Current Affairs 23rd September 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Sign Languages Observed On September 23 

• The International Day of Sign Languages is observed on September 23 every year.
• Theme of  2021 is “We Sign For Human Rights”.
• The day is given by the United Nations in order to raise awareness of sign language to address the issues of deaf people in their everyday lives.
• The date 23 September was chosen because it marks the establishment of WFD in 1951.
• The first International Day of Sign Languages was observed in 2018 as a part of International Week of the Deaf.
• The International Week of the Deaf was first celebrated in September 1958.

About World Federation of the Deaf :

• Founded: 23 September 1951, Rome, Italy
• Headquarters: Helsinki, Finland
• President: Joseph Murray

CURRENT AFFAIRS : NATIONAL NEWS

Sarbananda Sonowal flags off dwarf container train from JNPT to Kanpur

• On Sep 20, 2021, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal virtually flagged off the dwarf container train service from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).
• This is the first consignment of laden dwarf containers from the dwarf container depot (DCD) at the port was moved by a train to ICD Kanpur.
• The commencement of dwarf container train services from JNPT is a pivotal step towards streamlining the rail movement of EXIM cargo via double-stacked dwarf containers.
• The dwarf containers are port-friendly and can be manufactured in India at a cost-efficient price point.
• The Low height of dwarf container loaded on trailers can pass through rural, semi urban and urban roads, through limited height subways and level crossing in electrified sections.

DGCA and EASA signed an Agreement for Safety, Environment protection Standards

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) signed an agreement to work on an arrangement through which they will set common safety and environmental protection standards.
• Objective: To promote cooperation,understanding of each other’s regulatory systems. It will also promote an exchange of aeronautical products, services and personnel.

About the Agreement

• The manufacturing organisation has the right of access to the approved design data relevant for production purposes.
• The manufacturing organisation cooperates with the organisation responsible for the type design in assessing information on the design, manufacture, and operation of the aircraft engine.

About European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA):

• Executive Director- Patrick Ky
• Headquarters– Cologne , Germany
• Founded– 12 July 2002

About Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA):

• Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
• Parent agency- Ministry of Civil Aviation

Union Minister Piyush Goyal Launches National Single Window System for Investors and Businesses

• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal Speaking at an event in New Delhi on the soft launch of the National Single Window System, he said this is a big step towards Ease of Doing Business and a giant leap towards making India truly Aatmanirbhar.
• Goyal said this will not only enable Ease of Doing Business, but also Ease of Living.
• This is a result of the need for a single window of contact between businesses and the government. The Minister said the platform will be a one-stop-shop for investors and businesses.
• He added that the government does not want new startups to face the issues that businesses used to face earlier. 
• He said the Centre wants India to become the most preferred investment destination

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India chairs the 6th BRICS YSF and BRICS tax authorities’ virtual meet

• India chairs the 6th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Young Scientist Forum (YSF) for the year 2021.
• The event was hosted by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), in collaboration with the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru (NIAS).
• The forum represented the four areas such as Health care, Energy, Cyber and Innovations.
• Sanjay Bhattacharyya of India, Secretary (CPV&OIA) & BRICS Sherpa delivered a keynote address at BRICS Young Scientist Forum.
• India recently chaired the 13th BRICS Summit with the theme BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus.

About BRICS

• Founded: June 2006
• Members: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
• Objective: To promote peace, security, development and cooperation.

Krishan Pal Gurjar attends 15th East Asia Summit ;Anupriya Patel attended 9th EAS-EMM

• 15th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers Meeting with the theme ‘We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper’ was held virtually.
• Minister of State for Power, Krishan Pal Gurjar attended the meet on behalf of India and provided a brief status of the Indian energy transition plans, policies, challenges and efforts towards decarbonisation.
• The meeting aimed at coordinating efforts of ASEAN countries in pursuing the goal of energy security and energy transition to benefit the people of the region.
• India confirmed that ASEAN is a region of great importance. 
• Engagement with ASEAN has been and will remain a critical element of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and strategy.
• India is looking forward to an early outcome on the TRIPS Waiver proposal for vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.
• Considering the encouraging trend, WTO had also revised its projection for global trade volume growth in 2021 to 8% compared to the 7% earlier.
• India is a part of the “Supply Chain Resilience Initiative” launched in September, 2020.

About ASEAN:

• Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia
• Founded: In 1967, Bangkok, Thailand
• Member States: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & ECONOMY

YES Bank partners with Visa for Credit Cards

• Yes Bank has joined hands with Visa to offer a suite of credit cards to its customers.
• It consists of nine credit card variants on the Visa platform covering all segments viz. consumer cards, business cards, and corporate cards across YES First, YES Premia and YES Prosperity.

Highlights:

• The co-branded cards are featured with loyalty programs with un-expired reward points.
• It can also be shared or transferred to Yes bank credit card holders.
• Other benefits include foreign currency markup, airport lounge access and golf course privileges.
• Yes Bank is also set to issue Rupay branded credit cards as the technology integration with NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) is about to complete.

About Yes Bank:

• Managing Director & CEO– Prashant Kumar
• Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Tagline– Experience Our Expertise

PayPoint India partnered with BoB to expand Banking Services reach

• Bank of Baroda (BoB) collaborated with PayPoint India under which the financial service provider will provide Banking Service through business correspondent (BC) model.
• This will enable BoB to expand its customer network and geographical spread by utilizing PayPoint’s customer service points (CSPs).
• This partnership is a part of BoB’s new initiative ‘BOB NOWW—New Operating model and Ways of Working’ which aims to push financial inclusion by expanding customer touch points through digital formats and BC networks.

About PayPoint India:

• Managing Director– Ketan Doshi
• Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra

About Bank of Baroda (BoB):

• Managing Director & CEO– Sanjiv Chadha
• Headquarter– Vadodara, Gujarat
• Amalgamated Banks– Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

Bulgarian President Reappointed Stefan Yanev as Caretaker PM

• Rumen Radev, President of Bulgaria re-appointed retired general Stefan Yanev as the Caretaker Prime Minister(PM) of Bulgaria succeeding the former PM Boyko Borisov. 
• Stefan Yanev will lead the interim government until the new government is formed.
• The 3rd set of parliamentary elections of Bulgaria is set to be held on 14th November 2022 following inconclusive votes in April and July which failed to produce a government.

About Stefan Yanev:

• Stefan Yanev has previously served as the security adviser to President Radev.
• He has also served as the defence minister in the caretaker government appointed by Radev in 2017.

Other appointments:

• Rumen Radev has appointed Valery Beltchev, a Harvard University graduate experienced in banking and public finance, as interim finance minister.
• Daniela Vezieva has been appointed as the Minister of Economy and Hristo Aleksiev has been appointed as Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communication.
  CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi Campaign 2021                    

• National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi campaign 2021-22 held through video conferencing.

Aim :

• To protect and support farmers, several steps have been taken to make an ‘Aatmanirbhar Kisan’.
• To ensure supply of critical inputs and facilitate adoption of innovative technologies with a view to enhancing production and productivity of crops.

Objective :

• To review and assess the crop performance during the preceding crop season and fix crop-wise targets for Rabi season in consultation with State Governments, ensure supply of critical inputs and facilitate adoption of innovative technologies with a view to enhance production and productivity of the crops.
• The priority of the government is to increase production of oilseeds and pulses.
• The Centre has set a target of foodgrains production at 307.33 million tonnes.
• The targets for rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses have been set at 121.10 million tonne, 110 million tonne, 51.21 million tonnes and 25 million tonnes. For oilseeds, the target is 38.4 million tonnes in the current crop year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO develops reusable GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on technologies that will enable it to land the GSLV Mk-III launch vehicles vertically.
• This will enable the space agency to reuse the GSLV Mk-III, thus helping it save money.
• With this technology, ISRO seeks to recover the first and second stages of the launch vehicle.
• The vehicle would be to rework its three stages, the second liquid stage with a semi-cryo stage, and the terminal cryo stage, C-25, will be converted into C-32.

About GSLV Mk-III :

• The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III),is a three-stage medium-lift launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• It comprises two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster as well as a cryogenic upper stage.
• It was designed to carry 4-tons of satellites into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) as well as10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

About ISRO :

• Founder: Vikram Sarabhai
• Founded: 15 August 1969
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Director: Kailasavadivoo Sivan

China Launches Tianzhou 3 Cargo Spacecraft to Support Tiangong Space Station

• China has successfully launched its third Unmanned Cargo Aircraft (UCA) named Tianzhou-3 or Heavenly vessel from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan, China, with help of the Long March-7Y4 rocket.
• Objective: Tianzhou-3 will deliver fuel to the under-construction space station of China, Tiangong and will bring back three astronauts who have been there for almost three months. 
• The Tiangong space station will be completed by 2022 and with its completion, China will become the first country to own a space station.

 Key Points:

• Tianzhou-3 was successfully docked with the core Tianhe module of the space station.
  China plans to launch two additional core modules for the space station- Wentian and Mengtian- on Long March 5B rockets.
• The space station once completed, will give competition to ISS (International Space Station), which was constructed by the United States (US), Russia and Japan.
• China was restricted from participating in the ISS by the US.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

Chetan Bhagat unveils cover of his upcoming book ‘400 Days’  

• India’s highest selling author Chetan Bhagat unveiled the book cover of his upcoming title, ‘400 Days’.
• The book will be released by Amazon-owned Westland Publications on October 8, 2021.
• It is the third novel in the Keshav-Saurabh series, after ‘The Girl in Room 105’ and ‘One Arranged Murder’.

About the Book :

• The book presents an unputdownable tale of suspense, human relationships, love, friendship, the crazy world we live in and, above all, a mother’s determination to never give up.

About Chetan Bhagat :

• Chetan Bhagat is an Indian author and columnist.
• He has written nine novels and three non-fiction books.
• He has also written the scripts for Bollywood films like Kick in 2014 and adapted his stories for the movies Kai Po Che! and Half Girlfriend.
• He won the Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay for Kai Po Che! at the 59th Filmfare Awards in 2014.

New Book titled “The Three Khans: And the Emergence of New India” authored by Kaveree Bamzai

• A New Book titled “The Three Khans: And the Emergence of New India” authored by Kaveree Bamzai

About the Book :

• The Book deals with the careers of the 3 Khans, Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman, with the most difficult times in the history of the republic.
• The arts often react to social and political dimensions, and in a country lacking role models, film stars often play dual roles.

About Kaveree Bamzai :

• Kaveree Bamzai lives in Delhi, is an independent journalist with more than 30 years at India Today, The Indian Express and The Times of India & she was the first, and so far, only woman editor of India Today.
• She is currently a columnist with Open magazine and curates events and online sessions with The New Indian Express.

Other Books :

• No Regrets: The Guilt-Free Woman’s Guide to a Good Life (HarperCollins)
• Bollywood Today (Roli Books).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

GM D. Gukesh of India Clinches Norway Chess Open 2021 

• In the Norway Chess Open 2021 Masters section, India’s Grand Master D Gukesh won his second consecutive tournament.
• Gukesh scored an unbeaten 8½/10 and finished a full point ahead of the competition to win the tournament.
• Meanwhile, Iniyan secured sole second position with 7½/10 points, finishing a half point ahead of top seed Dmitrij Kollars (Germany) and Valentin Dragnev (Austria).

About D. Gukesh :

• Gukesh was born on 29 May 2006 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• He won the Under-9 section of the Asian School Chess Championships in 2015 and the World Youth Chess Championships in 2018 in the Under 12 category.
• He won five gold medals at the 2018 Asian Youth Chess Championships.
• He is the third-youngest person in history to qualify for the title of Grandmaster, which FIDE awarded him in March 2019.

About Norway Chess Open 2021 :

• The Norway Chess Open took place parallel to the Norway Chess super-tournament.
• It was a 10-round Swiss open which ran from September 10 to September 17.
• The masters’ section was played at the Clarion Hotel in Stavanger.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Former Arunachal Governor  & Commissioner of Delhi Police YS Dadwal passes away                 

• Former Commissioner of Delhi Police & Governor of Arunachal Pradesh  Yudhvir Singh Dadwal, passed away.
• He was 70.

About YS Dadwal :

• Dadwal, an Indian Police Service officer of the 1974-batch, served as the 16th police commissioner of Delhi from July 2007 to November 2010.
• He was appointed as the superintendent of Andaman and Nicobar Islands police and the inspector general of police in Chandigarh in the 90s.
• Dadwal served as the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police in 1980.
• During 1993-1995, he was appointed as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the UT Chandigarh.
• After retirement, he was appointed as the Director-General of the Central Paramilitary Force, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in November 2010.
• He was also appointed as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh in 2016.

Former AIR Newsreader Ramanuj Prasad Singh passes away

• Former Hindi Newsreader of All India Radio Ramanuj Prasad Singh passed away.
• He was 86.
• He served AIR for 3 decades and became a well-known name among the common people for his news reading for years.

Daily CA On Sep 22 :

• On September 21, the world acknowledges World Alzheimer’s Day with the goal of raising awareness of the disease, common symptoms, and risk factors & the theme of 2021 is ‘Know dementia, know Alzheimer’s’.
• World Rhino Day is observed on September 22 every year & the theme of 2021 is ‘Keep the Five Alive’.
• Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) started India’s first indigenous luxury cruise liner on 18th September 2021.
• Devusinh Chauhan, Union Minister of State (MoS), Ministry of Communications launched a commemorative postal stamp to honour Rao Jaimal Rathore on his 515th birth anniversary.
• The 45th meeting of GST (Goods & Service Tax) Council was held at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, under the chairmanship of the Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance.
• In an endeavour to make women independent and employment-ready, the National Commission for Women has launched a country-wide capacity building and personality development program for women Undergraduate and Post graduate students.
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won a third term in Canada’s snap election but fell short of regaining the majority he was seeking, faced with relying on smaller parties in another fragmented parliament.
• Iran was officially admitted as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
• After Toy Park, Film City, Medical Device Park and Leather Park, the Uttar Pradesh government is gearing up to develop an ‘Electronic Park’ for electronic devices and accessories along the Yamuna Expressway near Noida.
• Power Finance Corp. Ltd (PFC) is set to become the 11th Maharatna central public sector enterprise (CPSE), with an inter-ministerial committee clearing the Navratna last week for this, stated two people aware of the development.
• ADB (Asian Development Bank) has lowered its forecast for the current fiscal (ending March 2022) to 10 per cent from 11 per cent while raising the estimate to 7.5 per cent from 7 per cent for the next fiscal (ending March 2023).
• The former British Prime Minister (PM) Gordon Brown has been appointed as Ambassador for Global Health Financing of World Health Organization (WHO). 
• Government has decided to appoint Air Marshal V R Chaudhari presently Vice Chief of Air Staff as the next Chief of Air Staff.
• Coromandel International, a Murugappa Group company, has re‐designated and appointed T S Venkateswaran (Vice- President and Head – Internal Audit and Risk Management) as Vice-President and Head‐Internal Audit and Chief Risk Officer of the company with effect from September 21, the company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange.
• The National Florence Nightingale Award, the highest national distinction a nurse can achieve, has been conferred upon Brig SV Saraswati, deputy director-General of Military Nursing Service (MNS) for 2020.
• The general council of National Academy of Letters aka Sahitya Akademi was met under the chairmanship of its president Dr Chandrashekhar Kambar where the highest honour, the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship was announced for 8 writers.
• Union Education Minister and Skill Development Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan presented the Kaushalacharya Awards for 2021 virtually on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti (17th September).
• The Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda has stated, “The government is taking up ambitious transformational programmes which will prove to be game-changer for the tribal livelihoods in times to come”.
• The Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs stated it has inked an MoU with CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd (CSC) to increase the business opportunities and income of fair price shops (FPS).
• CISF official Geeta Samota successfully scaled Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the proposed acquisition of4% of equity shareholding of Gangavaram Port Limited (GPL) by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones Limited (APSEZ).
• On September 20, 2021, The third edition of the India and Indonesia bilateral maritime exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’  began in the Sunda Strait, in Indonesia.
• On September 20, 2021, The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya released the third State Food Safety Index (SFSI) of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to measure the performance of States/UTs across five parameters of food safety.
• Teeth of new species of Hybodont Shark of the Jurassic age have been reported for the first time from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan by a team of officers from the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
• The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics unveiled its official motto, “Together for a Shared Future“, during a ceremony at the city’s Capital Museum,Beijing

• Mahant Narendra Giri, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, Passed away.

Daily CA On Sep 23 :

• The International Day of Sign Languages is observed on September 23 every year & the Theme of  2021 is “We Sign For Human Rights”.
• On Sep 20, 2021, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal virtually flagged off the dwarf container train service from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) signed an agreement to work on an arrangement through which they will set common safety and environmental protection standards.
• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal Speaking at an event in New Delhi on the soft launch of the National Single Window System, he said this is a big step towards Ease of Doing Business and a giant leap towards making India truly Aatmanirbhar.
• India chairs the 6th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Young Scientist Forum (YSF) for the year 2021.
• 15th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers Meeting with the theme ‘We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper’ was held virtually.
• Yes Bank has joined hands with Visa to offer a suite of credit cards to its customers.
• Bank of Baroda (BoB) collaborated with PayPoint India under which the financial service provider will provide Banking Service through business correspondent (BC) model.
• Rumen Radev, President of Bulgaria re-appointed retired general Stefan Yanev as the Caretaker Prime Minister(PM) of Bulgaria succeeding the former PM Boyko Borisov. 
• National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi campaign 2021-22 held through video conferencing.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on technologies that will enable it to land the GSLV Mk-III launch vehicles vertically.
• China has successfully launched its third Unmanned Cargo Aircraft (UCA) named Tianzhou-3 or Heavenly vessel from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan, China, with help of the Long March-7Y4 rocket.
• India’s highest selling author Chetan Bhagat unveiled the book cover of his upcoming title, ‘400 Days’ & the book will be released by Amazon-owned Westland Publications on October 8, 2021.
• A New Book titled “The Three Khans: And the Emergence of New India” authored by Kaveree Bamzai
• In the Norway Chess Open 2021 Masters section, India’s Grand Master D Gukesh won his second consecutive tournament.
• Former Commissioner of Delhi Police & Governor of Arunachal Pradesh  Yudhvir Singh Dadwal, passed away.
• Former Hindi Newsreader of All India Radio Ramanuj Prasad Singh passed away.