Current Affairs 29th September 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Heart Day – Observed on Sep 29

• As per the World Heart Federation, World Heart Day is important as cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the world’s number one killer, resulting in 18.6 million deaths a year.
• The international holiday was established by the World Heart Federation in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
• The president of the World Heart Federation from 1997 to 1999, Antoni Bayés de Luna, had conceived this idea.
• The first celebration of the annual event took place on September 24, 2000, and, until 2011, World Heart Day was observed on the last Sunday in September. • This year, the theme of World Heart Day is “Use Heart to Connect”.

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste – Observed on Sep 29

• The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is observed to draw human interest in agri-food-nature dependence.
• According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), reducing food loss is of significant importance as it contributes to the realisation of broader improvements towards achieving food security, safety, and quality to deliver nutritional outcomes.
• September 29 was designated as the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste by the United Nations in order to promote global efforts and collective action against responsible consumption and production of food.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Centre enhances existing foreign trade policy (FTP) till March 2022

• The government announced it is extending the existing foreign trade policy (FTP) by six months till March 31, 2022.
• “The existing Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020, which is valid up to September 30, 2021 is extended up to March 31, 2022″.
• Previously, the FTP (2015-20) had been extended until September 30 this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foreign Trade Policy provides guidelines pertaining to imports and exports in India.
• Ministry of Commerce under the Government of India announces Export-Import Policy every five years.

About FTP:

• The Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) was introduced by the Government to grow the Indian export of goods and services, generating employment and increasing value addition in the country.
• The Government, through the implementation of the policy, seeks to develop the manufacturing and service sectors.

MCA enhances the tenure of Company Law Committee by 1 year; Head- Rajesh Verma

• The government has extended by one year the tenure of the Company Law Committee, which was constituted back in 2019.
• The tenure of the panel, which was set up by the corporate affairs ministry in September 2019, was extended last year also.
• The committee has the mandate for examining and making recommendations to the government on various issues related to implementation of the Companies Act and the Limited Liability Partnership Act. 
• The committee was constituted as part of the government’s efforts to promote ease of living by providing ease of doing business to law abiding corporates, to foster improved corporate compliance for stakeholders at large and to address emerging issues having an impact on the working of companies.

Govt sets up GoM to rationalise GST rates – Headed by Karnataka CM 

• The government has started the process of reworking the GST rate slab structure, after repeated pleas by many stakeholders.
• The Centre has now set up a Group of Ministers, headed by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai.
• Another GoM has been set up to recommend ways for GST System Reforms.
• Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar will head this ministerial panel.
• The first GoM will review the current rate structure of GST, including special rates and recommend rationalisation measures, including merger of tax rate slabs, required for a simpler rate structure in GST, says a BusinessLine report.
• The GoM will also review the current tax slab rates.
• The current GST structure has four main rates—5%, 12%, 18% and 28%.
• Special rates of 0%, 0.25%, 1% and 3% are applicable on certain items.
• GST also has provision of cess at the rate between 1% and 25%.
• Stakeholders have been demanding restructuring the slabs by merging either 12 and 18 or 5 and 12.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

MGR Railway Station gets powered by solar energy – became the world’s largest green railway network

• In a big leap towards becoming the world’s largest green railway network, Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central (DRM) or Chennai Central railway station, under the South Central Railway (SCR) gets powered by Solar Energy.
• The Chennai Railway station has become the first Indian Railway station that meets the 100% day energy requirement target by solar panels installed on the platform shelters of the station.
• Union Railways Minister Ashwani Vaishnav informed that the station has installed a solar power capacity of 1.5 MW, and thereafter all the energy needs at the stations will be met by this solar power.
• SCR is the first of many Indian Railway zones that has adopted the concept of ‘Energy Neutral’ railway stations.
• The Chennai Railway station is now capable of meeting its 100% energy requirements by solar power commissioned on its 13 station buildings.
• Along with that, power panels have been installed at various locations and railway stations including the MMC complex, Tambaram, Mambalam, Katpati, and others.

Solar Powered Railway Stations across India:

• As per a report by the Ministry of Railways, 111 MW solar capacity has already been installed at rooftops of various stations and administrative buildings by January 2021, such as:
• 3 MW Rooftop Solar plant at Howrah Railway Stations
• 1 MW Rooftop Solar at Katra Railway Stations
• 3 MW Solar Land-Based Project at Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli
• A 1.7 MW pilot solar project for powering the traction network of Indian Railways directly through solar power was commissioned in Bina, Madhya Pradesh in June 2020.

About TamilNadu:

• Capital: Chennai
• Governor: RN Ravi
• Chief minister:  K. Stalin
• National Parks: Guindy National Park, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) National Park, Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park

Rajasthan’s Sojat Mehndi and Assam’s Judima rice wine gets GI tag

• Sojat Mehndi from Rajasthan has received the geographical indication (GI) tag from the government, a move that helps growers of this product get a premium price as no other producer can use the name to market similar goods.
• “GI tag for Sojat Mehndi is a win-win for farmers, MSME players, artisans and consumers alike if we can leverage it to enhance its exports given its herbal cosmetic and medicinal uses.
• It will contribute to both employment and revenue.
• A GI tag is used for an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicraft and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
• Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.
• Judima is a homemade rice wine and is the traditional brew in all of northeast.
• Judima is made from sticky rice, which is steamed and mixed with traditional herbs, the wine has a distinct sweet taste.
• The whole process takes around one week to be ready.
• Judima word was derived from the words Ju which mean wine and the meaning of Dima is ‘belonging to the Dimasa’.

About Rajasthan:

• Capital: Jaipur
• Governor: Kalraj Mishra
• Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot
• National Parks: KeoladeoNational Park, Ranthambore National Park.

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.

About GI Tag:

• A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country).
• This Act seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
• The Act would be administered by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks- who is the Registrar of Geographical Indications.
• Karnataka has the highest number of GI tagse. 47 products followed by Tamil Nadu (39).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

NASSCOM: Cryptotech industry can create $184B of economic value in India

• The Indian cryptotech market has the potential to create an economic value addition of $184 billion by 2030 in the form of investments and cost savings, states a report titled-Crypto Industry in India.
• The report by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), in association with an Indian crypto exchange WazirX, stated that the Indian crypto market could generate over eight lakh jobs by 2030.

About Cryptotech industry:

• “Cryptotech industry in India has not only demonstrated a positive impact at the grassroots levels but is emerging as one of the fastest-growing technology sub-sector.
• India provides the most unique ecosystem to cryptotech to play a transformative role in strengthening key priority areas such as healthcare, safety, digital identification, trade and finance, and remittances, and help in addressing pandemic-induced challenges.”

About NASSCOM:

• The National Association of Software and Service Companies is an Indian non-governmental trade association and advocacy group focused mainly on information technology and business process outsourcing industry.
• Established in 1988, NASSCOM is a non-profit organisation.
• Chairperson: U. B. Pravin Rao
• President: R. Chandrasekhar
• Headquarters location: New Delhi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

RBI announces WMA Limit for Central Government for (October 2021 to March 2022) at Rs. 50,000 crore

• The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) has decided, in consultation with the Government of India, that the limit for Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the second half of the financial year 2021-22 (October 2021 to March 2022) be fixed at Rs 50000 crore.
• The Reserve Bank may trigger fresh floatation of market loans when the Government of India utilises 75 per cent of the WMA limit.
• The Reserve Bank retains the flexibility to revise the limit at any time, in consultation with the Government of India, taking into consideration the prevailing circumstances.

About WMA:

• Ways and means advances is a mechanism used by Reserve Bank of India under its credit policy to provide to States, banking with it, to help them tide over temporary mismatches in the cash flow of their receipts and payments.
• Ways and means advances are temporary advances given by the RBI to the States to tide over any mismatch in receipts and payments.

Suryoday SFB to discontinue its ATMs from October 1

• Suryoday Small Finance Bank has decided to discontinue its ATMs from October 1.
• “Due to operational reasons, Suryoday Bank ATMs will be discontinued with effect from October 1, 2021”.
• Customers can use their Suryoday Bank debit cards at ATMs of any other banks to withdraw cash.
• For other banking services, customers can use Internet and Mobile Banking services.
• Suryoday SFB has become the first lender to discontinue ATM services.

About Suryoday SFB:

• Suryoday Small Finance Bank Ltd headquarters is in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
• Baskar Babu is the Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Suryoday Small Finance Bank

ICICI Bank provide OD Facility to Sellers Registered on Amazon India

• ICICI Bank has announced that it has partnered with Amazon India to offer overdraft (OD) facility upto Rs 25 lakh to individual sellers and small businesses registered on the e-commerce company’s online marketplace, instantaneously and digitally.
• Driven by API integration, the partnership enables sellers to avail an OD from the Bank in a process, from application to sanction to disbursement, that is digital.
• Customers of other banks can avail the facility from ICICI Bank, if they are registered as sellers with amazon.in.
• ICICI Bank has developed this new facility that functions on the back of an industry-first scorecard to evaluate credit worthiness of sellers based on their financial profile including Credit Bureau scores.
• It empowers small businesses and individual sellers who are ‘new-to-credit’ and ‘existing MSME borrowers’ to unlock the value of their digital transactions and get access to instant credit.

Benefits of InstaOD:

• Online loan application: Sellers registered on in can apply for the OD instantly online through amazon.in.
• Easy process: The Bank evaluates sellers making the loan approval process easy and quick. This is an improvement over the typical process which demands sellers to go through the tedious paper-intensive process of submitting income tax returns, bank statements and GST returns.
• Instant sanction and disbursal: The approved OD amount is instantly sanctioned and disbursed into the seller’s current account
• Pay for what you use: Sellers only need to pay interest on the amount of OD utilised by them
• Auto-renewal facility: The OD is renewable on an annual basis, depending on the repayment track records of the seller.

HPCL partnership with ICICI Bank for Fuel Payments through FASTags

• As an initiative towards the Digital India movement and to make monetary transactions seamless, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has collaborated with ICICI bank to introduce FASTag transactions at all its 19,000 retail outlets across India.
• Customers will now be able to use ICICI bank FASTag to pay for fuel, LPG and lubricants.
• ‘This alliance is expected to ensure a quick, hassle-free and contactless digital payment experience for customers.
• “The collaboration of ICICI Bank and HPCL further strengthens digital payments for FASTag.
• Such initiatives not only bolster Government of India’s Digital India campaign but also enhance customer experience for easy payments at HPCL retail outlets”.
• This facility is now available for all customers through HP Pay App.
• With this endeavour, HPCL has become the first Oil Marketing Company to integrate payment systems with FASTag.
• Earlier, to make digital payments easy, HPCL had enabled fleet customers payment through HPCL DriveTrack Plus terminal, with IDFC Bank FASTag.

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

About ICICI:

• ICICI Bank Limited is an Indian financial services company with its registered office in Vadodara, Gujarat, and corporate office in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi.

About Fastag:

• FASTag is an electronic toll collection system in India, operated by the National Highway Authority of India.
• It employs Radio Frequency Identification technology for making toll payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it or directly toll owner.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

India to bag IAEA external auditor job – CAG GC Murmu selected as external auditor of IAEA

• India has been elected as the external auditor to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a prestigious institution that promotes peaceful use of nuclear energy, for a period of six years from 2022 to 2027 after beating Germany and the United Kingdom among other counties.
• India’s comptroller and auditor general GC Murmu was selected as the external auditor of IAEA and the ministry of external affairs (MEA) stated his candidature received majority support of the IAEA general conference.
• The MEA has stated that the election is a “recognition” of India’s standing in the international community and global acknowledgement of the CAG’s credentials, professionalism and experience.
• “The CAG’s bid received majority support of the IAEA General Conference for the position for which several competing bids were submitted from different countries”.

About IAEA:

• The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.
• The IAEA was established as an autonomous organisation on 29 July 1957.
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria

Atul Chaturvedi reappointed as President of Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA) of India

• Atul Chaturvedi, Director of Adani Wilmar Ltd, Ahmedabad, has been reappointed as the President of Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA) of India for 2021-22.
• The annual general meeting (AGM) of SEA of India, which was held in Goa recently, appointed Chaturvedi and other office-bearers for 2021-22.

The AGM also appointed zonal chairmen and deputy chairmen for 2021-22.

• Central Zone: Vijay Shrishrimal, Managing Director of Itarsi Oils & Flours Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, (Chairman); and Gulrez Alam, Director (Business Development) of ABIS Exports (India) Pvt Ltd, Rajnandgaon, (Deputy Chairman).
• West Zone: Haresh S Vyas, Managing Director of Royal Castor Products Ltd, Mumbai, (Chairman); and Bhavin J Chhatrala, Managing Director of Castorgirnar Industries Pvt Ltd, Junagadh, (Deputy Chairman).
• South Zone: V Neethi Mohan, Director of Vaighai Agro Products Ltd, Madurai, (Chairman); and Praveen Mehta; Executive Director of Abhay Solvents Pvt Ltd, Koppal, (Deputy Chairman).
• North Zone: Pawan Kumar Agarwal, Director of SP Solvent Ltd, Rudrapur, (Chairman); and Kishan Kumar Agarwal, Director of Ram Niwas Flour Mills Pvt Ltd, Lucknow, (Deputy Chairman).
• East Zone: Sushil Kumar Agarwal, Director of Pragati Agri Products (P) Ltd, Kolkata, (Chairman); and Rajendra Kumar Jain of Pancham Marketiers Pvt Ltd, Kolkata, (Deputy Chairman).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

11 Scientists bags 2021 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes   

• The names of 11 scientists, who received the country’s highest science award Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for science and technology 2021, were announced during the 80th foundation day of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• The prize is given to Indian scientists below the age of 45 for outstanding research in seven fields—Biology, Chemistry, Environment Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine and Physics.
• For Biological Sciences, Dr Amit Singh, department of microbiology and cell biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and Dr Arun Kumar Shukla, department of biological sciences and bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, were awarded.
• In chemical sciences, two researchers from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, Dr Kanishka Biswas from the International Centre of Materials Science and Dr T Govindaraju, from the Bio-organic Chemistry Laboratory, announced as recipients.
• For Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Dr Binoy Kumar Saikia from Coal and Energy Research Group, CSIR North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat, was named recipient.
• Dr Debdeep Mukhopadhyay, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, received the award under the engineering sciences category.
• In the mathematical sciences category, Dr Anish Ghosh, school of mathematics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, and Dr Saket Saurabh, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, were announced winners.
• The award for medical sciences went to Dr Jeemon Panniyammakal, Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, and Dr Rohit Srivastava, department of biosciences and bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
• Dr Kanak Saha, from Pune’s Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, received the award for physical sciences.

About Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes:

• The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology is a science award in India given annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine, and Physics.

Andhra Pradesh won best tourism policy award

• Andhra Pradesh bagged the Tour and Travels Association’s Best Tourism Policy Award.
• Special chief secretary Rajat Bhargava pointed out that AP has abundant tourism potential, as it is blessed with the country’s second longest coastline of 974 km, perennial rivers, scenic backwaters, hills, forests, ancient temples and Buddhist sites, in addition to a vibrant heritage and culture.
• Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for considering tourism as one of the growth engines for socio-economic development of the state.
• Strengths and advantages of tourism in AP are such that both large-scale and small-scale investors can flourish in this area.
• The special chief secretary explained the salient features of AP Tourism Policy, which includes creating a congenial environment for co-creation of diverse tourism products focusing on rural, heritage, Buddhist, beach, water, recreation, adventure, religious, cuisine, wellness, medical and eco-tourism.

About Andhra Pradesh:

• The largest city and commercial hub of the state, Visakhapatnam being the executive capital while Amaravati and Kurnool are legislative and judicial capitals, respectively.
• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Chief minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
• National parks of the state: Sri VenkateshwaraNational Park, Papikondalu National Park.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

India’s FM Nirmala Sitharaman to be chief guest at Global FinTech Fest 2021

• India’s Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman is the Chief Guest at the World’s Largest Virtual FinTech Fest – Global FinTech Fest (GFF), scheduled for 28-30 September.
• The theme of the event is “FinTech: Empowering a Global Digital Economy”.
• The event is presented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, and organised by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Fintech Convergence Council (FCC) of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
• The World Bank and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) are the institutional partners of the summit.
• Over 20,000 delegates from over 3,500 unique companies and over 115 countries will participate at the Summit.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

North Korea tests new hypersonic missile – Hwasong-8

• On Sep 28, 2021, North Korea successfully tested a new hypersonic missile called Hwasong-8.
• It is headed by major military powers to deploy the advanced weapons system.
• It is to increase the nation’s capabilities for self-defence.
• The missile was one of the “five most important” new weapons systems laid out in its five-year military development plan.
• This was the country’s third missile test in a month.
• Previously, it tested a new type of cruise missile, as well as a new train-launched ballistic missile system.

About North Korea :

• Capital: Pyongyang
• Supreme leader: Kim Jong-un
• Currency: North Korean won
• Premier: Kim Tok-hun

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPS & SERVICES

Government Launches Elder Line (Toll-Free No- 14567)

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched The first pan-India toll-free helpline number (14567) for senior citizens.
• Tata Trusts and National Stock Exchange (NSE) Foundation are the technical partners for “Elder Line”.

Aim :

• To provide free information and guidance on pension and legal issues, extend emotional support, and intervene in cases of abuse.

About the Platform :

• The platform will allow senior citizens to connect and share their concerns, get information and guidance on problems that they face on a day-to-day basis.
• So far, 17 states have opened the Elder line in their respective geographies.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Sania Mirza-Shuai Zhang wins Ostrava Open women’s doubles title

• On Sep 26, 2021, India’s Tennis veteran, Sania Mirza and Chinese partner Shuai Zhang won the women’s double’s title at the 2021 Ostrava Open WTA 500 tournament in Czech Republic.
• The second seeded Indo-Chinese duo defeated the third seeded pair of American Kaitlyn Christian and New Zealander Erin Routliffe 6-3 6-2.
• This is former World No.1 Sania’s 43rd WTA doubles title.

About Ostrava Open :

• The Ostrava Open is a tennis tournament organised for female professional tennis players, and part of the WTA tour..

Daily CA On Sep 28 :

• The International Day for Universal Access to Information was proclaimed on 15 October 2019 at the 74th UN General Assembly to be held on 28 September & the theme is “The Right to Know – Building Back Better with Access to Information.”

• World Rabies Day is an international awareness campaign coordinated by the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, a non-profit organization with headquarters in the United States & , the theme for World Rabies day is ‘Rabies: Facts, not Fear’.

• Almost a year after it was implemented on pilot basis in six Union Territories, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission for the entire country.

• To support micro food processing units of urban self helps groups (SHGs), the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched a convergence scheme between PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) schemes.

• The Ministry of Tourism is organizing an event to celebrate “World Tourism Day 2021” on 27th September 2021 in New Delhi, which has been designated by the UNWTO as a day to focus on “Tourism for Inclusive Growth”. 

• Union minister for information and broadcasting, youth affairs, and sports, Anurag Thakur laid foundation stone of zonal physical education office (ZPEO) and zonal playfield and inaugurated PMGSY road at Kichpora Kangan. 

• Nagaland’s “sweet cucumber” was awarded a geographical identification (GI) tag as an agricultural product under provisions of The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

• Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting dedicated to the nation High Power Transmitters of Doordarshan and All India Radio at Hamboting La near Kargil in Ladakh.

• Ratings agency Icra revised up its 2021-22 real GDP growth estimate for India to 9 per cent from the earlier 8.5 per cent.

• Federal Bank has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch the ‘Federal Bank RuPay Signet Contactless Credit Card’.

• Full-service carrier Vistara has partnered with IndusInd Bank to launch co-branded credit card Club Vistara IndusInd Bank Explorer.

• HDFC Bank Ltd. has been voted ‘Overall Most Outstanding Company in India,’ in a poll conducted by reputed publication Asiamoney.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a separate master direction on the transfer of loan exposures and securitisation of standard assets. 

• Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh took over as the 34th Director General of National Cadet Corps (NCC).

• Mastercard announced that it is naming Magnus Carlsen, the highest-rated chess player of all time, a Mastercard Global Brand Ambassador, as it adds chess to its coveted roster of sports sponsorships.

• Federal Bank, India’s leading Private Sector Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group, the second largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in India with their complete range of BS6 vehicles.

• Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur addressed the Summit for Information and Democracy on the sidelines of the UNGA organised at the Consulate General of France, New York.

• On Sep 25, 2021, Union Home Minister Amit Shah (First minister of co-operation of India) addressed India’s first cooperative conference at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

• On Sep 27, 2021, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar addressed the inaugural session of the 4th Indo-US Health Dialogue, held in New Delhi.

• On Sep 27, 2021, The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful maiden flight test of a new version of Akash Missile – ‘Akash Prime’ from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha.

• Nirupama Menon Rao, authored a book titled “The Fractured Himalaya: How the Past Shadows the Present in India-China Relations”.

• Jyothi Surekha Vennam has bagged a silver medal in the women’s compound event at the ongoing World Archery Championship in Yankton.

• Indian compound archers won three silver medals at the 2021 World Archery Championships.

• On Sep 27, 2021, 34-year-old England spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali announced his retirement from Test cricket.

• Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur flagged off the second edition of Ultimate Ladakh Cycling Challenge at Leh, Ladakh at 11000 feet above the sea level.

Daily CA On Sep 29 :

• World Heart Day is Observed on Sep 29 with the theme of ‘harnessing the power of digital health to improve awareness, prevention and management of CVD globally’.
• The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste is observed to draw human interest in agri-food-nature dependence.
• The government announced it is extending the existing foreign trade policy (FTP) by six months till March 31, 2022.
• The government has extended by one year the tenure of the Company Law Committee, which was constituted back in 2019.
• The government has formed a 7 member group of ministers (GoM) for proposing a rationalization of tax rates and considering the merger of different tax slabs under GST & this GoM will be headed by the Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj S. Bommai.
• In a big leap towards becoming the world’s largest green railway network, Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central (DRM) or Chennai Central railway station, under the South Central Railway (SCR) gets powered by Solar Energy.
• Sojat Mehndi from Rajasthan has received the geographical indication (GI) tag from the government, a move that helps growers of this product get a premium price as no other producer can use the name to market similar goods.
• The Indian cryptotech market has the potential to create an economic value addition of $184 billion by 2030 in the form of investments and cost savings, states a report titled-Crypto Industry in India.
• The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) has decided, in consultation with the Government of India, that the limit for Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the second half of the financial year 2021-22 (October 2021 to March 2022) be fixed at Rs 50000 crore.
• Suryoday Small Finance Bank has decided to discontinue its ATMs from October 1.
• ICICI Bank has announced that it has partnered with Amazon India to offer overdraft (OD) facility upto Rs 25 lakh to individual sellers and small businesses registered on the e-commerce company’s online marketplace, instantaneously and digitally.
• As an initiative towards the Digital India movement and to make monetary transactions seamless, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has collaborated with ICICI bank to introduce FASTag transactions at all its 19,000 retail outlets across India.
• India has been elected as the external auditor to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a prestigious institution that promotes peaceful use of nuclear energy, for a period of six years from 2022 to 2027 after beating Germany and the United Kingdom among other counties.
• Atul Chaturvedi, Director of Adani Wilmar Ltd, Ahmedabad, has been reappointed as the President of Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA) of India for 2021-22.
• The names of 11 scientists, who received the country’s highest science award Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for science and technology 2021, were announced during the 80th foundation day of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• Andhra Pradesh bagged the Tour and Travels Association’s Best Tourism Policy Award.
• India’s Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman is the Chief Guest at the World’s Largest Virtual FinTech Fest – Global FinTech Fest (GFF), scheduled for 28-30 September & the theme of the event is “FinTech: Empowering a Global Digital Economy”.
• On Sep 28, 2021, North Korea successfully tested a new hypersonic missile called Hwasong-8.
• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched The first pan-India toll-free helpline number (14567) for senior citizens.
• On Sep 26, 2021, India’s Tennis veteran, Sania Mirza and Chinese partner Shuai Zhang won the women’s double’s title at the 2021 Ostrava Open WTA 500 tournament in Czech Republic.