceleration Programme
titled 'Saath' for Self Help Group (SHG) women on 1 September 2021. There are 48000 SHGs in Jammu and
Kashmir.
 Four lakh women are connected to these SHGs.
 This Saath initiative will stress mentoring and market linkages of products created by these women.

Wipro appoints Mohammed Areff as Country Head and MD

 Wipro has announced the appointment of Mohammed Areff as the country head and Managing Director (MD)
for the Middle East.
 Areff has over two decades of experience with various multinationals in the Middle East and has held lead
roles in spearheading client transformations across various industries.
 In his most recent role, Areff was the Regional Director of Microsoft Gulf.

BNP Paribas appoints Sanjay Singh as the new CEO

 French bank BNP Paribas has announced the appointment of Sanjay Singh as CEO of India.
 He will be succeeding Aymar de Liedekerke Beaufort, who has been nominated to become the Head of Terri-
tory, India.
 Sanjay Singh joined BNP Paribas Securities India as Head of Global Markets and Deputy CEO India eight years
ago.

‘Rajiv Gandhi’ dropped from name of Orang National Park

 The Assam government has announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park will be known as the Orang
National Park.
 It is located in Darrang and Sonitpur districts of Assam.
 The development comes weeks after the Centre dropped former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s name from the
Khel Ratna award.
 The park is known for the one-horned rhino, tigers, elephants, etc.

61st Foundation Day of NCERT: 1 September 2021

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 Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan addressed the 61st Foundation Day of the National Council of Educa-
tional Research and Training (NCERT) on 1 September 2021. NCERT is an autonomous organisation of the Gov-
ernment of India which was established in 1961 as a literary, scientific, and charitable Society under the Socie-
ties Registration Act.
 It has its headquarters in New Delhi.

BBC's first Hindi news reader Rajni Kaul dies

 Rajni Kaul, a distinguished broadcaster who became the first woman to read a news bulletin in Hindi on BBC
nearly 60 years ago, passed away in Faridabad in September 2021. She was the first woman to join BBC Hindi
as a staffer and became the first woman to read a news bulletin in Hindi on the network in 1961.
 She had also worked with All India Radio (AIR) in New Delhi.

Health Ministry partners with Google

 The Union Health Ministry has partnered with Google to enhance people's access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
 The Ministry has taken the significant initiative to enhance access to #COVID19 vaccine: Search 'covid vaccine
near me' on Google, Check availability of slots, and more, Use 'Book Appointment' feature to book a slot.
 In addition to English, users can also search in 8 Indian languages.

Govt appoints J B Mohapatra as Chairman, CBDT

 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of J B Mohapatra as Chairman of
the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
 Mohapatra, a 1985-batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer, is currently a member of the board that
frames the policy for the Income Tax department.
He has been holding the additional charge of CBDT Chairman since May 31, 2021. ICICI Bank crosses ₹5-trillion m-cap

 The market value of private sector lender ICICI Bank on 1 September 2021 crossed the Rs 5-trillion mark.
 ICICI Bank is the second lender after HDFC Bank and the seventh Indian firm to achieve this milestone.
 HDFC Bank is the only lender valued higher, at Rs 8.74 trillion.
 Earlier, Reliance Industries, TCS, HDFC Bank, HDFC Ltd, Hindustan Unilever Ltd and Infosys Ltd have hit this
level.

CIL starts pilot project to replace use of diesel with LNG

 National miner Coal India Ltd (CIL), Ministry of Coal has initiated the process of retrofitting Liquefied Natural
Gas (LNG) kits in its dumpers.
 This is significant as the world’s largest coal miner uses over 4 lakh kilolitres of diesel per annum with an an-
nual expense of over Rs. 3,500 crores.
 The move would help CIL reduce its carbon footprint drastically and achieve sustainable goals.

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Smriti Irani inaugurates NUTRI GARDEN at AIIA

 Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani on 1 September 2021 inaugurated NUTRI
GARDEN to mark the beginning of Poshan Maah 2021 at All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA).
 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.

CSIR-CMERI develops Mechanized Scavenging System

 A Mechanized Scavenging System has been developed by CSIR-CMERI (Central Mechanical Engineering Re-
search Institute) which was initiated after intensive studies of the diverse nature of Indian Sewerage Systems
and the manner of its chokes.
 This, CSIR-CMERI technology provides an in-situ option for Mechanized Scavenging as well as purification of
Water.

Seven Union Ministers launches Yoga Break mobile app

 Union Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal, along with six Union Ministers, launched the Yoga Break (Y-
Break) mobile application at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 1 Sep 2021. The 5-minute ‘Yoga Break Protocol’
consists of very useful Yoga practices devised to de-stress, refresh and re-focus on work to increase the
productivity of individuals at the workplace.

B Venkatraman is new IGCAR Director

 Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam on 31 August 2021 appointed B Venkatraman as
its director with immediate effect.
 He succeeds Arun Kumar Bhaduri.
 Venkatraman was serving the Quality and Resource Management group as director (safety).
 Venkatraman is also a recipient of the DAE Homi Bhabha Science and Technology Award 2007 for individual
excellence.

Nagaland plans to attain 100pc literacy by 2030

 The Nagaland government has made an ambitious plan of attaining 100 percent literacy by 2030 through
strengthening anganwadi centers and early childhood education besides improving infrastructure.
 The current literacy rate of the North-eastern state is 79.55 percent.
 Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio earlier unveiled the Nagaland SDG Vision 2030 - Leaving no one behind.

PPK appointed Rajya Sabha secretary general

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 Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on 31 August 2021 appointed Dr. PPK Ramacharyulu, who is a secre-
tary in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat since 2018, as the secretary-general.
 He joined the Rajya Sabha Secretariat in 1983 after serving in the Lok Sabha Secretariat for a year.
 He succeeds Desh Dipak Verma, who demitted office as secretary-general after serving the top post for four
years.

Indore : First district to inoculate 100% eligible population

 Indore has become the first district in the entire country with a population of more than 10 lakh to inoculate
100% eligible population with the first dose of the Covid19 vaccine.
 Bhuvneshwar city has covered its population with both doses.
 Municipal Corporation Indore was made the nodal agency in the entire campaign to vaccine all in the district.

Himachal Pradesh : 1st dose vaccinated state

 Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India to administer the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to 100
percent of its adult population.
 Till 31 August 2021, 51.45 percent of India's adult population has been vaccinated with at least one dose and
15.34 percent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated.

Goa CM launches a scheme

 Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched the 'Save Water to Get Free Water' scheme on 31 August 2021.
Under the scheme, households in the state would not be charged for water consumption up to 16,000 liters.
 Goa would also become the first state in the country to supply water free of cost to its citizens.

President’s colour to be awarded to Naval Aviation

 President Ram Nath Kovind would award the President's Colour to Indian Naval Aviation at a ceremonial pa-
rade at INS Hansa in Goa on September 6, 2021. During the occasion, a Special Day Cover would be released by
the Postal Department.
 The President's Colour is the highest honour bestowed on a military unit in recognition of its exceptional ser-
vice to the nation.

Smriti Irani inaugurates Poshan 2.0

 Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani on 31 August 2021 inaugurated Poshan 2.0 and
urged all aspirational districts of the country to make a commitment to establish a Poshan Vatika (nutrition
garden).

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 The nutrition month is being started from 1 September 2021 for the protection of Severe Actual Malnourished
(SAM) children.

Avi Mitta appointed as Honorary Secretary-General of DCM

 Delphic Council of Maharashtra has recently appointed its new Honorary Secretary General Avi Mittal, the CEO
of Golden Ace Ventures.
 Avi Mittal is also the chairperson for BRICS chamber of commerce and industry young leaders and is a philan-
thropist.
 The Delphic Games are often regarded as the twin sister of the Olympic Games and are focused on Arts and
Culture instead of sports.

PayU acquires BillDesk for $4.7 bn

 Prosus-backed fintech firm PayU has acquired India’s earliest payment gateway BillDesk in an all-cash transac-
tion of $4.7 billion.
 It would be the largest acquisition in India’s digital payments space.
 In the past, PayU India had snapped up payments technology company CitrusPay in 2016 for $160 million.
 It then acquired digital credit platform Paysense in 2020 for $185 million..

LIC launches ‘Ananda’ mobile app

 Life Insurance Corporation of India has inaugurated the 'Ananda' mobile app for the Digital paperless solution
for new business processes.
 The digital application is a tool for the onboarding process to get the life insurance policy through a paperless
module with the help of the agent or intermediary.
 1 September marks the LIC foundation day as LIC was established on 1 September 1956.

Indian Navy signs contract with BEL for anti-drone system

 Indian Navy has signed a contract with Bharat Limited (BEL) for the supply of the indigenous comprehensive
Naval Anti Drone System (NADS) with both hard-kill and soft kill capabilities.
 The NADS, developed by DRDO and manufactured by BEL, is the first indigenously developed anti-drone sys-
tem to be inducted into the Indian Armed Forces.
 BEL is a navratna defence public sector undertaking.

Index of Eight Core Industries released

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 The Office of Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has released
the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) for the month of July 2021. The combined ICI stood at 134.0 in July
2021, which increased by 9.4 per cent as compared to the Index of July 2020.
 ICI measures the combined and individual performance of production in eight core industries.

PM to release a special commemorative coin

 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi would release a special commemorative coin of ₹125 on the occasion of
the 125th Birth Anniversary of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ji on 1st September 2021. Swami Ji
founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) commonly known as the "Hare Krishna
movement".
 ISKCON has translated Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta in 89 languages.

IDBI Intech implements its innovative AML solution

 IDBI Intech Ltd has successfully implemented their iAML (Anti Money Laundering) solution at India’s insurance
giant, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
 IDBI Intech Ltd is the technology-led business transformation organization offering specialized solutions in the
Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) verticals.

Spice Money partners with Israel's Tarya

 Leading rural fintech Spice Money on 31 August 2021 has entered into a joint venture with Tarya group, Is-
rael's leading fintech player, to launch a lend-tech platform targeted towards rural India.
 The partnership aims to fill the credit gap in India by offering underserved and underbanked rural India a con-
venient platform to access credit easily with minimal documentation.

NEFR launches tea toy train safari

 The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) launched a regular Jungle Tea Toy Train Safari from Siliguri Junction to
Rongtong station in West Bengal.
 This is the railway authority's second attempt to attract tourists and improve the tourism business in Darjee-
ling Himalayan Railway (DHR).
 The DHR toy train is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 It was declared by the UN body on December 5, 1999.

GSI institute launches dedicated website

 The training and capacity building wing of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has launched its dedicated web-
site for round-the-clock accessibility of various online training courses on earth sciences to its stakeholders.
 The website name is "https://training.gsiti.gsi.gov.in/".

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 This is in tune with the Digital India campaign of the Centre.

Delhi to start implementing an action plan to combat climate change

 Delhi would start implementing a new 10-year action plan by this 2021 year-end to combat climate change.
 The Centre had prepared the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2009 and asked the states to
prepare their own specific plans.
 Delhi submitted its plan to combat climate change in 2019, becoming the last state to do so.

430 million Jan Dhan accounts have Rs 1.46 trillion

 The PM Jan Dhan Yojana has about 430.4 million accounts with total deposits amounting to Rs 1.46 trillion as
on Aug 2021. Of these, about 86%, or 368.6 million accounts, are operative.
 The average deposit per account is Rs 3,398, which has increased 2.7 times over August 2015.
 About 312.3 million Rupay cards have been issued to Jan Dhan account holders.
 The scheme was launched in 2014.

Government notifies the amendment to the DICGC Act

 The government has notified the amendment to the DICGC Act on 30 Aug 2021. Parliament passed the Deposit
Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 ensuring that account holders get up to
Rs 5 lakh within 90 days of the RBI imposing a moratorium on the banks.
 The amount of Rs 5 lakh would be provided by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation
(DICGC).

Nuclear scientists to get management lessons from IIM-Ahmedabad

 Nuclear scientists, experts, and senior officials of four key organisations will get management lessons from IIM-
Ahmedabad (IIM-A).
 The organisations include Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(BARC).
 The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has tied up with IIM-A to offer management lessons and nuances for
effective leadership.

HSBC appoints Rajnish Kumar as Independent Director

 The HSBC has appointed former State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Rajnish Kumar as an independent non-ex-
ecutive Director.
 Kumar retired in October 2020 following a 40-year career at India's largest lender.
 He will also be a member of HSBC's audit committee and risk committee.
 Kumar was earlier Chairman of the Indian Banks Association.

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Shanti Lal appointed as Indian Bank MD, CEO

 Bank of Baroda has announced that Shanti Lal Jain would be stepping down from the post of its executive di-
rector.
 Jain would be joining Indian Bank as its MD and CEO.
Jain has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Indian Bank, to be effective on or after
September 1, 2021. Nine new SC judges to take oath

 CJI N V Ramana will administer oath of office to nine new judges on 31 August 2021. The swearing-in cere-
mony would be held in the auditorium of the top court's additional building complex.
 Traditionally, the oath of office to new judges is administered in the CJI’s courtroom.
 With the swearing-in of the nine new judges, the strength of the apex court would rise to 33, including the CJI.

The term of (BOI) executive director P R Rajagopal extended by 2 years

 The central government has extended the term of Bank of India (BOI) executive director P R Rajagopal by two
years till 2024. His current term was to expire on February 28, 2022. Bank of India is an Indian nationalized
bank, under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India with headquarters in Bandra Kurla
Complex, Mumbai.

Amazon partners with Tribes India

 Amazon has partnered with Tribes India for the launch of "Karigar Mela".
 It is a dedicated storefront with a unique selection of handmade products made by local tribal artisans and
weavers from across the country.
 Through this initiative, Amazon would help artisans sell their products as well as sellers to reach customers
nationwide by launching and marketing their business on its platform.

PhonePe receives insurance broking licence from IRDAI

 PhonePe on 30 August 2021 has been issued an insurance broking license from the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
 With this new 'direct broking' license, PhonePe can distribute insurance products from all insurance companies
in India.
 PhonePe is India's leading digital payments platform with over 300 million registered users.

Noted Bengali writer Buddhadeb Guha passes away

 Noted Bengali writer Buddhadeb Guha passed away at the age of 85 on August 29, in Kolkata, West Bengal.
 Some of his notable works include 'Madhukari', 'Koeler Kachhe', 'Sobinoy Nibedon' and 'Baba Howa'.
 Guha was also popular among children as he was the creator of the fictional character Rijuda and his side-kick
Rudra.

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10 merchant bankers to manage LIC IPO

 The government has shortlisted 10 merchant bankers to manage the mega initial public offering (IPO) of the
country's largest life insurer LIC.
 Goldman Sachs Group Inc, JPMorgan Chase & Co, ICICI Securities Ltd, Kotak Mahindra Capital Co, JM Financial
Ltd, Citigroup Inc, and Nomura Holdings Inc are among the 10 book running lead managers BRLMs that have
been shortlisted.

Bhuvnesh Seth becomes new chairman of EPCES

 Export Promotion Council for EOUs and SEZs (EPCES) informed that Bhuvnesh Seth would be the new chairman
of the council, set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
 Srikanth Badiga has been elected as the new vice-chairman of EPCES.
 EPCES aims to service the export promotional needs of Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and Special economic
zones (SEZs) in the country.

CM Pramod Sawant inaugurates 'Antha Prerna'

 Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inaugurated the Goa Startup Conclave Entrepreneurship Summit "Antha
Prerana".
 The conclave was organized by the Startup Promotion Cell in collaboration with the Goa Institute of Manage-
ment at Panaji.
 Antha Prerna aims to provide opportunities to young entrepreneurs and to create an ecosystem to foster a
culture of ideation and innovation in Goa.

Web version of e-GOPALA app unveiled

 The web version of the e-GOPALA application developed by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has
been launched on 29 August 2021 to aid dairy farmers.
 It would help farmers to manage their livestock including buying and selling of disease-free germplasm in all
forms and guides farmers for animal nutrition, treatment of animals using appropriate Ayurvedic Ethnoveteri-
nary medicine.

‘Mera Watan Mera Chaman’ Mushaira held

 Ministry of Minority Affairs organised ‘Mera Watan Mera Chaman’ Mushaira in New Delhi as part of Amrit Ma-
hotsav of 75th Year of India’s Independence, on 28 August 2021. Renowned poets from the country mesmer-
ised the audience through their poetry and couplets.
The Minority Affairs Ministry will organise the “Mera Watan, Mera Chaman” Mushairas and Kavi Sammelans across the
country till 2023. National Small Industry Day: 30 August

 The National Small Industry Day is observed every year on 30 August.

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 The day is dedicated to motivate and promote small industrial businesses.

 The government of India had introduced an extensive policy package for the small scale industry on 30 Aug
2000, since then the National Small Industry Day is observed every year.
 On the other hand, the UN has declared June 27 as the MSME Day.

Ramayana conclave launched in Ayodhya

 President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Ramayana Conclave in Ayodhya on 29 August 2021. The 65 days
long conclave will be organised in Gorakhpur, Baliya, Varanasi, Vindhyachal, Chitrakoot, Lalitpur, Shringverpur
bithoor, Bijnor, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Garhmukteshwar, Saharanpur and Lucknow.
 It will have special experts who will narrate and discuss the various events of Ramayana.

Vice President releases a book

 Vice President Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated a book called 'Accelerating India, 7 years of Modi Government'.
 It has been authored by Former Union Minister KJ Alphons.
 The book commemorates the achievement and evaluation of two elected terms of PM Modi as the Head of
Parliamentary.
 The Vice President also appreciated the efforts of the 28 authors who have contributed 25 essays to the book.

CVC re-appoints T Bhasin as chairmen of ABBFF

 The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) re-appointed T M Bhasin as chairman of the Advisory Board for Bank-
ing and Financial Frauds (ABBFF).
 Bhasin served as vigilance commissioner in the CVC for four years from June 2015 to June 2019.
 Other members of the said ABBFF would be Madhusudan Prasad, former secretary of Ministry of Urban Devel-
opment; D K Pathak, and David Rasquinha.

A book by Boria Majumdar & Kushan Sarkar

 A new book “Mission Domination: An Unfinished Quest” by Boria Majumdar & Kushan Sarkar, was launched.
 The book details the short story of many Indian cricketers such as Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill,
R. Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara.
 The book contains many dimensions ranging from international cricket to domestic cricket of the cricketers.

Book by Ritu menon launched

 A book titled ‘Address Book: A Publishing Memoir in the time of COVID’ has been written by writer Ritu
Menon.
 Menon co-founded Kali for Women, India’s first feminist press in 1983. She is also a founder-director of
Women Unlimited, an associate of Kali for Women.

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"Battlefield" by Vishram Bedekar

 A book titled ‘Battlefield’ has been authored by Vishram Bedekar.

 It is a translated version of the Marathi original Ranaangan by Jerry Pinto.
 The book details the story of a shipboard romance between a German-Jewish woman an Indian man when
both were fleeing Europe before World War II.

Hisar Airport in Haryana renamed as MAIA

 Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that the state’s first civil airport at Hisar would be
named Maharaja Agrasen International Airport (MAIA).
 The Hisar Airport is the first DGCA licensed Public Aerodrome of the Haryana state.
This airport is presently under up-gradation to be transformed into an international airport by 30 March 2024.
Arvind Kumar assumes charge as CPCL MD

 Indian Oil group company, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL) on 27 August 2021 announced the ap-
pointment of Arvind Kumar as its Managing Director.
 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal for the appointment of Indian
Oil executive director Arvind Kumar to the post of CPCL Managing Director.

1,000 wellness centres under NAM to be set up

 Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced that 1,000 wellness centres would be set up across northeast-
ern states as part of the National Ayush Mission (NAM).
 The objective of the initiative is to provide services of a holistic wellness model based on Ayush principles.
 The Centre had approved the continuation of the NAM as a centrally sponsored scheme for five years till
March 2026.

UCO bank MD term extended for 2 years

 State-owned UCO Bank on 28 August 2021 informed that the government has extended the term of its MD
and CEO Atul Kumar Goel for two years.
 The government has also extended the terms of two executive directors each in Punjab National Bank and Un-
ion Bank of India, and one executive director of Central Bank of India.

Bio Tech signs contract with Biological E

 Leading contract research firm Vivo Bio Tech on 28 August 2021 has signed a long-term supply contract with
vaccine maker Biological E.
 Hyderabad-based Vivo Bio-Tech is a full-service CRO (contract research organisation) offering drug develop-
ment and discovery services to pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide.

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Army's Sikh Regiment 175th Foundation Day

 The Sikh Regiment of India Army celebrated 175 years of its raising at Sikh Regimental Centre in Ramgarh Cantt
on 28 August 2021. The events also included the release of the 'SIKH' magazine and the unveiling of the
'Dodrans bicentennial' silver trophy.
 The regiment has fought several successful battles in the pre-Independence era including World War- I and
World War- II.

AFD to fund biological conservation project

 French development agency Agence française de developpement (AFD) has decided to fund the Rajasthan For-
estry and Bio-development project.
 The project has provisions for sustainable income generation activities in the target villages with assistance to
nearly 1,200 self-help groups.
 A bio-diversity park is also proposed to be developed in Bharatpur as part of the project.

NCL to launch skill development project

 Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) would be launching a skill development project worth Rs 3.5 crore to impart
training to 500 youths.
 The training would be in the area of plastic engineering trade with the objective of ensuring their job readiness
in the competitive market.
 The training would be organized with the help of the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Tech-
nology.

International Affairs

International Vulture Awareness Day: 4 September 2021

 International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) falls on the first Saturday in September every year.
 It is being celebrated on 4 September for the year 2021. The initiative is run jointly by the Birds of Prey Pro-
gramme of the Endangered Wildlife Trust in South Africa and the Hawk Conservancy Trust in England.
 Globally, 75% of all vultures are threatened with extinction.

WhatsApp faces $267 mn GDPR fine over privacy breaches

 Facebook-owned WhatsApp has been fined a record 225 million euros (or $267 mn) by the Irish data privacy
regulator for privacy breaches.
 WhatsApp has objected to the penalty as disproportionate and said that it would file an appeal.
 Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner had been investigating complaints over how WhatsApp processes user
data under Europe's General Data Protection Regulation.

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China develops prototype miniature helicopter

 China has developed a prototype miniature helicopter for surveillance work on future Mars missions.
 The prototype is similar in appearance to the robotic helicopter Ingenuity, developed by NASA for its Persever-
ance mission.
 China landed a Mars rover in May 2021 in its first-ever mission to the planet, becoming the second country
after the United States to do so.

Japan's Yoshihide Suga to resign as Prime Minister

 Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will resign in Sept 2021. Mr. Suga had been appointed to the role in
2020 following the resignation of Shinzo Abe.
 In 2005, PM Junichiro Koizumi appointed him Senior Vice Minister of internal affairs and communication.
 The following year, Koizumi's successor Shinzo Abe promoted him to minister with three cabinet posts, which
he held until 2007.

New Development Bank approves Bangladesh as a new member

 The New Development Bank (NDB) established by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa)
countries in 2015 has approved Bangladesh as its new member.
 The NDB Board of Governors initiated the negotiation to expand its membership in 2020.
 It has now approved the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Bangladesh as its first new member countries.

New epidemic intelligence hub opened in Berlin

 German Chancellor Angela Merkel on September 1, 2021, opened a new epidemic intelligence hub in Berlin
with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
 The hub will serve as a collecting point for all available information on viruses.
 The data will then be analyzed for use in the global fight against pandemics.
 The hub and its work will be given 30 million euros funding.

Sri Lanka declares economic emergency

 Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared an economic emergency to contain soaring inflation
after a steep fall in the value of the country's currency caused a spike in food prices.
 The military will oversee the action which gives power to officials to ensure that essential items, including rice
and sugar, are sold at government-guaranteed prices or prices based on import costs.

UN funds allocate $10 million for fuel crisis response

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 The United Nation's humanitarian funds have allocated USD 10 million to respond to the fuel crisis in Lebanon
and help avert the deterioration of the country's humanitarian situation.
 The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths allo-
cated USD 4 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to respond to the fuel crisis.

Bangladeshi vaccine scientist wins Ramon Magsaysay award

 A Bangladeshi vaccine scientist and a microfinance pioneer from Pakistan are among the five recipients of the
Ramon Magsaysay Award 2021. The award is regarded as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize.
 Apart from Dr. Firdausi Qadri from Bangladesh and Muhammad Amjad Saqib from Pakistan, the other winners
are Filipino fisher and community environmentalist Roberto Ballon, etc.

IMF raises India's SDR allocation to $17.86 billion

 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sharply increased its allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) to
India to $17,86 billion, in line with the country's existing quota in the fund.
 SDR is an alternate reserve currency floated by the IMF, which the member countries can freely exchange be-
tween themselves instead of relying on the currency of any one particular country.

South Korea bans Apple and Google payment app

 South Korean MPs passed a law banning Apple and Google from forcing app developers to use the tech giants'
payment systems, effectively declaring their lucrative App Store and Play Store monopolies illegal.
 The Korean law dubbed as the "Anti-Google Law," would offer users a choice of app payment providers, allow-
ing them to bypass charges set by the store owner.

Sri Lanka receives USD 787 million SDR from IMF

 Sri Lanka has received USD 787 million from the IMF's special drawing rights (SDR) allocation.
 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) distributed a total SDR allocation of equivalent to USD 650 billion
among its member countries in proportion to their existing quotas in the IMF.
 Sri Lanka also received USD 150 million from Bangladesh Central Bank as a currency swap arrangement.

China eyes part of Montenegro's territory

 Montenegro might be forced to cede part of its territory to Beijing as the country is staggering under USD 1
billion it owes to the Chinese government.
 The country had borrowed this amount in a bid to pay a Chinese contractor to build a highway allowing faster
access to remote parts of the country,
 The USD 1 billion loan amount is nearly a fifth the size of Montenegro's entire economy.

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Karanvir Singh to represent India at EEF in Russia

 Chairman of Visionum Karanvir Singh has been invited by the Roscongress to represent Indian entrepreneurial
ecosystem at the 6th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).
 The EEF would take place on 2-4 September 2021 at Vladivostok, Russia.
 It is an annual event established by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
 The theme for this year is 'Opportunities for the Far East in a World under Transformation'.

International Day for People of African Descent

 The International Day for People of African Descent would be celebrated for the first time on 31 August 2021.
Through this Observance, the United Nations aims to promote the extraordinary contributions of the African
diaspora around the world and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against people of African descent.

China clamps new rules in South China sea

 China notified new maritime rules warranting vessels carrying radioactive materials, bulk oil, chemicals to re-
port the details upon their entry into Chinese waters.
 China claims almost all of the 1.3 million square-mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory.
 China has been building military bases on artificial islands also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines
among others.

US leaves Afghanistan after 20-year presence

 The U.S. officially ended its military presence in Afghanistan on 31 August 2021 with the final flight out of Ka-
bul, concluding two decades of American involvement touched off by the Sept 11 terrorist attacks.
 The U.S. has also decided to move its Afghanistan embassy to Doha, Qatar to manage consular affairs, adminis-
ter humanitarian assistance.

INNOCEAN wins prizes at the 'Red Dot 2021'

 INNOCEAN Worldwide has won two prizes, including the grand prize and the main prize, at the famous Ger-
man design award 'Red Dot Design Award 2021.'
 Red Dot is one of the top 3 design awards with the U.S. IDEA and Germany's iF Design Awards, and it annually
selects innovative and creative products and works in various fields.

UNSC adopts resolution on Afghanistan

 The UN Security Council, under India’s Presidency, adopted a strong resolution on Afghanistan.

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 The resolution demanded that the territory of Afghanistan should not be used to threaten any country or shel-
ter terrorists.
 The resolution was sponsored by France, UK and the US with 13 members voting in favour, none against.

JICA signs loan agreement NAC

 The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed a 50 million dollar loan agreement with North-
ern Arc Capital (NAC), an Indian financial institution.
 The loan would 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).

'Raahgir' wins four awards at WSAFF

 Filmmaker Goutam Ghose's film ''Raahgir'' has bagged four awards at the Washington DC South Asian Film Fes-
tival (WSAFF).
 The movie won awards for the best feature film, best director for Ghose, best female actor for Shome, and the
best male actor for Hussain.
The WSAFF festival, which showcases alternative and independent cinema from South Asia, was held from August 28 to
August 29, 2021. Indian navy’s maiden exercise with Algeria

 INS Tabar took part in a maritime partnership exercise with the Algerian Navy on 29 Aug 2021. It was part of
INS Tabar's goodwill visit to Europe and Africa.
 The landmark exercise held off the Algerian coast, saw the participation of a frontline Algerian warship, 'Ezza-
djer'.
 Diverse activities including co-ordinated manoeuvring were undertaken between the Indian and Algerian war-
ships.

Paris shrinks speed limit of vehicles to protect climate

 The Paris city in France has to decide to limit the speed of vehicles to 30kmph to protect the climate.
 It’s the latest initiative by a city trying to burnish its climate credentials and transform people’s relationships
with their vehicles.
 The new rule includes exceptions for a handful of wide avenues including the famed Champs-Elysees and the
bypass circling the historical capital.

Russia sees possible increase in West Nile virus cases

 Russia has warned of a possible increase in West Nile virus infections.

 Scientists have said that milder temperatures attributed to climate change could cause diseases such as the
West Nile virus to become more widespread.
 It is mainly transmitted through mosquito bites.
 More than 80% of Russia's West Nile fever cases are recorded in its southwest region.

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Hurricane Ida makes landfall in Louisiana

 Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on 29 August 2021 as an extremely dangerous Cat-
egory 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds.
 Ida, on strike on the 16th anniversary of the historically devastating Hurricane Katrina, tied for the most pow-
erful storm in the state with Laura since last year and the island’s last hurricane of 1856.

Afghan journalists get special citation

 The Pulitzer Prize Board have awarded a special citation to journalists of Afghanistan including reporters, driv-
ers, photographers and interpreters for their courageous work.
 The Pulitzer Prize Board decided to honour the women and men of Afghanistan who have dedicated them-
selves at great personal risk to create and support journalism that has chronicled decades of life and war.

Int. Day against Nuclear Tests: 29 August

 The International Day against Nuclear Tests is an event that is held on August 29 each year.
 It was established on December 2, 2009, by the United Nations General Assembly in its 64th session and
adopted unanimously.
 The first nuclear test, called Trinity, was conducted by the United States Army in a desert site in New Mexico,
on July 16, 1945.

Sustainable Development Impact Summit 2021

 The annual Sustainable Development Impact Summit would take place on September 20-23, 2021. It would be
organized by World Economic Forum(WEF).
 The theme of the summit is 'Shaping an Equitable, Inclusive and Sustainable Recovery'.
 Established in 1971, WEF is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.

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