Current Affairs 08th September 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Literacy Day – Observed on Sep 08

• International Literacy Day is observed and celebrated widely every year on September 8.
• In 2021, the theme of International Literacy Day is ‘Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide’.
• The first International Literacy Day was observed in the year 1967.
• It is usually observed to remind the international community about the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies.
• International Literacy Day also highlights the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies.
• September 8 was declared as International Literacy Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the year 1966.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

TRIFED and MEA to set up Atmanirbhar Bharat corners

• MEA and TRIFED to set up Atma Nirbhar Bharat corner in 100 Indian Embassies across the World.
• It will promote GI tagged tribal art and craft products besides natural and organic products.
• India enacted Geographical Indication (Registration and Protection Act) 1999 that came into effect from September 15, 2003.

PM Modi inaugurates Shikshak Parv-2021 

• On 7th September 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the “Shikshak Parv-2021” via video conferencing.
• The Ministry of Education will celebrate the event between 7th September and 17th September 2021.
• The theme of ‘Shikshak Parv-2021’ is “Quality and Sustainable Schools: Learnings from Schools in India”.

PM Modi launches five new initiatives for accessible education:

• Indian Sign Language Dictionary (audio and text embedded sign language video for the hearing impaired, in conformity with Universal Design of Learning)
• Talking Books (audiobooks for the visually impaired)
• School Quality Assurance and Assessment Framework of CBSE
• NISHTHA teachers’ training programme for NIPUN Bharat
• Vidyanjali 2.0 portal (platform for non-teaching professionals to contribute to increasing the quality of education in government schools.)

Union Minister of Culture G.K Reddy launches program ‘Bujurgon ki Baat–Desh Ke Saath’

• G Kishan Reddy, the Minister of Culture, launched the “Bujurgon ki Baat-Desh Ke Saath” program in New Delhi on 07th September.
• The program aims to improve the interaction between youth and senior citizens who are aged 95 and up who spent at least 18 years in India pre-independence period.
• The program encourages the country’s youth to record their interactions with such old people who have lived through 75 years of independent India and nearly two decades before that.

Govt constitutes task force & expert committee to prepare road map for coal-based hydrogen productio 

• The Ministry of Coal has constituted a Task Force and Expert Committee to Prepare Road Map for Coal based Hydrogen Production.
• The Task Force will be headed by an Additional Secretary in the Ministry.
• Its duty include identification of role to be played by each stakeholder Ministry, monitoring of activities towards achieving coal based Hydrogen production and setting up sub committees to achieve the same.
• The Expert Committee will be headed by Director General of the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry, K. Malhotra.
• Its duty include identifying experts in India and co-opting as members, review of progress in hydrogen technology and also review on-going research projects in Hydrogen technology.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Afghanistan: Mullah Hasan Akhund appointed PM of new Taliban govt, Mullah Baradar to be his deputy

• Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund will lead the interim Taliban government in Afghanistan
• The group’s co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has been appointed as his deputy
• Former President Ashraf Ghani escaped the country after Taliban seized control on August 15.

El Salvador becomes first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender 

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

Cuba becomes 1st country to vaccinate children from the age of two against Covid-19, its Abdala and Soberana vaccines not approved by World Health Organization 

• Cuba became the first country in the worldon September 6, 2021, to vaccinate toddlers with the COVID-19 vaccine. 
• The children in Cuba from the age of 2 are being vaccinated with home-grown jabs which are not recognized by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
• Cuba with a population of 11.2 million people aims at vaccinating all its children.
• The move is significant before the government decides to reopen the schools that have been closed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 in March 2020.

Greece govt. creates Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry

• The Greek government announced that it is creating a ministry for climate change after a record-breaking summer of deadly heat.
• The huge fires, fanned by temperatures of 47.1 °C, led to thousands of people losing their homes.
• The Ministry for Climate Change and Civil Protection could provide its infrastructure in the event of extreme weather events like heat waves.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav unveiled first functional Smog Tower of India, situated at Anand Vihar in New Delhi

• Shri Yadav on the occasion virtually inaugurated the first functional smog tower in India at Anand Vihar, Delhi and expressed hope that the pilot smog tower project will yield fruitful results and supplement the air quality improvement efforts.
• A smog tower is a structure designed as large/medium scale air purifiers to reduce air pollution, usually by forcing the air through filters.

About the Tower:

• The smog tower at Anand Vihar with a height of over 20m is of downdraft type, i.e. polluted air comes in from the top of the tower and clean air comes out of the bottom is intended for localised reduction in air pollution (Particulate Matter).
• The filtration system used in the tower has been designed by University of Minnesota with an expected efficiency of 90%.
• 40 fan units have been installed to provide a design airflow rate of 1000 m3/sec.
• The tower has been built by Tata Projects Limited with NBCC (India) Ltd. as the project management consultant.

Delhi govt introduces ‘Business Blasters’ programme in govt. schools aimed at developing young entrepreneurs

• Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia launched the Delhi government’s ‘Business Blasters’ programme which aims at developing young entrepreneurs at the school-level by providing students seed money to start a business.
• The programme will be implemented in all Delhi government schools under the “Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum (EMC)”. 
• The programme is “Successful as a pilot project”, class 11 and 12 students will be provided seed money of Rs 2,000 to start a business.
• This programme, for the students of classes 11-12, is going to be the basis of the country’s progress.
• Through this, children will not run after jobs, but jobs will come after these children.

About New Delhi:

• Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal
• Lieutenant Governor: Anil Baijal

Assam state Govt announced to form new panel for preparing roadmap to implement Assam Accord of 1985 on identification and deportation of illegal immigrants

• The Assam government announced that it will form a committee comprising ministers and members of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) for preparing a roadmap within three months to implement the Assam Accord.
• A six-year agitation demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants was launched by the AASU in 1979.
• It had culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985, in the presence of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
• After a meeting between the AASU and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with senior ministers of the state government, Implementation of Assam Accord Minister Atul Bora stated both sides decided to form a committee to implement the pact.

About the committee:

• The committee will have three state ministers and five members of the student body.
• This committee will consider all the clauses of the Assam Accord and how those can be implemented.
• It will prepare a roadmap within the next three months.

About Assam:

• Capital: Dispur
• Chief minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi
• National parks: Kaziranga National park , Manas National park, Dibru-Saikhowa National park, Nameri National park and Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

HPCL unveiled non-fuel retail store ‘Happy Shop’ in Mumbai

• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. unveiled its branded store “Happy Shop” In Mumbai, marking its foray into non-fuel retailing.
• Located at the company-owned retail outlet at the upmarket Nepean Sea Road near Malabar Hills, this is the company’s latest offering at its “Club HP” retail outlet.
• The store will provide home utility products including food, toiletries, healthcare products, bakery products, groceries, medicines and more.

Main purpose:

• The core objective is to provide a range of good quality daily use products to customers at their convenience.
• Apart from physical sales from the shop, order and self-pickup, order and home delivery options will also be available to the customers.
• They will be able to browse the merchandise on HPCL’s HP-Pay App (available on Play store/App Store).
• HPCL also launched poWer 100, Ultra-Premium grade Petrol with an Octane rating of 100 to cater to the growing number of high-end cars and bikes.
• poWer100 provides improved knocking characteristics for high-end engines.
• Its superior combustion properties reduce emissions making it more eco-friendly.

About HPCL:

• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited is a subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation with its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• It has a 25% market-share in India among public sector undertakings coupled with a strong marketing infrastructure.
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• CEO: Mukesh Kumar Surana
• Chairperson: Mukesh Kumar Surana

India Today Group initiates Good News Today

• The India Today Group has launched Good News Today (GNT), India’s first and only good news channel that recognise that the news doesn’t just have to be shocking, sensational and stressful.
• Good News Today follows the motto of Acchi Khabar, Sacchi Khabar — true stories that foster goodwill and enrich the lives of audiences.
• Even in the negative news stories, there are numerous constructive stories of humanity but they, however, get lost.
• It is only when we focus on what is constructive that we can move the needle of progress forward.
• GNT invites a sharp focus on solutions, and celebrates the narratives of the glass half full.

About India Today Group:

• The India Today Group is an Indian media conglomerate based in New Delhi, India.
• It has interests in magazines, newspapers, books, radio, television, printing and the Internet.
• Aroon Purie is the current chairman and editor-in-chief and Dinesh Bhatia is the current CEO of India Today Group.

Zerodha gets approval from Sebi to start mutual fund business

• India’s largest broking firm Zerodha has received in-principle approval to set up an asset management company (AMC) company. 
• With this, the discount brokerage joins entities like Samco Securities and Bajaj Finserv to get market regulator Sebi’s nod for a mutual fund (MF).
• Bajaj Finserv received in-principle approval from Sebi to set up the shop in the Rs 35-trillion Mutual Fund (MF) industry.
• The Indian MF industry has seen a huge rise in assets, as well as participation from investors, attracting more into the money managing business.
• In the past few months, the Indian MF industry has seen new players like NJ India and Samco Securities setting up shop.

About Zerodha Company:

• Zerodha Broking Limited is an Indian financial services company offering retail brokerage, currencies and commodities trading, mutual funds, and bonds.
• Founded in 2010, the company is headquartered in Bengaluru.
• Valued over $1 billion, it is the largest brokerage firm in India by active client base.

Flipkart introduces ‘Flipkart Boost’ for digital-first consumer brands

• Walmart-owned Flipkart launched ‘Flipkart Boost’, a new programme aimed at helping digital-first consumer brands to grow their business.
• Through a service fee model, Flipkart Boost will provide end-to-end support covering planning, advertising, cataloguing, logistics, quality control and mentoring to emerging ‘Made in India’ brands.
• The Flipkart Boost programme will shortlist brands based on a set of pre-decided objective criteria, which includes their growth potential, sustainable revenue run rate, focus on quality, commitment to building a long-lasting brand, strong product mix and customer orientation.

About Flipkart:

• Flipkart is an Indian e-commerce company, headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, and incorporated in Singapore as a private limited company.
• CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy
• Parent organization: Walmart

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

SBM Bank partners with OneCard to jointly launch mobile-based credit card

• SBM Bank has partnered with fintech player OneCard to launch a mobile-based credit card.
• With this partnership, the bank stated it aims to cater to the tech-savvy populace who have embraced digital as a natural way of life.
• OneCard will leverage Visa’s technology and global acceptance in this co-branded credit card offering through an app.
• “This partnership is in sync with our smart banking mission to build products that meet specific consumer need gaps and provide innovative solutions through state-of-the-art platforms”.
• The mobile-first, credit card is a significant step towards acknowledging and celebrating the expanding digital ecosystem of the country.

About SBM Bank:

• State Bank of Mauritius, is a bank in Mauritius that the Bank of Mauritius, the national banking regulator, has licensed as a commercial bank.
• SBM is the second-largest bank in Mauritius with a market share of about 25% of domestic banking assets.
• Headquarters: Port Louis, Mauritius

HDFC Bank signs pact with National Small Industries Corporation 

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

About HDFC:

• HDFC Bank Limited is an Indian banking and financial services company, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• HDFC Bank is India’s largest private sector bank by assets and by market capitalization as of April 2021.
• It is the third largest company by market capitalization on the Indian stock exchanges.
• CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Tagline: We understand your World.

About National Small Industries Corporation:

• National Small Industries Corporation Limited is a Mini Ratna government agency established by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India in 1955 It falls under Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises of India.

India Post Payments Bank tie up with LIC Housing to sell home loans

• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has joined hands with LIC Housing Finance for selling housing finance products of the latter to its 4.5 crore customers.
• Through its robust and extensive network of 650 branches and more than 136,000 banking access points, IPPB will make LIC Housing Finance Ltd’s (LICHFL) home loan products accessible to its customer’s pan-India.
• Under the strategic partnership, credit underwriting, processing, and disbursement for all home loans will be handled by LICHFL, while IPPB will source the loans.
• IPPB already distributes general and life insurance products through partnerships with insurance companies. Credit products are natural extension for the customers at the last mile.

About IPPB:

• INDIA POST PAYMENTS BANK LIMITED, a public limited company wholly owned by the Government of India through Department of Post under Ministry of Communication and set up under the Companies Act, 2013, and the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 as a Payments Bank under the Department of Posts and in line with relevant guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India,

About LIC Housing Finance:

• LIC Housing Finance Limited is one of the largest Housing Finance Mortgage loan companies in India having its Registered and Corporate office at Mumbai.
• LIC HFL is a subsidiary company of LIC.

Bank of India tie-up with MAS Financial Services for co-lending

• State-owned Bank of India (BOI) stated it has entered into a co-lending arrangement with MAS Financial Services for MSME loans.
• The tie-up comes on the occasion of the bank’s 116th Foundation Day.
• Co-lending was introduced by the RBI to increase the credit flow to the unserved and underserved sector by utilising the nimble-footed NBFC coverage to the informal sector.
• BOI will leverage the reach of NBFC to build an MSME portfolio.
• Celebrating Foundation Day across all its 10 national banking group (NBG) offices, 59 zonal offices, 5,084 domestic and 23 overseas branches, and 5,323 ATMs, Das expressed gratitude to all the stakeholders.

About Bank of India:

• Bank of India is an Indian nationalised bank.
• It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India with headquarters in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai.
• Founded in 1906, it has been government-owned since nationalisation in 1969.
• Headquarters: Mumbai

About MAS Financial Services:

• Mas Financial Services Ltd., incorporated in the year 1995, is a Mid Cap company (having a market cap of Rs 4279.76 Crore) operating in NBFC sector.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

Harsha Bhupendra Bangari appointed as new MD of EXIM Bank

• The government has appointed Harsha Bhupendra Bangari as the managing director (MD) of Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank).
• Bangari, who is presently the deputy managing director at EXIM Bank, would be at the helm for a period of three years or until further orders of the government.
• Banks Board Bureau (BBB), the head hunter for state-owned banks and financial institutions, had interviewed 10 candidates for the top post at EXIM Bank.
• In May, it had recommended Bangari as the EXIM Bank MD.
• The BBB had also suggested Samuel Joseph Jebaraj as the candidate on the reserve list for the position.

About Exim Bank:

• Exim Bank was established by the Government of India, under the Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981 as a purveyor of export credit, mirroring global Export Credit Agencies.
• Exim Bank serves as a growth engine for industries and SMEs through a wide range of products and services.

S.L. Tripathy named as CMD of United India Insurance

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of SL Tripathy as Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the United India Insurance Company Limited (UIICL).
• He will hold the office of the CMD, UIICL with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the office and up to the date of his attaining the age of superannuation (i.e. 29.02.2024), or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• The appointment of SL Tripathy was proposed by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) on the recommendation of the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) as a candidate for the Reserve List for the vacancy of CMD, UIICL.

About UIIC:

• United India Insurance Company is a leading Indian nationalised general insurance company.
• It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
• It is headquartered in Chennai, India.
• It was incorporated on 18 February 1938, and nationalised in 1972.

ACC appointed S Ramesh as Managing Director of BPRL

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for the appointment of S Ramesh as Managing Director (MD) of Bharat Petro Resources Limited (BPRL). 
• Ramesh has been appointed to the post for a period with effect from the date of his assumption of charge of the post till the date of his superannuation, i.e. July 31, 2022, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• He is currently serving as General Manager in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL).

Govt nods appointment of V Ramakrishna Gupta as Director (Finance) of BPCL

• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has appointed V Ramkrishana Gupta as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company with effect from August 1.
• He has been appointed to the post in place of BPCL’s former Director (Finance) N Vijayagopal, who was also CFO of the company.
• Vijayagopal superannuated from the services of the company on July 31.
• This information has been shared by the disinvestment bound Maharatna PSU in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges.

About BPCL:

• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited is an Indian government-owned oil and gas corporation.
• It is under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• It operates two large refineries in Kochi and Mumbai.
• Headquarters: Mumbai

MP Govt. appointed Olympic hockey player Vivek Sagar as DSP in state police

• The Madhya Pradesh government has issued a letter appointing hockey player Vivek Sagar, who was part of the Indian squad that won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the state police.
• The appointment letter was issued as promised by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and approved by the state cabinet.
• Earlier this month, Chouhan had presented a cheque of Rs one crore to Sagar and announced his appointment as DSP and a house for his family wherever they wish, in the state.

About Madhya Pradesh:

• Capital: Bhopal
• Chief minister:Shivraj Singh Chouhan
• Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel
• National Parks: Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhav National Park, Sanjay National Park, Van Vihar National Park, Panna National Park, Satpura National Park, Pench National Park, Mandla Plant Fossils National Park.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

President Ram Nath Kovind conferred National Award for Teachers-2021

• President Ram Nath Kovind, September 5, presented the national teacher award to 44 teachers on the occasion of Teachers’ Day.
• The beginning of Shikshak Parv-2021 under the Ministry of Education.
• The programme will be held in online mode and continue till September 17.

About National Award to Teachers:

• The purpose of National Award to Teachers is to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the country and to honor those teachers who through their commitment and industry have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students.

Ramesh Narayan to be honoured as AFAA Hall of Fame

• Ramesh Narayan will be inducted into the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) Hall of Fame at the AdAsia 2021.
• He has been president of the Rotary Club of India.
• Raymond So, chairman AFAA, stated, “Ramesh Narayan is a legend who has the ability to look past what’s ‘good enough’ and focus on making everything ‘better than it has to be’.
• He is known for his integrity and truthfulness.
• He is a true leader who generously gave his time to build a better future for the advertising industry and social causes.
• Ramesh is a gentleman and role model.”

CURRENT AFFAIRS : MOU & AGREEMENTS

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) signs pact for providing reliable power supply to security forces operating in remote, Naxal-affected and high-altitude areas

• The Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a pact for providing reliable and sustainable power supply to security forces operating in remote, Naxal-affected and high-altitude areas.
• The MoU between the Navratna PSU BEL and the SFC Energy-AG, Germany, and FC TecNrgy Pvt Ltd (FCTec), signed recently will ensure cooperation in addressing the emerging requirement of sustainable energy to the security forces through supply of hydrogen and fuel cells.
• The partnership aims to jointly address the off-grid power needs of the country, including mission critical requirements of the security forces and a range of additional applications through highly proven and customised green energy solutions based on fuel cells

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Amicus Insurance Brokers to merge with First Policy Insurance Brokers 

• India-based First Policy Insurance Brokers has completed the acquisition of Amicus Insurance Brokers which helps consolidate its position in the market.
• An in-principle approval for this transaction was granted by the insurance regulator, Insurance Regulatory and Development Association of India (IRDAI) on 5th August 2021.
• The merger process needs to go through a few more closure formalities, as specified in the Companies Act.
• The merger will contribute to 40 per cent growth in our revenue.
• Under the agreement, Jitendranath Nayer, chairman of Amicus Insurance Brokers, will join First Policy’s board of directors.

 Note :

• Amicus Insurance Brokers Chairman : Nayer
• Amicus Insurance Brokers CEO: K.V. Satheesh Kumar

About IRDAI :

• Founded: 1999
• Headquarters: Hyderabad
• Chairperson: Subhash Chandra Khuntia
• IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance , Government of India and is tasked with regulating and licensing the insurance and re-insurance industries in India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

MoS Health Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar addresses 74th WHO-SEARO

• On Sep 07, 2021, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar represented India at the 74th Session of World Health Organization- South East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO) through video-conference.
• During the Conference, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar highlighted the key measures and strategies planned to ‘build back better’ to achieve universal healthcare and health related sustainable development goals and to strengthen health system resilience for the future.

Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria Attends Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2021 (PACS-21)     

• Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) attended the Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2021 (PACS-21) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii from 30 Aug to 02 Sep 21.
• Bhadauria was nominated as the Dean for the Symposium.
• The event was attended by Air Chiefs from countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The theme of the event was “Enduring Cooperation towards Regional Stability”.
• Participation in PACS 2021 provided an opportunity for enhancing mutual understanding and deepening of relationships.
• Keynote addresses on topics ranging from aspects of Regional Security and the significance of Air Domain Awareness, to cooperation amongst Air Forces for Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Operations.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

C-DoT launches lab to develop pan-India disaster alert system

• State-run telecom research and development organisation C-DoT has launched a lab to design and develop pan-India integrated alert system for disaster management at the occasion of its 38th Foundation Day.
• It was administered by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for effective disaster management, public alerting and hazard notification in emergency situations.
• C-DOT has been running a pilot for the system to send alerts to people at the time of Cyclone Yaas in affected areas as well as for Covid-19 to manage isolation zones in selected states.

About C-DoT :

• Founder: Sam Pitroda
• Founded: August 1984
• Headquarters: Delhi, India
• Executive Director : Rajkumar Upadhyay

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Releases book titled ‘Haryana Environment and Pollution Code’ 

• Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal released the book ‘Haryana Environment and Pollution Code’ compiled by former IAS officer and famous poet Smt. Dheera Khandelwal.
• The book will prove useful to the entrepreneurs, who were deprived of complete knowledge of laws and regulations related to the environment for setting up new ventures.
• Students, law researchers and practitioners will also benefit from this book.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

130th edition of Durand Cup kicks off in Kolkata

• The 130th edition of the Durand Cup kicked off at the Vivekananda Yubabharati Krirangan in Kolkata,West Bengal.
• The tournament is jointly organized by the Eastern Command of the Indian Armed Forces and the Government of West Bengal.
• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the tournament & State’s Sports Minister Arup Biswas was also present at the event.
• 16 teams will participate in this edition of the oldest club football tournament in Asia while two renowned clubs of Kolkata, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are not participating.

About Durand Cup :

• Durand Cup is an annual domestic football competition in India which was first held in 1888 in Annadale, Shimla.
• It is hosted by the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS).
• At present, Gokulam Kerala is the holder of the Durand Cup.

Tokyo Paralympics 2020: Avani Lekhara leads Indian contingent at closing ceremony

• 19-year-old shooter Avani Lekhara, led India’s contingent at the Closing Ceremony of Tokyo Paralympics as the flag-bearer.
• A total of 11 members of the Indian contingent attended the Closing Ceremony.
• Avani Lekhara, became the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals, (gold and bronze medals).
• The Indian contingent finished their campaign at the Paralympic Games at an all-time high by securing a total of 19 medals which includes 5 gold, 8 silver, and 6 bronze medals.

Note :

• Shot-putter Tek Chand was India’s flag-bearer for the Paralympics opening ceremony.

About Tokyo Paralympics 2020:

• Tokyo Paralympics 2020 is a major international multi-sport parasports event governed by the International Paralympic Committee.
• It was the 16th Summer Paralympic Games and was held in Tokyo, Japan between 24 August and 5 September 2021.
• It featured 539 medal events across 22 sports.
• A total of 54 para-athletes from India across nine sports disciplines were featured in the Paralympic Games.

Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships 2021 : India Bags 39 Medals Including 14 Golds

• India Clinched 39 medals including 14 gold at the ASBC Asian World Youth and Junior Championships 2021 in
• India earned 20 medals ( (six gold, nine silver and five bronze) in the youth category, and 19 medals (eight gold, five silver, and six bronze medals) in the junior category.
• It was the first time both youth and junior events were organised together.
• A total of fifteen countries of boxers take part in the youth events.
• Kazakhstan topped the medal’s tally with eleven gold medals, while Uzbekistan stood second by clinching eight youth titles.
• India bagged the third position with six gold medals.

About ASBC :

• ASBC : Asian Boxing Confederation
• President : Mr. Anas Alotaiba

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

BBC’s First Hindi News Reader, Rajni Kaul Passes away

• Rajni Kaul, Indian media personality passed away.
• She was 93.

About Rajni Kaul :

• Born in Peshawar, now in Pakistan.
• 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.

Daily CA On Sep 07 :

• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is observing ‘Food Processing Week’ from 6th to 12th September 2021, under which, the Ministry is organizing various programs.
• September 7 is celebrated annually as the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an approval rating of 70 per cent, which is the highest among 13 global leaders polled in the survey conducted by The Morning Consult.
• The Tamil Nadu government announced plans to set up India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in the Palk Bay on the southeast coast of the state.
• Multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank has approved a $150 million (about Rs 1,095 crore) loan for a sustainable housing project for the urban poor in Tamil Nadu.
• India’s first building made of bio-bricks from agro-waste has been inaugurated at IIT Hyderabad.
• The Gujarat government stated it planned to undertake public welfare projects to the tune of Rs. 1,000 crore jointly with non-resident Gujaratis by December next year under its ”Vatan Prem Yojana”.
• Account aggregators are a set of non-banking financial companies, which work as technology intermediaries between companies seeking financial data of customers (financial information users) and those holding that data (financial information providers).
• Ola Electric has tied up with leading banks and financial institutions, including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Prime and TATA Capital, for providing loans to customers for its S1 electric scooter that will be available for purchase from September 8.
• Equitas Small Finance Bank announced women hockey player, Rani Rampal and cricketer Smriti Mandhana as the company’s brand ambassadors.
• Adani Transmission Limited (ATL) stated its board has approved the appointment of Rohit Soni as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company. 
• Arun Kumar Singh as the next Chairman and Managing Director of privatisation bound Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).
• The Andhra Pradesh government has appointed Rajnish Kumar as its economic advisor.
• Google has reintroduced a major focus on health-tech after 2020, and two Indian start-up founders have been selected for Women Founders Academy – Monika Mehta of Zealth-AI and Laina Emmanuel of BrainSightAI.
• A Myanmar photographer won the top award (Sept 4) at photojournalism’s biggest annual festival for his coverage of the troubled nation’s pro-democracy protests and bloody military crackdown.
• Hyderabad International Airport clinched the CII ‘National Energy Leader’ and ‘Excellent Energy Efficient Unit’ awards at the 22nd National Award Ceremony for ‘Excellence in Energy Management’, the officials of GHIAL (GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited) informed.
• IREDA has entered into a pact with TANGEDCO for providing technical expertise in developing of renewable energy projects and raising of funds.
• The 4th edition of AUSINDEX, a bilateral navy exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Australian Navy has begun from September 06, 2021 and will continue up to September 10, 2021.
• New Book Titled Bullets Over Bombay: Satya and the Hindi Film Gangster Authored by Uday Bhatia.
• One of the prominent actresses from the South Indian movie industry, Tamannaah Bhatia launched her book titled  ‘Back to the Roots’.
• On Sep 05, 2021, Max Verstappen won the formula one Dutch Grand Prix 2021.
• India’s Krishna Nagar won gold in the men’s singles SH6 category at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020.
• India has secured a total of 19 medals (includes 5 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze medals) at the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020.
• On Sep 06, 2021, Former French footballer Jean-Pierre Adams passed away.
• On Sep 05, 2021, Former Union Health Secretary Keshav Desiraju passed away.

Daily CA On Sep 08 :

• International Literacy Day is observed and celebrated widely every year on September 8 & the theme of 2021 is ‘Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide’.
• MEA and TRIFED to set up Atma Nirbhar Bharat corner in 100 Indian Embassies across the World.
• On 7th September 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the “Shikshak Parv-2021” via video conferencing.
• G Kishan Reddy, the Minister of Culture, launched the “Bujurgon ki Baat-Desh Ke Saath” program in New Delhi on 07th September.
• The Ministry of Coal has constituted a Task Force and Expert Committee to Prepare Road Map for Coal based Hydrogen Production.
• Afghanistan Mullah Hasan Akhund appointed PM of new Taliban govt, Mullah Baradar to be his deputy
• El Salvador has become the first country in the world to accept Bitcoin as legal tender.
• Cuba became the first country in the worldon September 6, 2021, to vaccinate toddlers with the COVID-19 vaccine. 
• The Greek government announced that it is creating a ministry for climate change after a record-breaking summer of deadly heat.
• Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav unveiled first functional Smog Tower of India, situated at Anand Vihar in New Delhi
• Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia launched the Delhi government’s ‘Business Blasters’ programme which aims at developing young entrepreneurs at the school-level by providing students seed money to start a business.
• The Assam government announced that it will form a committee comprising ministers and members of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) for preparing a roadmap within three months to implement the Assam Accord.
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. unveiled its branded store “Happy Shop” In Mumbai, marking its foray into non-fuel retailing.
• The India Today Group has launched Good News Today (GNT), India’s first and only good news channel that recognise that the news doesn’t just have to be shocking, sensational and stressful.
• India’s largest broking firm Zerodha has received in-principle approval to set up an asset management company (AMC) company. 
• Walmart-owned Flipkart launched ‘Flipkart Boost’, a new programme aimed at helping digital-first consumer brands to grow their business.
• SBM Bank has partnered with fintech player OneCard to launch a mobile-based credit card.
• HDFC Bank has signed a pact with the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) for providing credit support to the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME)
• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has joined hands with LIC Housing Finance for selling housing finance products of the latter to its 4.5 crore customers.
• State-owned Bank of India (BOI) stated it has entered into a co-lending arrangement with MAS Financial Services for MSME loans.
• The government has appointed Harsha Bhupendra Bangari as the managing director (MD) of Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank).
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of SL Tripathy as Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the United India Insurance Company Limited (UIICL).
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for the appointment of S Ramesh as Managing Director (MD) of Bharat Petro Resources Limited (BPRL). 
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has appointed V Ramkrishana Gupta as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company with effect from August 1.
• The Madhya Pradesh government has issued a letter appointing hockey player Vivek Sagar, who was part of the Indian squad that won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the state police.
• President Ram Nath Kovind, September 5, presented the national teacher award to 44 teachers on the occasion of Teachers’ Day.
• Ramesh Narayan will be inducted into the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) Hall of Fame at the AdAsia 2021.
• The Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a pact for providing reliable and sustainable power supply to security forces operating in remote, Naxal-affected and high-altitude areas.
• India-based First Policy Insurance Brokers has completed the acquisition of Amicus Insurance Brokers which helps consolidate its position in the market.
• On Sep 07, 2021, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar represented India at the 74th Session of World Health Organization- South East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO) through video-conference.
• Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) attended the Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium 2021 (PACS-21) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii from 30 Aug to 02 Sep 21.
• State-run telecom research and development organisation C-DoT has launched a lab to design and develop pan-India integrated alert system for disaster management at the occasion of its 38th Foundation Day.
• Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal released the book ‘Haryana Environment and Pollution Code’ compiled by former IAS officer and famous poet Smt. Dheera Khandelwal.
• The 130th edition of the Durand Cup kicked off at the Vivekananda Yubabharati Krirangan in Kolkata,West Bengal.
• 19-year-old shooter Avani Lekhara, led India’s contingent at the Closing Ceremony of Tokyo Paralympics as the flag-bearer.
• India Clinched 39 medals including 14 gold at the ASBC Asian World Youth and Junior Championships 2021 in
• Rajni Kaul, Indian media personality passed away.