Current Affairs 26th & 27th September 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons – Observed on Sep 26

• In 2013, The United Nations (UN) passed resolution 68/32 which established the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons to take place annually, every September 26th.
• The resolution calls for the critical negotiation on nuclear weapons to prohibit their development, manufacturing, possession, testing, transfer, storing, and use or threat of use.
• The goal for the day is to provide an opportunity for the global community to reaffirm its dedication to the urgency for global nuclear disarmament and to mobilize new-found international efforts towards achieving a nuclear free world. You can participate in this International Day.

World Environmental Health Day – Observed on Sep 26

• World Environmental Health Day 2021 is observed annually on September 26 to spread awareness globally regarding the health of the environment.
• The theme for this year is ‘Prioritising Environmental Health for healthier communities in the global recovery.’
• The central idea behind celebrating this day is that the health of the human race is irrevocably intertwined with the health of the environment.
• Therefore, in order to protect and advance human health, preserving and enhancing the planet’s health is not a matter of choice instead a matter of concern.

World Rivers Day 2021 – Observed on Fourth Sunday of September

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated a significant portion of the latest episode of his Mann Ki Baat radio address to World Rivers Day, which is being observed on Sunday.
• The theme for this year is ‘Prioritising Environmental Health for healthier communities in the global recovery.’ 
• PM Modi, in fact, began his speech by acknowledging the occasion, and used early parts of his address to highlight the significance of rivers and the need to ensure their cleanliness.

World Tourism Day – Observed on Sep 27

• Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27.
• This year World Tourism Day holds more significance as the theme is ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’.
• This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted.
• The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism.
• World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has therefore designated World Tourism Day 2021 as a day to focus on “Tourism for Inclusive Growth.”

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Supreme Court launches FASTER (Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records) System

• The Supreme Court has given its nod for e-transfer of orders to jails through the FASTER system for quick prisoner release.
• “It is proposed that the e-authenticated copies of the record of proceedings/orders, digitally signed by the authorised officer may be transmitted through FASTER [Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records] system to the duty-holders of the justice system,”

About FASTER system:

• FASTER is an acronym form Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records.
• The system is meant to ensure that under trials are not made to wait for days on end behind bars to be released because the certified hard copies of their bail orders took time to reach the prison.
• It is conceived for delivery of orders to concerned prisons, District Courts, High Courts, as the case may be, for instantaneous delivery of orders passed by apex court through a secure communication channel.
• The process to develop the FASTER system began with the CJI’s observations in court on July 16 this year.

India signs Pact for construction of Social Housing Units in Maldives

• EXIM (Export Import) Bank of India completed its agreement with Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation Limited (FDC) of Maldives to provide a Buyers Credit of ∼$228 million for the construction of 4000 Social Housing Units in Hulhumale’ Phase II.
• The construction will be undertaken by India’s National Buildings Construction Company (NBCC) and JMC Projects (India).
• A total of 2800 units of 3 bedrooms and 3 toilets, and, 1200 units of 2 bedrooms and 2 toilets will be constructed under this.

About Maldives:

• Capital – Male
• Currency – Maldivian rufiyaa
• President – Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

India Virtually Hosted 1st India-UK Consular Dialogue

• India virtually hosted the 1st India-United Kingdom (UK) Consular Dialogue.
• The Indian delegation was led by Devesh Uttam, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and the UK delegation was led by Jennifer Anderson, Director Consular Services, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. 
• India-UK Consular Dialogue is a part of the India-UK 2030 Roadmap, in which both countries discussed ways to strengthen people-to-people contacts between them.
• In May 2021, India and UK have adopted ‘Roadmap 2030’ at the India-UK Virtual Summit 2021, for elevating relations between the two countries to ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’. 
• The next round of the Consular Dialogue was scheduled to be held in 2022, in London.

About the United Kingdom (UK):

• Capital – London
• Prime Minister – Boris Johnson
• Currency – British Pound Sterling (GBP)

MyGov Launches Planetarium Innovation Challenge for Start-ups, Tech Entrepreneurs

• In September 2021, MyGov India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), launched the ‘Planetarium Innovation Challenge’ for Indian start-ups and tech entrepreneurs.
• Objective: To enable the tech firms and startups in India to build an indigenous planetarium system software using the latest technologies (Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Merged Reality). 
• The winners could get an opportunity to know the latest advancements under Planetarium along with cash prizes.
• MyGov was launched on 26th July 2014 as a Citizen Engagement Platform which collaborates with multiple Government bodies/ Ministries to engage with citizens for policy formulation.

DAHD signs deal with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support livestock

• As a part of on-going celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support India’s livestock sector. Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala signed the deal

 Objective:

• To support the nation’s food and nutritional security and protect the economic wellbeing of small-scale livestock producers.
• The Gates Foundation will provide technical assistance to the department to ensure sustainable growth and prosperity of India’s livestock sector.
• As a part of the partnership National One Health platform will be established with an aim.

 National One Health

• To improve coordination, productivity, and support livelihoods of small-scale producers.
• It allows tracking and resolution of animal and human health challenges and will prevent possible infection and disease outbreaks.

About Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

• CEO: CEO Mark Suzman
• Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

WHO tightened its global air quality norms for first time since 2005

• The World Health Organization tightened its global air quality guidelines in its first revision since 2005.
• The organization stated air pollution is one of the “biggest environmental threats to human health” , “Clean air is fundamental to health”. 
• “Compared to 15 years ago, when the previous edition of these guidelines was published, there is now a much stronger body of evidence to show how air pollution affects different aspects of health at even lower concentrations than previously understood”.
• Under the guidelines, the WHO lowered recommended exposure levels to key pollutants including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.
• They were adjusted to account for the latest evidence that shows the health effects from exposure.
• The study found particulate matter “equal or smaller than 10 and 2.5 microns (µm) in diameter” is particularly dangerous, having the ability to travel deep into either the lungs or the bloodstream.

About WHO:

• The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
• The WHO Constitution states its main objective as “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health”.

Bangabandhu-Bapu digital exhibition begins in Dhaka

• The Bangabandhu-Bapu digital exhibition was opened for public viewing in Dhaka.
• Education Minister of Bangladesh Dr. Dipu Moni, State Minister for Culture K.M. Khalid and High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami opened the exhibition at the Shilpkala Academy in Dhaka.
• The exhibition showcases in a thematic manner the lives of the father of the nation of Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.
• The exhibition has been specially curated by the two governments to commemorate the Mujib Boarsho, birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib and 150 years of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi as well as the golden jubilee of India-Bangladesh bilateral relations.

About Bangladesh:

• Capital: Dhaka
• Currency: Bangladeshi taka
• Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina

UNICEF’s Fed to Fail? Report: No improvement in young children’s diets over past decade

• In accordance with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report titled ‘Fed to Fail? The crisis of children’s diets in early life’, two in every three children between 6–23 months didn’t get the nutritious diet needed for healthy growth and the COVID-19 pandemic could make the situation much worse.
• This report was released ahead of the United Nations Food Systems Summit on September 23, 2021 in New York, United States (US).

Basis of Analysis:

• The report examined the UNICEF Global Database on Infant and Young Child Feeding for the status, trends, inequities and barriers to nutritious diets of children aged 6–23 months. 
• This database has collated data from 607 nationally representative surveys conducted in 135 countries, representing more than 90% of all children under 2 years.
• UNICEF has estimated that globally, more than half of children under the age of 5 with wasting are younger than 2 years of age.
• This amounts to around 23 million children.

COVID-19 Slow down the Development Towards SDGs – The 3rd Assessment Report of FAO

• According to the report of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations(UN) titled ‘Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2021’, COVID 19 has set back progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) enshrined in the UN’s Agenda 2030, undermining the decades of development efforts.
• It focuses on eight SDGs, which were adopted at the UN summit in New York in 2015.
• It’s FAO’s 3rd assessment this time.
• According to the report, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden of chronic hunger.
• It has pushed around 83 to 132 million people into hunger in 2020.
• COVID-19 has disrupted the food supply in society, around 14 percent of all food has been lost.
• The new report coincides with the recent UN Food Systems Summit, which aims to raise global awareness and spur actions to transform food systems, eradicate hunger, reduce diet-related diseases, and heal the planet.

About Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security.
• Headquarters- Rome, Italy
• Establishment – 16 October 1945
• Director General – QU Dongyu

WMO Report ‘United in Science 2021’: COVID-19 has not Slowed Climate change

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report on the latest climate science information named ‘United in Science 2021’.
• As per the report, the COVID-19 caused only a temporary decline in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2020. 
• Whereas the concentrations of major greenhouse gases – CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the atmosphere continued to increase in 2020 and the first half of 2021.
• Global Climate in 2017- 21: The global average surface temperature for the period from 2017–2021 is among the warmest on record, estimated at 1.06 °C to 1.26 °C above pre-industrial (1850–1900) levels.
• Sea level rise: Global mean sea levels rose 20 cm from 1900 to 2018 and at an accelerated rate of 3.7+0.5 mm/year from 2006 to 2018.

About World Meteorological Organization (WMO):

• Establishment – 23 March 1950
• Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
• Secretary-general – Petteri Taalas
• Members – 193 Member States and Territories

WHO announced new Global Air Quality Guidelines

• The World Health Organization (WHO) announced new stringent Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) to assess the effects of air pollution and its health impact.
• Earlier, WHO issued guidelines in 2005.
• Yet many countries did not reach 2005 AQGs.
• Even lower levels of air pollutions have impact on health and climate change In the new AQGs thresholds was set for six key air pollutants — particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).
• Bangladesh, Pakistan and India have recorded the highest air pollution levels with regard to the 2005 WHO guidelines.

About World Health Organization

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Director-General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & ECONOMY 

RBI fixes minimum ticket size to issuance of securitisation notes at Rs.1 crore

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued separate master directions on transfer of loan exposures and securitisation of standard assets.
• These master directions came after considering public comments on draft rules issued on June 8, 2020.
• RBI stated that while complicated and opaque securitisation structures could be undesirable with the perspective of financial stability, prudentially structured securitisation transactions can be an important facilitator in a well-functioning financial market as it improves risk distribution and liquidity of lenders in originating fresh loan exposures.

RBI nods lenders to sell fraud loans to Asset Reconstruction Companies

• The Reserve Bank of India allowed loan exposures classified as fraud to be transferred to Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs). 
• This comes in the wake of banks reporting frauds aggregating Rs.3.95-lakh crore between FY19 and FY21.
• Stressed loans, which are in default for more than 60 days or classified as non-performing assets (NPA), can be transferred to ARCs.
• This shall include loan exposures classified as fraud as on the date of transfer.
• Issuing the guidelines for transfer of loan exposure, including stressed loans, the central bank stated the transfer of such loans to an ARC, however, does not absolve the transferor from fixing the staff accountability as required under the extant instructions on frauds.
• Until now, when an account is declared fraud, banks had to set aside 100 per cent of the outstanding loan as provision.
• Under the new rules, banks can hope to recover a part of the loan.
• For ARCs, this will allow them to buy debt cheaper than regular loan accounts.

DFC and USAID Announce $55 million Credit Guarantee Programme to Address Economic Impact of COVID-19 in India

• United States (US) International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in collaboration with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) jointly announced an 8-year sponsor project programme with a credit guarantee of USD 55 million (~ Rs 400 crores) named ‘India Covid Response Programme for Agriculture Transition’ to address the economic impact of COVID-19 in India.
• This initiative will offer customized financial solutions to entities interested in adopting climate-smart and green solutions.
• Objective is to improve the linkages and increase the income of farmers while having a positive environmental impact.

Beneficiaries: 

• Loans will be provided to Farmer Producer Organizations(FPO), agriculture- technology companies (Ag-tech), Companies engaged in Clean Energy Sectors of agriculture, women and vulnerable sections in India.

About USAID (United States Agency for International Development)

• Established- 3 November 1961
• Founder– John F. Kennedy
• Headquarters– Washington, DC, United States of America
• Administrator- Samantha Power

Bank Deposits Grew by 11.9% in FY21 due to Higher CASA growth: RBI

• As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) publication of ‘Deposits with Scheduled Commercial Banks – March 2021’, Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) deposits in FY21 grew by 11.9 percent year-on-year compared to 8.8 percent in FY20 due to high growth in the Current Account and Savings Account (CASA) deposits.
• The share of CASA deposits in FY21 increased to 43.7 percent in March 2021, compared to 41.7 percent in FY20.
• Private Sector Banks: The share of private sector banks in total bank deposits in FY21 increased to 30.5 percent from 29.5 percent in FY20.
• In FY21, the Bank deposits of non-financial corporations increased by 18.8 percent and their share in total deposits also increased to 16.2 percent. 
• Deposits of Metropolitan bank branches (which accounts for over half of total deposits) increased to 59.6 percent in FY21 compared with 43.2 percent in FY20.

About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):

• Establishment – 1st April 1935
• Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Governor – Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar

IndusInd Bank Acquired 4.79% Stake in McLeod Russel India

• The IndusInd Bank has acquired a 4.79% stake in debt-laden McLeod Russel India Limited(MRIL) by involving pledged shares for recovery of its dues.
• The bank, in accordance with the invocation of the pledge of shares, acquired 5000000 equity shares of MRIL.
• MRIL, the leading bulk tea manufacturer in India, is a flagship company of the BM Khaitan group.

Background:

• The equity shares of McLeod Russel held by Ichamati Investments were pledged with IndusInd bank for securing the outstanding dues of MRIL.
• The IndusInd bank invoked the pledged shares to recover its due from MRIL.

Additional info:

• In June 2021, IndusInd bank acquired 7067500 equity shares of MRIL forming 6.77% paid-up equity share capital of MRIL, by invoking pledged shares for recovery of its dues.
• By the end of the first quarter of this fiscal, the promoter shareholdings in MRIL stood at 07%.
• The other financial creditors of MRIL include Indian Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, UCO Bank, Punjab National Bank, Yes Bank, RBL Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.

About IndusInd Bank:

• MD & CEO– Sumant Kathpalia
• Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra
• Establishment– 1994

About McLoed Russel India Ltd (MRIL):

• MRIL was incorporated as Eveready Company India. Private Limited on 5th May 1998.
• CMD– Aditya Khaitan
• Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal

RBL Bank &Mastercard Launched #UseBefikar, New Campaign for Seamless Payment Experience

• RBL Bank launched ‘#UseBefikar’, a new campaign with Mastercard to provide shopping offers and rewards for the existing cardholders.
• With the #UseBefikar campaign, the RBL bank’s Mastercard holders can avail of exclusive offers with assured safety and security.

Features of the campaign:

• The campaign is running through a series of videos that aims to resonate with the cardholders at the start of the festive season.
• The videos will be amplified through social media and online promotions.
• The campaign features celebrities like Riteish Deshmukh, Mirabai Chanu and Vikrant Massey.
• The campaign highlights the card’s offering for everyone, focusing on various categories like health and fitness, e-commerce, online bill payments and food delivery.

About RBL Bank:

• MD & CEO– Vishwavir Ahuja
• Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Tagline– Apnoka bank

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

Gordon Brown appointed as WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing

• The World Health Organization (WHO) appointed former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown as ambassador for global health financing.
• Brown, who served as the UK’s finance minister before succeeding Tony Blair as prime minister in 2007 until 2010, has been a strong advocate for sharing vaccines globally, leading calls at the G7 summit in June for a financing package to end Covid-19 jab shortages in the world’s poorest countries.

About WHO:

• The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
• The WHO Constitution states its main objective as “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health”.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

Debabrata Mukherjee elected as chief of Audit Bureau of Circulations

• Debabrata Mukherjee, who is currently serving as Chief Marketing Officer at the United Breweries Group, has been elected as the chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for the year 2021-2022, the non-profit circulation-auditing organisation.
• Debabrata Mukherjee is responsible for managing local and global brands like Kingfisher, Ultra, Heineken and Amstel.
• He has a wide range of professional experience in general management, marketing and sales operations, business strategy and innovation.

About Mukherjee:

• Mukherjee, who graduated from the Presidency College, Kolkata with a B. Sc (Honours) in Economics and also has a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Kolkata, started his career with Unilever India.
• He joined Coca-Cola in 1998 after spending four years in Unilever India as the company’s Franchise Manager for Mumbai.
• He held several roles in the operations of The Coca-Cola Company in India, Korea and South-West Asia.
• Mukherjee also held the position of vice-president of southwest Asia operations in The Coca-Cola Company.
• As an executive director at Hindustan Times in 2018, he led the company in creating and implementing strategies for revenue growth.
• Debabrata joined the United Breweries group in 2019.
• Debabrata also served as an independent director on the board for the Anand Bazaar Patrika group.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONOURS

NHPC’s 510 MW Teesta-V Power Station, Sikkim won 2021 IHA Blue Planet Prize

• The 2021 IHA Blue Planet Prize for excellence in sustainable hydropower development has been awarded to 510 MW Teesta-V Power Station, Sikkim, owned and being operated by NHPC Limited. 
• The award was presented by the International Hydropower Association (IHA), a non-profit membership association operating in 120 countries, based in London, United Kingdom(UK).
• The award was announced during the World Hydropower Congress, 2021 held from 7th to 24th September 2021 over a virtual platform.
• 2021 IHA Mosonyi Award for Excellence in Hydro power has been awarded to former CEO of IHA Richard Taylor, Director at RMT Renewables Consulting Ltd. Ashtead, England.

About NHPC’s 510 MW Teesta-V project:

• The Teesta-V project is located on the Teesta River, Sikkim, India.

About Blue Planet Prize:

• The Blue Planet Prize is awarded to the hydropower projects that demonstrate excellence in sustainable development.

About NHPC Limited:

• NHPC ltd was Incorporated on 7th November 1975 as National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation Pvt Ltd and in April 1986, it was converted into a public limited company.
• CMD– Abhay Kumar Singh
• Headquarters– Faridabad, Haryana

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

PM Narendra Modi addresses 76th UNGA 

• On Sep 25, 2021, Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
• He was the first world leader scheduled to address the UNGA session, which commenced at 6.30 pm Indian Standard Time (IST).
• The theme of the 2021 was ‘building resilience through hope to recover from Covid-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations’.
• Prior to this, PM Modi had addressed the UN General Assembly in 2019.
• During the address, PM spoke on various global issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to combat terrorism focusing on Afghanistan and Extremism, and the need to strengthen the United Nations.
• About 109 heads of state and government will address the General Debate in person while nearly 60 are expected to deliver speeches through pre-recorded video statements.

About UNGA :

• President: Abdulla Shahid
• Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
• Founded: 1945

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Defence Ministry Signs Deal With Spain For Acquisition Of 56 C-295MW Aircraft For IAF

• On Sep 24, 2021, The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space, Spain, to acquire 56 C-295MW transport aircraft worth ₹20,000 crore for the Indian Air Force.
• The MoD has also signed an Offset Contract with M/s Airbus Defence and Space through which M/s Airbus will discharge its offset obligations through direct purchase of eligible products and services from Indian Offset Partners.
• Under the deal, Airbus Defence and Space will work with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) to jointly execute the project.
• The first 16 aircraft in the deal will be delivered in fly-away condition.
• The subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by the Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between Airbus and TASL.
• The induction of C-295 MW will be a significant step towards modernisation of the transport fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• It is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the ageing Avro transport aircraft of IAF.
• The aircraft is capable of operating from semi-prepared strips and has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops & cargo.
• It will give a major boost to the tactical airlift capability of IAF, especially in the Northern and North-Eastern sector and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

About MoD :

• Union Minister :  Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State : Ajay Bhatt
• Headquarters : New Delhi

About IAF :

• Founded: 8 October 1932, India
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind
• Chief of Defence Staff : General Bipin Rawat
• Chief of the Air Staff : Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria
• Vice Chief of the Air Staff : Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari

About TATA group:

• Tata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, airplanes and other products, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
• Owner: Tata Sons
• Founder: Jamsetji Tata
• Headquarters: Mumbai

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

Book Titled “The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India” written by Vijay Gokhale 

• The former Foreign Secretary of India and Ambassador to China, Vijay Gokhale, has written a new book titled “The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India”.

About the Book :

• The Book deals with the history of how China has negotiated with India, be it the early years after Independence or the current times, based on six historical and recent events in the India-China relationship.

Objective of the Book : 

• To identify the strategy, tactics and tools that China employs in its diplomatic negotiations with India, and the learnings for India from its past dealings with China that may prove helpful in future negotiations with the country.

About Vijay Gokhale :

• Gokhale hails from Pune.
• Gokhale is an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1981 batch & he is a retired Indian diplomat and the 32nd Foreign Secretary of India.
• He previously served as the Ambassador of India to China
• He served as the Deputy Secretary (Finance), Director (China and East Asia) and Joint Secretary (East Asia) at the Ministry of External Affairs, India.
• Gokhale was the High Commissioner of India to Malaysia from January 2010 to October 2013 and the Indian Ambassador to Germany from October 2013 to January 2016.
• He was the Indian Ambassador to China from 20 January 2016 to 21 October 2017.
• He is currently a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the New Delhi-based think tank, Carnegie India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Lewis Hamilton Clinches the Russian Grand Prix 2021

• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain), has won the F1 Russian Grand Prix 2021.
• He has become the first Formula One driver to win 100 races with victory.
• Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) came second while Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) came third in the Russian Grand Prix 2021.
• It was Hamilton’s fifth win of the season and his first since the British Grand Prix in July.

About Russian Grand Prix 2021 :

• The 2021 Russian Grand Prix is officially known as the Formula 1 VTB Russian Grand Prix 2021.
• It was a Formula One motor race, held on 26 September 2021 at the Sochi Autodrom.
• It was the 15th round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship & it was the tenth running of the Russian Grand Prix, and the eighth held in Sochi

Howzat Fantasy Sports Platform Signed Cricketer Suresh Raina as Brand Ambassador

• Howzat Fantasy Sports Platform, a product of Junglee Games has signed former Indian international cricketer Suresh Raina as its brand ambassador to promote its brand among sports lovers across India. 
• With this partnership with Suresh Raina, Howzat aims to attract cricket fans to the platform and become the most rewarding fantasy sports app in India.
• The brand is already endorsed by former Indian international cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan.
• Howzat fantasy sports platform launched in 2019 is owned and operated by Howzat Private Limited.

About Suresh Raina:

• Suresh Kumar Raina from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh is known as the first Indian cricketer to score a hundred in all three formats of the game.
• He is the 3rd Indian batsman in the world and the first Indian to hit a century in T20.
• He has represented Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions(captain) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches.

Indian Archer Abhishek Verma Elected to World Archery Athletes Committee

• Indian Compound Archer and Arjuna Awardee Abhishek Verma, 3-time world cup gold medalist, has been elected to the Athletes Committee of World Archery, the international federation for the Olympic sport of archery.
• He has been elected for a term of 4 years till 2025. 
• The Compound women’s world champion Natalia Avdeeva (Russia) was also elected to the Athletes Committee for 4 years till 2025.

Athletes Committee:

• Chair– Naomi Folkard(Great Britain)
• Members– Crystal Gauvin(USA); Sjef van den Berg(Netherlands); Abhishek Verma(India); Natalia Avdeeva(Russia)

About Abhishek Verma:

• Abhishek Verma won the gold medal in the Men’s compound event at the 2021 Hyundai Archery World Cup stage III held in Paris, France.
• He won the individual medal in 2015 at World Cup Stage 3 in Wroclaw.
• He won 2 medals (1 in individual and 1 in team) at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and a silver medal in the team event in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.
• The government of India honoured him with the Arjuna Award for archery in 2014.

About World Archery:

• Secretary General– Tom Dielen
• Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Noted Women Rights Activist, Poet and Author Kamla Bhasin Passes Away

• On Sep 25, 2021, Prominent women rights activist, poet and author, Kamla Bhasin passed away.
• She was 75.

About Kamla Bhasin :

• Bhasin was born in 1946, Shahidanwaali village in Punjab’s Gujrat district (now in Pakistan).
• Bhasin has been a prominent voice in the women’s movement in India and other South Asian countries.
• She started working on developmental issues in the 1970s and her work focused on gender, education, human development and the media.
• She has authored several books, especially on gender theory and feminism, many of which have been translated into more than 30 languages.
• She was best known for her work with Sangat – A Feminist Network and for her poem Kyunki main ladki hoon, mujhe padhna hai.

 Daily CA On Sep 25 :

• Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu announced that the government has decided to observe September 25 as ‘Antyodaya Diwas’ every year to mark the birth anniversary of erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh and BJP icon Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
• World Pharmacists Day is observed on September 25 each year to pay tributes to pharmacists for the role they play in improving global health & the theme, developed by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), is “Pharmacy: Always trusted for your health”.
• Centre notifies Rs 400 crore Scheme for “Promotion of Medical Device Parks” to support the medical devices industry
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be announcing a nationwide rollout of the Pradhan Mantri Digital Health Mission on September 27.
• Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto’s first statue was unveiled in Budapest, Hungary.
• Somalia has hosted its first movie screening in 30 years under heavy security as the conflict-ravaged country hopes for a cultural renewal.
• In a bid to promote a sustainable environment, the world’s highest electric vehicle charging station was inaugurated in Kaza of Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh.
• Apple’s co-creator Steve Wozniak has launched a new space start-up called Privateer Space
• R N Ravi’s removal on September 9 from Nagaland is being seen as a positive step towards finalising the peace deal, especially at a time when all the members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly have agreed to come together to push for settlement and pave the way for it.
• The government appointed Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Rajiv Bansal as the Secretary to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• Former United Nations under-secretary-general and executive director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, has been named this year’s recipient of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 2021 Global Goalkeeper Award.
• The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presented the National Service Scheme Awards for the year 2019-20 in a virtual ceremony (September 24, 2021).
• Government e Marketplace (GeM) was announced as the winner in the “Best Use of Digital Technology” category at the CIPS Excellence in Procurement Awards 2021 (CIPS Awards).
• City-based photojournalist Tamma Srinivasa Reddy has bagged the Recognition of Photographic Achievement (ROPA) Excellence distinction from the Photographic Society of America (PSA) for the year 2020.
• On Sep 22, 2021, India hosted the first India-United Kingdom (UK) Consular Dialogue through video conferencing.
• On Sep 23, 2021, The Ministry of Defence placed an order with Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi in Chennai for supply of 118 Main Battle Tanks, MBTs Arjun Mk-1A for the Indian Army.
• The International Astronomical Union has named a crater at the Moon’s south pole after the Arctic explorer Matthew Henson.
• The four amateur astronauts who went on a private space trip this week landed safely back to Earth after orbiting the planet for three days.
• According to a comprehensive ranking of international startup hubs, in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2021, London, Mumbai and Bangalore have featured among the world’s top startup hubs compiled by Startup Genome.
• A New Audiobook Titled Jungle Nama released by Amitav Ghosh with music and voice of US-based Ali Sethi.
• GM Magnus Carlsen won the 9th edition of EY Norway Chess 2021 beat Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Daily CA On Sep 26 & 27 :

• In 2013, The United Nations (UN) passed resolution 68/32 which established the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons to take place annually, every September 26th.
• World Environmental Health Day 2021 is observed annually on September 26 to spread awareness globally regarding the health of the environment with the theme of ‘Prioritising Environmental Health for healthier communities in the global recovery.’
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated a significant portion of the latest episode of his Mann Ki Baat radio address to World Rivers Day, which is being observed on Sunday & the theme for 2021  is ‘Prioritising Environmental Health for healthier communities in the global recovery.’ 
• Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27 & the theme is ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’.
• The Supreme Court has given its nod for e-transfer of orders to jails through the FASTER system for quick prisoner release.
• EXIM (Export Import) Bank of India completed its agreement with Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation Limited (FDC) of Maldives to provide a Buyers Credit of ∼$228 million for the construction of 4000 Social Housing Units in Hulhumale’ Phase II.
• India virtually hosted the 1st India-United Kingdom (UK) Consular Dialogue & the Indian delegation was led by Devesh Uttam, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and the UK delegation was led by Jennifer Anderson, Director Consular Services, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. 
• In September 2021, MyGov India, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), launched the ‘Planetarium Innovation Challenge’ for Indian start-ups and tech entrepreneurs.
• As a part of on-going celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) signed a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support India’s livestock sector. Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala signed the deal
• The World Health Organization tightened its global air quality guidelines in its first revision since 2005.
• The Bangabandhu-Bapu digital exhibition was opened for public viewing in Dhaka.
• In accordance with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report titled ‘Fed to Fail? The crisis of children’s diets in early life’, two in every three children between 6–23 months didn’t get the nutritious diet needed for healthy growth and the COVID-19 pandemic could make the situation much worse.
• According to the report of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations(UN) titled ‘Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2021’, COVID 19 has set back progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) enshrined in the UN’s Agenda 2030, undermining the decades of development efforts.
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report on the latest climate science information named ‘United in Science 2021’.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) announced new stringent Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) to assess the effects of air pollution and its health impact.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued separate master directions on transfer of loan exposures and securitisation of standard assets.
• The Reserve Bank of India allowed loan exposures classified as fraud to be transferred to Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs). 
• United States (US) International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in collaboration with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) jointly announced an 8-year sponsor project programme with a credit guarantee of USD 55 million (~ Rs 400 crores) named ‘India Covid Response Programme for Agriculture Transition’ to address the economic impact of COVID-19 in India.
• As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) publication of ‘Deposits with Scheduled Commercial Banks – March 2021’, Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) deposits in FY21 grew by 11.9 percent year-on-year compared to 8.8 percent in FY20 due to high growth in the Current Account and Savings Account (CASA) deposits.
• The IndusInd Bank has acquired a 4.79% stake in debt-laden McLeod Russel India Limited(MRIL) by involving pledged shares for recovery of its dues.
• RBL Bank launched ‘#UseBefikar’, a new campaign with Mastercard to provide shopping offers and rewards for the existing cardholders.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) appointed former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown as ambassador for global health financing.
• Debabrata Mukherjee, who is currently serving as Chief Marketing Officer at the United Breweries Group, has been elected as the chairman of Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for the year 2021-2022, the non-profit circulation-auditing organisation.
• The 2021 IHA Blue Planet Prize for excellence in sustainable hydropower development has been awarded to 510 MW Teesta-V Power Station, Sikkim, owned and being operated by NHPC Limited. 
• On Sep 25, 2021, Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
• On Sep 24, 2021, The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space, Spain, to acquire 56 C-295MW transport aircraft worth ₹20,000 crore for the Indian Air Force.
• The former Foreign Secretary of India and Ambassador to China, Vijay Gokhale, has written a new book titled “The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India”.
• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain), has won the F1 Russian Grand Prix 2021.
• Howzat Fantasy Sports Platform Signed Cricketer Suresh Raina as Brand Ambassador
• Indian Compound Archer and Arjuna Awardee Abhishek Verma, 3-time world cup gold medalist, has been elected to the Athletes Committee of World Archery, the international federation for the Olympic sport of archery.
• On Sep 25, 2021, Prominent women rights activist, poet and author, Kamla Bhasin passed away.