Read from our blog

National News

1. Govt to set up 12,500 Ayush centres across India: PM Modi 

Prime Minster Narendra Modi said that the government has set a target of setting up 12,500 Ayush centres across India, 4000 of which will be set up this year.

He also stressed for the need to create a homogenous system by creating an "Ayush grid" on the lines of one nation, one tax and one nation, one mobility card. He said this will remove silos in the area of Ayush.

The prime minister also pitched for linking technology with tradition in the practise of Ayush medicine.

The government was working towards bringing in more professionals in the field of Ayush and necessary steps are being taken to that effect.

 

2. India's first garbage cafe set to open in Chhattisgarh 

India’s first ‘Garbage Café’ will soon be opened in Ambikapur city in north Chhattisgarh. It is initiative of Ambikapur municipal corporation. It aims to make Ambikar city plastic-free. In this unique Café, poor people and rag pickers will get free food in exchange for one kilogram of plastic. Besides they will also provided with breakfast in return for exchanging half a kilogram of plastic brought to the cafe. The collected garbage through this café will be sold at Solid Liquid Resources Management Centre. It will be further turned into granules and will then be in the construction of roads in the city.

Ambikapur city is Chhattisgarh’s first dustbin-free city. It has efficient solid waste management system. It has been hailed as second cleanest city the country in Swachhata rankings after Indore.

 

3. India to join developed nations in ocean studies with 'Samudrayaan' project 

India’s ambition to send men to the deep sea in a submersible vehicle is likely to be a reality in 2021-22 with the 'Samudrayaan' project. The project proposes to send a submersible vehicle with three persons to a depth of about 6000 metres to carry out deep underwater studies.  The indigenously developed vehicle is capable of crawling on the sea bed at a depth of six kilometre for 72 hours.

Similar to ISRO's plan to carry persons on a space mission, NIOT has undertaken Samudrayaan. The ?200 crore project proposes to carry three persons in a submersible vehicle to a depth of 6000 metres under sea for various studies. Submarines go only about 200 metres.

The 'Samudrayaan' project undertaken by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is in line with the ISRO's ambitious 'Gaganyaan' mission of sending an astronaut to space by 2022. The success of the 'Samudrayaan' will help India to join the league of developed nations in exploration of minerals from oceans.

Such missions had already been carried by developed countries and India could be the first among the developing nations.

The 'Samudrayaan' is a part of the Ministry of Earth Sciences' pilot project for deep ocean mining for rare minerals.

It will be a part of the ?6000 crore 'Deep Ocean Mission' that has received in-principle approval but is awaiting a final nod from the Union Finance Ministry.

India has been allocated a site of 75,000 sq km in the Central Indian Ocean Basin by the International Sea Bed Authority for exploration of polymetallic nodules from seabed.

The estimated resource of polymetallic nodules is about 380 million tonnes, containing 4.7 million tonnes of nickel, 4.29 million tonnes of copper and 0.55 million tonnes of cobalt and 92.59 million tonnes of manganese.

 

4. PM Modi inaugurates 'Garvi Gujarat Bhawan' in New Delhi 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the newly constructed 'Garvi Gujarat Bhawan' in New Delhi.

The structure is spread over 7066 square metres and has been constructed at a cost of Rs 131 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi went around the grand building, paying close attention to the detailing that has gone into its construction.

Green norms have been followed in the construction of the building which is a combination of traditional architecture and modern technology.

The old Gujarat Bhavan at Chanakyapuri will continue to function. The new structure is built on an area of 20,325 square meters and have 19 suits rooms, 59 regular rooms, a restaurant, a public dining hall, a business centre, a souvenir shop, a multi-purpose hall, conference hall, four lounges, a gymnasium, a yoga centre, a terrace garden and a library. 

 

5. UP: KVIC launches 'Terracotta Grinder' to reuse broken, wasted pottery 

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched first-ever 'Terracotta Grinder' at Sewapuri in Varanasi. This machine can be used to grind wasted and broken pottery items for re-use in pottery-making.

The wasted pottery items were earlier ground in normal Khal-musal (mortar and pestle) and its fine powder was mixed with the normal clay. Mixing this powder in stipulated ratio to normal clay makes the resulting pottery items stronger.

This Terracotta grinder will make grinding of wasted pottery items faster than the traditional mortar and pestle. It will lessen the cost of production, and will also help in solving the problem of shortage of clays. The machine will be a boon for potters as Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Nitin Gadkari has proposed to introduce kulhads and other terracotta products at 400 prominent railway stations. The proposal is under active consideration of the Railways. The Terracotta grinder was designed by the KVIC Chairman and fabricated by a Rajkot-based engineering unit.

At the occasion, the KVIC Chairman also distributed 200 Electric Potter Wheels and other pottery machines among the villagers.

 

6. Food ministry to ban single-use plastic bottles from Sep 15 

Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry has decided to ban single-use plastic in its various departments as well as the public sector units under its administration from September 15.

The decision was taken at a meeting held by Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan. The department termed it as a small step to reduce single-use plastic usage and, to make people aware of viable alternative, while at the same time to improve the income and livelihood of rural women of India.

 

7. HRD Ministry awards IoE tag to IIT-Madras, Kharagpur, DU, BHU and Hyderabad University

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has awarded Institute of Eminence (IoE) tag to five institutes, which are Delhi University (DU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), University of Hyderabad, IIT-Madras and IIT-Kharagpur. The decision was taken following a recommendation made by the University Grants Commission (UGC) last month on the advice of an Empowered Expert Committee. The move is part of a scheme of the HRD Ministry announced last year to select 20 IoEs — 10 public and 10 private — that will enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy.

 

8. Kargil to Kohima ultra-marathon to mark 20 years of 'Vijay Diwas': IAF 

Commemorating 20 years of 'Vijay Diwas', the Indian Air Force is organising an ultra-marathon spanning over 4,500 km from Kargil to Kohima that will commence on September 21.

The run -- Kargil to Kohima (K2K): Glory Run -- will be from Kargil War Memorial at Dras in Jammu and Kashmir, and Kohima War Cemetery in Nagaland.

Kohima and Kargil are the two forward most outposts of India in the east and the north where two of the most fierce battles of modern India were fought in 1944 and 1999, respectively.

The run will commence on September 21 and culminate on November 6. A team of 25 air warriors will cover the distance of more than 4,500 mm in 45 days by running an average of 100 mm per day.

'Operation Vijay' was India's limited war against Pakistan in Kargil in 1999.

The aim of the expedition is to promote awareness for safety of pedestrians and recently launched 'Fit India Movement' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with paying tribute to bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifices.

The team has been selected after regressive selection trials and is undergoing their first phase of strenuous training. This will be followed by second phase of training at Leh.

The team will undertake adventure activities involving camping and living outdoors, managing and surviving in snow, rain and extreme climate through varied terrain of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West-Bengal, Assam and Nagaland, the statement added.

 

9. Rajnath Singh meets South Korean defence counterpart, discusses boosting ties 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with his South Korean counterpart Jeong Kyeong-Doo where the two reviewed defence cooperation between both countries.

During the meeting, both sides agreed that there was great potential to further boost defence ties.

Rajnath Singh was currently on a three-day visit to South Korea with an aim to intensify bilateral defence and security relations.

India is developing strong military hardware cooperation with South Korea as the Indian Army has already inducted the K-9 Vajra self-propelled howitzers (which has roots in South Korea's K-9 Thunder) built in partnership with the Indian firm Larsen and Toubro.

 

10. Prepare plan for protection of the Great Indian Bustard: NGT

Noting the high mortality rate of the Great Indian Bustard, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Centre to prepare a time-bound action plan within two months for protection of the birds.

A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel also constituted a joint committee comprising officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

The committee was asked to prepare an action plan for the implementation of suggestions put forth by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

The WII in its report also said steps should be taken to reduce poaching of the specie and other wildlife in the Thar landscape.

 

11. Manipur government declares ‘No School Bag Day’ for students 

The Manipur government has declared all working Saturdays as “No School Bag Day” for students from class I to VIII. On this day, students will not carry school bags and institutions will ensure taking up extra co-curricular activities, games and sports, recreational activities among others and make schools a more joyful place of learning.

An office memorandum to this effect was issued by the Education department enforcing “No School Bag Day” in all categories of schools including the government and private schools.

 

12. Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Lakhvi, Dawood Ibrahim declared terrorists under new anti-terror law

Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), his deputy Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim who planned and executed the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts are the first four persons designated as “terrorists” under the anti-terror law passed by Parliament.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a gazette notification declaring the four as 'terrorists' under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.

The UAPA was first amended in 2004, then in 2008 and in 2013. The 2004 amendment was to ban organisations for terror activities, under which 34 outfits, including the LeT and the JeM were banned. To designate Azhar, the MHA mentioned five terror cases, including the February 14 Pulwama attack, where 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

Lakhvi has been designated as a terrorist for his involvement in four cases, including 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

The government had said that the first ones to be designated on a priority basis would be the Pakistan-based terrorists. The designations were in alignment with laws in the European Union (EU) countries, the U.S.A., China and Israel and even in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

 

13. New Motor Vehicles Act: Two states will not impose higher penalty for traffic violations 

The state governments of Punjab and Madhya Pradesh are yet to implement the penalties for traffic violations under the new Motor Vehicles Act which came into force from September 1.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said his government will first study the new amendments in the Motor Vehicles Act and then decide.

Punjab has also refused to implement the stricter Motor Vehicles Act for the time being.

The Ministry of Road Transport last week notified the provisions of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 that is applicable from September 1.

The new amendments have increased several penalties by up to 10 times for violations of traffic rules. For example, the penalty for driving under the influence of alcohol has been increased from ?2000 to ?10,000

 

14. Supreme Court to study plea for food for all

The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea that starvation deaths continue to eat into the right to life and dignity of social fabric and a “radical” new measure like community kitchens need to be set up across the country to feed the poor and the hungry.

A Bench led by Justice N.V. Ramana issued notice to the government on the petition filed jointly by activists Anun Dhawan, Ishann Dhawan and Kunjana Singh, represented by advocates Ashima Mandla and Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi.

The petition said State-funded community kitchens was not a novel concept in the country. They pointed out how Tamil Nadu's Amma Unavagam had become a roaring success by involving peers in self-help groups, employing the poor to serve hygienic food to eradicate the gnawing problem of hunger on the streets.

The petition also referred to how Rajasthan's Annapurna Rasoi, Indira Canteens in Karnataka, Delhi's Aam Aadmi Canteen, Anna Canteen in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Dal Bhat and Odisha's Ahaar Centre were combating starvation and malnutrition crisis.

It urged the court to direct the Chief Secretaries across the country to formulate schemes for the implementation of community kitchens and to further ensure that “no person should sleep on an empty stomach”. It called for the creation of a national food grid by the Centre that would be beyond the scope of the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS).

 

15. Sex ratio at birth improved from 918 to 931 in five years: Smriti Irani

Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani said that Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) has improved by 13 points from 918 to 931 at the national level in last five years.

Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh received honours for improving sex ratio at birth. Nine districts were also awarded for better sex ratio at birth which includes East Kameng of Arunachal Pradesh), Mahendragarh and Bhiwani (Haryana), Udham Singh Nagar (Uttrakhand), Namakkal (Tamilnadu), Jalgaon (Maharashtra), Etawah (UP), Raigarh (Chattisgarh), Jodhpur (Rajasthan).

During the event, 10 districts were also awarded for good work in awareness generation and outreach activities under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign.

The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign was launched in 2015 and is, now, being implemented in 640 districts.

Irani made special mention of Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh which has registered a sharp improvement in SRB from 807 in the last five years.

The Minister also mentioned Mahendragarh district of Haryana where the SRB has risen to 916 from below 800 marks in 2001.

She also appreciated the work done by the district of Tiruvallur of Tamil Nadu for recording an impressive increase of 38 points in SRB from 925 to 963 in the last one year.

 

16. CBSE partners with Microsoft for capacity building of teachers 

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has joined hands with Microsoft to conduct capacity building programmes for high school teachers and integrate cloud-powered technology in teaching.

The programme will cater to teachers of classes eight to 10 and will be conducted in 10 cities across the country. It will begin on September 11, 2019.

As part of the programme, at least 1,000 teachers nominated by the CBSE will undergo a three-day project-based training for practical, hands-on knowledge of Microsoft 365 tools such as OneNote, Flipgrid, Teams and Outlook.

The programme will provide teachers better access to the latest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and help them integrate technology into teaching in a safe and secure manner, thereby enhancing the learning experience and 21st century skills of all students

The teachers will also learn about digital storytelling, creation of personalised learning experiences for diverse learners, use of Teams -- a Microsoft tool -- for virtual lessons and how to leverage AI tools for creative usage and to demystify concepts around artificial intelligence.

 

17. Rohit Sharma Launches Campaign to save Rhinos in India 

India vice-captain Rohit Sharma is launching Rohit4Rhinos campaign, in partnership with WWF India and Animal Planet, to help build awareness for the need to conserve the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros or the Indian Rhino.

In a campaign launching on Animal Planet to commemorate World Rhino Day on September 22, Rohit pledges to do his bit to save the "vulnerable" species from extinction.

The Indian rhinoceros faces several threats, including poaching, habitat loss and mass mortality from in-breeding and disease.

 

18. Indian Army Team summit MT Leo Pargyil (6773m)

Indian Army team from 18th battalion, the Mahar Regiment successfully summited Mount Leo Pargyil (6773M). After an extremely challenging climb in harsh weather, hoisting the National Flag atop Mt Leo Pargyil.

Leo Pargyil is the third highest peak of Himachal Pradesh and is considered to be among the most challenging and technically difficult peak to scale. It lies in the Zanskar range.

 

International News

1. Indonesia to move capital from sinking Jakarta to Borneo 

Indonesia's president Joko Widodo said that the country's capital will move from overcrowded, sinking and polluted Jakarta to a site in sparsely populated East Kalimantan province on Borneo island, known for rainforests and orangutans.

The new capital city, which has not yet been named, will be in the middle of the vast archipelago nation and already has relatively complete infrastructure because it is near the cities of Balikpapan and Samarinda.

Jakarta is an archetypical Asian mega-city with 10 million people, or 30 million including those in its greater metropolitan area. It is prone to earthquakes and flooding and is rapidly sinking due to uncontrolled extraction of ground water. The ground water and rivers are highly contaminated. Congestion is estimated to cost the economy $6.5 billion a year.

Indonesia's founding father and first president, Sukarno, once planned to relocate the capital to Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan province.

 

2. First US-Asean naval exercise begins 

The first US-Asean Maritime Exercise (AUMX) was officially opened with a ceremony at the Royal Thai Fleet headquarters at Chon Buri's Sattahip district, Thailand. The ceremony was attended by representatives of navies from the 10 participating countries and was jointly presided over by Vice Admiral Charoenpol Kumrasee, chief-of-staff of the Royal Thai Fleet, and Rear Admiral  Kenneth Whitesell, deputy commander of the US Pacific Fleet. 

The joint exercise involves 1,250 military personnel.

The US has sent the littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8), the guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), three MH-60 helicopters, a P-8 Poseidon aircraft and staff assigned to DESRON 7 and CTF 73.

The vessels will form a combined task force (CTF) for the exercise, which will take place in Cape Cà Mau on the Cà Mau Peninsula in Vietnam -- southernmost point of mainland Indochina.

The AUMX is co-led by the US and the Royal Thai Navy and will be preceded with pre-sail activities in Thailand, Singapore and Brunei, followed by sea drills in international waters in the Gulf of Thailand as well as the South China Sea. The exercise will conclude in Singapore.

The multilateral drill, the first of its kind, is aimed to improve maritime cooperation and enhance security in the region. 

The US participation sets the stage for the sharing of naval experiences. The US is participant in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat) as well as the Cobra Gold, the largest Asia-Pacific military exercise held annually in Thailand.

The aim is to train the regional navies in delivering humanitarian assistance and mitigating disasters.

The collective training reflects a stronger regional military partnership. However, he insisted it is not the case of the US imposing its will on other countries, as each participating navy has their own set of objectives it wants to accomplish in the exercise. 

 

3. India’s global fund $22 million contribution to GFTAM for 2020-22 

India has announced contribution of $22 million to Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFTAM) for 6th Replenishment Cycle (for year 2020-22)

This is an increase of 10% over the amount contributed by India in 5th cycle

India stands firm to its long-standing partnership with Global Fund and its commitment to eliminate AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. India was the first implementing country to host a replenishment milestone of the Global Fund and now has become first among G20, BRICS and implementer countries to announce the pledge for the 6th Replenishment Conference. India shares a sustained partnership with the Global Fund since 2002 both as recipient and as a donor.  Global Fund support with investment of US $ 2.0 billion so far has made significant contribution in attaining targets related to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria reduction and escalating our fight against these three diseases In the current funding cycle (2018-21), the Global Fund has allocated US$ 500 million to India As a donor, India has contributed US$ 46.5 million so far till 2019 including US$ 20 million for the 5th Replenishment

The Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFTAM) is an international financing and partnership organization that aims to “attract, leverage and invest additional resources to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to support attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations”

The Global Fund is the world’s largest financier of AIDS, TB, and malaria prevention, treatment, and care program. The Global Fund typically raises and spends funds during three-year “replenishment” fund-raising periods. Its first replenishment was launched in 2005, the second in 2007, the third in 2010, the fourth in 2013, and the fifth in 2016

 

4. India, Pakistan forces to be part of military exercise in Russia- TSENTR 2019. 

Even as the relationship between India and Pakistan continues to remain tense, the armies of the two nations will take part in a multi-national military exercise in Russia next week – China will also take part in the exercise.

This will be the first time that forces from India and Pakistan will participate in a multilateral exercise together since the airstrikes conducted by Indian forces in Balakot earlier this year. The already fraught relationship between the two countries took a turn for the worse after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir last month.

The two forces had met last year as part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – also held in Russia.

The exercise, to be held for two weeks, from September 9-23, is named TSENTR 2019. It is “part of the annual series of large scale exercises that form part of the Russian Armed Forces’ annual training cycle”.

It rotates between the four main Russian operational strategic commands.

The country hosts a “major military exercise every year at one of the military Commands – Vostok in the east, Zapad in the west, TSENTR in the centre and Kavkas in the south.

 

5. Russia to launch special stamp to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi 

Russia will launch a special stamp to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Indian Ambassador to Moscow D.B. Venkatesh Varma said.

The announcement on the postal stamp came a day after Prime Minister Modi made a reference about the stamp and an app to popularise Yoga.

 

6. Giraffes close to being classified as 'critically endangered' 

In Africa, the population of the world's tallest mammals are quietly, yet sharply, in decline.

Giraffe numbers across the continent fell 40% between 1985 and 2015, to just under 100,000 animals, according to the best figures available to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

But unlike the clarion calls sounded over the catastrophic collapse of elephant, lion and rhino populations, less attention was paid to the giraffe's private crisis.

The rate of decline is much higher in central and eastern regions, with poaching, habitat destruction and conflict the main drivers blamed for thinning herds of these gentle creatures.

 

7. WHO South-East Asia Region plans to banish measles, rubella by 2023 

Member-countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region have resolved to eliminate highly infectious childhood killer diseases measles and rubella by 2023. The new target to eliminate both the diseases will leverage the existing momentum and a strong political commitment, which is being demonstrated through unprecedented efforts, progress and successes in recent years.

A resolution to eliminate the diseases was adopted at the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Delhi.

Measles is particularly dangerous for the poor, as it attacks malnourished children and those with reduced immunity. It can cause serious complications, including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea, ear infection and pneumonia, while rubella/ congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) causes irreversible birth defects.

Measles elimination and rubella control has been a regional flagship priority since 2014. Bhutan, DPR Korea, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste have eliminated measles and Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste have controlled rubella.

Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia

 

8. Woman Receives First Corneal Transplant Made from iPS Cells

Woman in Japan with a corneal disease has become the first person in the world to receive a corneal transplant made from induced pluripotent stem cells, according to a team of researchers led by ophthalmologist Kohji Nishida at Osaka University. The cornea, a clear layer that covers the eye, contains stem cells that repair damage and maintain vision. These stem cells can be lost through injury or disease, which can then cause blurry vision and lead to blindness. As part of a clinical trial, the team performed a cornea transplant on a woman in her 40s with a corneal disease that caused her to lose these stem cells. The induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) used in the transplant were taken from an adult donor, reprogrammed into an undifferentiated state, and then induced to develop into corneal stem cells.

 

Economy News

1. Mumbai-Surat AC ferry service planned for Nov start: Guj govt 

In principle approval has been given for a ferry service between Mumbai and Surat and operations are likely to begin in November this year.

The air-conditioned passenger ferry service, with 20 rooms and with a capacity of 300 passengers, will operate between Hazira port in Surat and Bandra in Mumbai once a week to start with, and its frequency will be increased depending on public response.

The ship will be initially operating once a week. Its frequency will be increased in the future based on the passenger traffic.

The Gujarat government operates a roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) passenger cum cargo ferry service between Dahej in Surat and Ghogha in Bhavnagar district under a public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

The state will get a Rs 45 crore early warning dissemination system for early information on cyclones along its 1,600-km coastline.

The system will be built by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority under National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, a joint undertaking of National Disaster Management Authority and World Bank.

The state has provided Rs 20 crore its operation and maintenance for the first five years.

 

2. Switzerland to share bank account information with India 

Banking details of Indians with accounts in Switzerland will be available to tax authorities as the automatic exchange of information regime kicks off between the two countries. The move, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said, is a significant step in the government’s fight against black money and the era of “Swiss bank secrecy” will finally be over from September.

The first Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (AEOI) under the provisions common reporting standard will start from September.

India will receive information of the calendar year 2018 in respect of all financial accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland.

The information will include accounts that were closed during 2018.

During the meeting, both sides discussed bilateral exchange of information matters to expedite execution of tax information sharing requests made by India in specific cases.

 

3. MeitY and Google tie up to Build for Digital India 

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Google signed a statement of intent to roll-out 'Build for Digital India', a programme that will give engineering students a platform to develop market-ready, technology-based solutions that address key social problems.

As part of the programme, engineering students across the country will be invited to apply and join in a learning journey that will help them transform their bright ideas into real-world solutions.

Applicants will take part in online and offline learning opportunities on key technologies such as machine learning, cloud and android. These will be offered through Google’s Developer Student Club network and other Google Developer networks. Google will also offer mentorship sessions in product design, strategy and technology to the most promising products and prototypes.

The programme will provide great exposure to students in dealing with real world problems and develop deeper understanding of how newer technologies can be used to solve them.

The programme will invite bright ideas and solutions from students to focus on areas of healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, women safety, smart mobility and transportation, environment, accessibility and disability and digital literacy.

 

4. Tourism Minister inaugurates first-ever architectural LED illumination at Qutb Minar

Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahalad Singh Patel inaugurated first-ever architectural LED illumination at the historic Qutb Minar.

With the illumination, the architectural beauty of the 12th-century monument will display its historic majesty after sunset.

The new illumination comprises lighting that accentuates the silhouette of the monument with the interplay of light and shade. The duration of illumination will be from 7 pm to 11 pm.

In a new facility for visitor convenience, now the public can skip the queue at Qutb Minar and can purchase ticket for the monument at a discounted rate just by scanning the QR code through their mobile camera.

Qutb Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of most visited historical site in the national capital.

 

5. Andhra Pradesh gets India's longest electrified rail tunnel 

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated India's longest electrified rail tunnel. Situated between Cherlopalli and Rapuru stations of Andhra Pradesh, the 6.6-km long tunnel is a part of the Obulavaripalli-Venkatachalam railway line. The newly constructed tunnel will provide seamless rail connectivity between Krishnapatnam Port and the hinterland areas for freight movement.

The 112-km long electrified railway line between Venkatachalam and Obulavaripalli will reduce the the travel time by 5 hours. Currently, the freight train takes 10 hours to travel from Krishnapatnam Port to Obulavaripali. Venkaiah Naidu termed the tunnel an "engineering marvel."

It is the country's first electrified tunnel is built in the shape of a 'horse shoe' using the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM).

The construction of the tunnel was a major challenge as the tunnel area was full of quartzite and phyllite rocks. The tunnel construction was completed in a record time of 43 months.

 

6. Eight core sectors growth slows to 2.1% in July

Growth in core sector activity quickened in July 2019 to 2.1%, due almost entirely to a recovery in the cement sector.

The Index of Eight Core Industries had grown at just 0.7% in June 2019. However, July's growth rate is far lower than the 7.3% growth registered in the same month last year.

The cement sector saw growth accelerating to 7.9% in July 2019 compared with a contraction of 1.7% in the previous month. The coal sector, however, slipped into contraction in July, contracting 1.4% compared with a growth of 3.2% in June.

The crude oil sector continued contracting for at least the thirteenth consecutive month, contracting  4.4% in July, compared with a contraction of 6.8% in June. The natural gas sector contracted 0.5% in July compared with a contraction of 2.1% in the previous month.

The refinery products sector also contracted in July, by 0.9% compared with a contraction of 9.3% in June. Growth in the fertiliser sector remained flat at 1.5% over the period.

The steel sector saw growth moderate to 6.6% compared with 8.4% in June. The electricity sector, too, saw a slowdown in growth in July, to 4.2%, compared with 8.1% in the previous month.

 

7. IAF inducts eight U.S.-made Apache attack helicopters

The Indian Air Force (IAF) formally inducted eight AH-64E Apache attack helicopters into service at the Pathankot Air Force Station. Apache is the most advanced multi-role heavy attack helicopter in the world.

Apache attack helicopters are being purchased to replace the Mi-35 fleet. Alongside the capability to shoot fire and forget anti-tank guided missiles, air-to-air missiles, rockets and other ammunitions, it also has modern Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities to provide versatility to helicopters in a network-centric aerial warfare.These helicopters have been modified specifically to suit the exacting standards demanded by the IAF and noted that the delivery schedule is on time.

The Apaches will be part of the 125 Helicopter Unit at Pathankot.

India is the 16th nation to select the Apache and the AH-64E is the most advanced variant.

India contracted 22 Apache helicopters from the U.S. government and Boeing in September 2015 and the entire fleet will be in service with the IAF by 2020. The government has also cleared the acquisition of six additional Apaches for the Indian Army which has been formally approved by the U.S.

The helicopter is capable of delivering a variety of weapons which include air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra rockets and air-to-air Stinger missiles. Apache also carries one 30 mm chain gun with 1,200 rounds as part of area weapon sub-system and to “add to the lethality of the helicopter” it carries fire control radar, which has a 360 degree coverage and nose mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems.

This procurement will enhance the capability of IAF in providing integrated combat aviation cover to the army strike corps, the IAF said adding that these helicopters “are day/night, all weather capable and have high agility and survivability against battle damage.”

 

8. Ashok Leyland becomes first commercial vehicle maker to get BS-VI certification for heavy duty trucks 

Ashok Leyland, a flagship company of the Hinduja Group and the country's second-largest commercial vehicle manufacturer  has become the first Indian original equipment manufacturer to meet the Bharat Stage VI emission norms across its full range of heavy-duty trucks with gross vehicle weight of 16.2 tonnes and above.

The company received the certificates confirming compliance to BS-VI emission standard from the Automotive Research Association of lndia (ARAI), an autonomous body affiliated to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

The Supreme Court has ruled that no BS-IV vehicle will be sold across the country with effect from April 1, 2020. Instead, the BS-VI emission norm will come into force across the country.

The major difference between the existing BS-IV and forthcoming BS-VI norms is the presence of sulphur in the fuel. These emission standards were set by the government to keep a check on the pollutant levels emitted by vehicles that use combustion engines.

 

9. CCEA hikes ethanol prices, purchase by OMCs will rise 30%

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) announced increase in the price of sugarcane-extracted ethanol, used for blending in petrol, in keeping with its stated, but under-implemented policy of encouraging ethanol-blended fuel to cut the country’s burdensome oil import bill and aiding the sugar industry and farmers.

The higher prices would increase the procurement of ethanol by oil marketing companies to 260 crore litres between December 2019 and November 2020, from 200 crore litres bought in the previous ethanol year. The move would raise the ethanol blending in petrol to about 7% next year from 6% currently, and up to 10% by 2021-22

Ethanol is a by-product of molasses generated on crushing of sugarcane and the higher price is seen to help the sugar mills, which are burdened with high prices of cane fixed by the Centre and state governments. Cane-based ethanol can be produced three different ways — directly from cane juice, from B-grade and C-grade molasses.

 

10. Govt launches updated Credit linked Capital Subsidy Scheme for MSMEs 

The government launched the updated Credit linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS) to allow micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access to capital.

MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the government would prepare a final report on the recommendations of the U K Sinha committee, which had been set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to suggest expeditious ways to strengthen MSMEs, within the next eight days.

Gadkari said the CLCSS scheme would be crucial in raising MSME contribution to gross domestic product from the current 29 per cent to 50 per cent, in addition to increasing exports from the sector to 50 per cent from 40 per cent now.

The scheme provides an upfront subsidy of 15 per cent on institutional credit up to Rs 1 crore for MSMEs in the specified 51 sub-sectors.

In February, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved an outlay of Rs 2,900 crore for the scheme. Now, it is a demand-driven one without any upper limit on overall annual spending on the subsidy disbursal, a senior official said. In the relaunched scheme, there is an additional 10 per cent subsidy for SC-ST entrepreneurs while special provisions have been made for 117 'aspirational' districts, hill states and the northeastern region.

Gadkari also said a committee was being set up under the MSME secretary to look into the issue of delayed payments. The finance ministry estimates that public sector undertakings owe MSMEs above Rs 48,000 crore.

The government is brainstorming ways to improve the TReDS (Trade Receivables Discounting System) platform and the online bill discounting platform, which helps MSMEs raise funds by selling their trade receivables to corporates. Suggestions include expanding the number of exchanges allowed on TReDS and connecting it with the government e-marketplace platform, the government's chief public procurement portal.

 

11. Exercise Yudh-Abhyas 2019 begins between India and USA 

The joint military exercise, Yudh Abhyas 2019, begins on September 5, 2019, at the Joint Base Lewis Macard near Washington between India and USA. This exercise will last until 18 September. It is one of the biggest joint military exercise and defence corporation endeavours between India and the USA. Yudh Abhyas 2019 is the 15th edition of the joint military exercise hosted alternately between the two countries.

Yudh Abhyas 2019 is also significant because it provides an ideal platform to learn from each other's expertise and experiences of planning and execution of operations. The armies of India and USA will jointly plan, train and execute a series of well developed operations for neutralization of threats of varied nature.

People in News

1. CEC Sunil Arora assumes charge as Chairman of Association of 

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora assumed Chairmanship of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) for the term 2019-21.

The Election Commission of India had been closely associated with the formation process of the A-WEB during 2011-12, and was one of the founding members of A-WEB in October 2013.  A member of the Executive Board since 2013, India had taken over as Vice-Chair of A-WEB since 2017.

The constituent units of the A-WEB are the Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) of different countries, structured to work together and learn from the experiences and best practices from one another.

With 115 EMBs from 109 countries as its members, and 20 international organisations as Associate Members, the A-WEB has truly become a global organisation to strengthen electoral management in a non-invasive manner.

 

2. Arif Mohammad Khan sworn in as new Kerala Governor 

Former Union minister and veteran politician Arif Mohammad Khan was sworn in as the 24th Governor of Kerala.

Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court Hrishikesh Roy administered Khan the oath of office at the Raj Bhawan, Kerala.

 

3. Bhagat Singh Koshyari Sworn In As Maharashtra Governor, Takes Oath In Marathi 

Bhagat Singh Koshyari, a former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand has been sworn in as Maharashtra’s Governor. 

Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Justice Pradeep Nandrajog administered the oath of office to Mr Koshyari at Raj Bhavan in South Mumbai.

 

Sports News

1. Rishabh Pant is fastest Indian keeper to claim 50 dismissals in Tests 

Young Rishabh Pant became the fastest Indian wicket-keeper to claim 50 dismissals in Test cricket, surpassing former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He claimed his 50th victim in his 11th Test while Dhoni had taken 15 Tests to touch the milestone. Pant took an easy catch to dismiss West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite off an Ishant Sharma delivery in the second innings of the hosts in the second Test.

In December last year, Pant had equalled the world record for most catches in a Test by a wicket-keeper when he snared 11 Australian batsmen at Adelaide Oval.

Meanwhile India inched closer to a series sweep, the hosts declared the second innings at 168 for four setting West Indies an improbable 468 run-target. In reply the hosts ended the day on 45 for 2.

 

2. Rashid Khan Breaks 15-Year-Old Record to Become Youngest Test Captain 

Rashid Khan scripted history as he became the youngest ever Test captain leading Afghanistan against Bangladesh in the one-off Test.

The record was earlier held by Zimbabwe's Tatenda Taibu who was 20 years and 358 days old when he led his side against Sri Lanka in 2004. Rashid is 20 years and 350 days old.

Youngest Test captains

20y 350d: Rashid Khan (AFG)

20y 358d: Tatenda Taibu (ZIM)

21y 77d: Nawab of Pataudi (IND)

22y 15d: Waqar Younis (PAK)

22y 82d: Graeme Smith (SA)

22y 115d: Shakib Al Hasan (BAN)

 

Events

1. ‘Namaste Pacific’ Cultural Event held in New Delhi 

The High Commissions of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji jointly organised a cultural event ‘Namaste Pacific’ held in Delhi, India. This event is organised to showcase the culture of the Pacific countries. There was also showcase of the International Solar Alliance and Pollinate Energy based in Australia, Nepal and India and solar lanterns from Barefoot College in Rajasthan.

 

2. Election Commission to host Association of World Election Bodies in Bengaluru 

The Election Commission of India hosted the 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) on September 3 in Bengaluru. India took over as its Chair for the 2019-21 term.  A-WEB was established on October 14, 2013 in Song-do, South Korea with its permanent secretariat at Seoul. It is the largest association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide. A-WEB’s vision is to foster efficiency and effectiveness in conducting free, fair, transparent and participative elections worldwide.

It’s activities include identifying latest trends, challenges and developments in democratic electoral management and electoral processes and to facilitate appropriate exchange of experience and expertise among members with the aim of strengthening electoral democracy worldwide.

 

3. Mega UN Summit to Combat Desertification held in Greater Noida, India 

The 14th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP14) was held in Greater Noida with the theme of 'Investing in Land, Unlocking Opportunities'. Around 196 countries and 94 environment ministers are taking part in the mega event, which is being hosted by India. India took over the Presidency of the COP from China.

India’s Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has been elected earlier this week as President of the Conference of the Parties and he will be presiding over the body for the next two years.

The COP will go on till September 13 during which the ministers are expected to announce their targets for land restoration and agree on measures to address the related emerging threats of forced migration, sand and dust storms, and on actions to strengthen resilience to droughts.

During the last COP in 2017 in China, countries had agreed on a 12-year strategy to contain runaway land degradation that is threatening global food and water supply.

 

4. On Nuakhai Juhar-Odisha's Harvest Festival 

Nuakhai Juhar is one of the most ancient festivals celebrated in Odisha to welcome the new crop of the season. The agricultural festival is mainly observed by the people of western Odisha. On the auspicious occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted wishes for the "hardworking" farmers of the eastern state.

Nuakhai Juhar is also called Nuakhai Parab or Nuakahi Bhetghat and is a greeting exchanged on the special day. Nuakhai is a combination of two words, 'nua' meaning new and 'khai' means eat, it thus signifies "eating of new rice". People worship food grain on this auspicious day. Special meals are prepared and everyone eats it together. The farmers offer the first produce from their lands to Goddess Samaleswari, the famous mother goddess of Sambalpur district of the state.

Nuakhai is celebrated across districts like Kalahandi, Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Nuapada, Jharsuguda, Sonepur and Boudh and also across several areas of Jharkhand. Several cultural programmes - folk songs and dances are organised on this day to display the state's local culture and tradition.

 

5. International Day of Charity - 5 September 

International Day of Charity is celebrated on 5 September every year to commemorate the death anniversary of Mother Teresa and to make people understand about the importance of charity. The International Day of Charity officially was declared by the UN General Assembly in 2012. Also, this day was created by the Hungarian Civil society initiative in 2011 with the support of the Hungarian parliament and Government. 5 September is selected as the Date to celebrate the International Day of Charity because this date commemorates the anniversary of passing of Mother Teresa who worked tirelessly for the people who are in need, to overcome poverty, distress and suffering of the poorest in the world.

 

6. Modi, leaders of various nations attended EEF in Russia 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of a number of other countries attended the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) held in Vladivostok, Russia  from September 4 to 6. It provided a platform for discussing issues aimed at expanding international cooperation in Asia-Pacific region and developing the economy of Russias Far East.

Modi was the Chief Guest at the event being hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin here in Russian Far East. It will also be attended by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, and Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga.

The EEF will be marked by over 70 business events, including panel discussions, with an aim of expanding international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and developing the economy in Russia''s Far East.

 

7. CBI's first national conference on Cyber Crime Investigation held 

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) organized the first National Conference on Cyber Crime Investigation and Cyber Forensics on September 4-5, 2019 at CBI HQ in New Delhi. The conference was inaugurated by CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla.

The conference had several panel discussions, lectures and presentations on various topics of law enforcement. Cyber Forensics was including Social Media, Mobile/Digital Forensics, online harming including child sexual abuse, establishing standard formats for data exchange between service providers and LEAs and Intermediary liability.

 

Awards

1. PM Modi to get award from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to receive another award for one of his ambitious projects –the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan — from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation has decided to confer the prestigious award on PM Modi during his visit to the United States.

In 2014, immediately after assuming power after a landslide win in the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the Swachh Bharat campaign and vowed to eliminate open defecation nationwide in five years. The mission has two thrusts: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (rural), which operates under the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (urban), which operates under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

 

2. Vatican awards Yunus with the 'Lamp of Peace of Saint Francis' 

The Vatican has honoured Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus with the ‘Lamp of Peace of Saint Francis’ award, which aims to honour those who work towards promoting peace and harmony.  He was given the award at the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, Italy.  The Lamp represents the simplicity of the Franciscan message: the lamp is made of glass to recall purity and the oil that burns inside is both a symbol of humility and of the desire of rebirth and social commitment. 

It is a replica of a glass oil lamp that burns at the side of the grave of Saint Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan order behind the peace prize.

The Lamp of Peace was first presented in 1981 to Polish trade union leader Lech Walesa. Other recipients include Pope John Paull II, the Dalai Lama, Saint Teresa of Calcutta and former Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev. 

The last two winners of the award were Angela Merkel and King Abdullah II of Jordan.

 

3. Railways Adjudged as the Best Ministry for Implementation of Swachhata Action Plan for 2018-19 

The President Ramnath Kovind complimented the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) for inspiring historic behavior change in the country and putting forth a model for the world to replicate. He also gave away a set of Swachh Bharat awards. More than 1300 swachhata champions including school children, NCC cadets, volunteers from NSS and NYKS, swachhagrahies, sarpanches, representatives from States and UTs, central government ministries and media persons participated in the grand event.

President Kovind congratulated the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti for their relentless efforts during the past 5 years in inspiring behavior change at the grassroots under the SBM. He said that it was a matter of pride that under the SBM, our nation is all set to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals of sanitation for all by 2019 itself.

The President felicitated swachhata champions in different categories. Prominent awardees were Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple for Swachh Iconic Places, Department of Defense for Swachhata Pakhwada, Ministry of Railways for Swachhata Action Plan, Village Baghori, Uttarkashi is for the Ganga Gram, Sikkim and Gujarat for ODF Plus communicationsfor behavior change,and the Power Grid Corporation for its contribution to the Swachh Bharat Kosh. For the Swachh Bharat Summer Internship, the first prize was given to Ranjitha S for NCC, Bharatiya Shaheed Sainik School, Nainital for NSS, and Vision Youth Association, Anantapuramu for NYKS.

Various other awardees in several categories including Swachh Railway Station, Swachh Petrol Pump, Swachh Highway and others were felicitated by the Minister Jal Shakti, who urged them to continue working for the sustainability of the ODF, solid and liquid waste management and water conservation.

 

4. Salman Rushdie’s ‘Quichotte’ on Booker Prize 2019 shortlist 

Salman Rushdie’s tragicomic novel Quichotte is among six titles from around the world to be named on the shortlist of the 2019 Booker Prize.

The 72-year-old former Booker Prize-winning British-Indian novelist has famously also won the Booker of Bookers prize for Midnight’s Children during the anniversary celebrations of the prestigious literary award.

Lucy Ellmann is shortlisted for Ducks, Newburyport, Bernardine Evaristo for Girl, Woman, Other, Chigozie Obioma for An Orchestra of Minorities, and Elif Shafak for 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World.

Each of the shortlisted authors will receive 2,500 pounds and a specially-bound edition of their book. The 2019 Booker Prize winner will be announced on October 14 at an awards ceremony at London’s Guildhall, with a winning prize of £50,000.

Last year’s winner was northern Irish writer Anna Burns for Milkman, which has sold around 546,500 copies in all formats since the award.

The Booker Prize for Fiction, first awarded in 1969, is open to writers of any nationality, writing in English and published in the U.K. or Ireland.

The prize is supported for the first time this year by venture capitalist Michael Moritz and his wife, novelist Harriet Heyman’s charitable foundation Crankstart, rather than the Man Group.

 

Ranking

1. Travel and Tourism Competitiveness index: India ranked 34^th 

India has moved up six places to rank 34th on world travel and tourism competitiveness index, driven by rich natural and cultural resources and strong price competitiveness. Best of all, India accounts for a major chunk of South Asia’s travel and tourism GDP, making it one of the most competitive T&T-oriented economies in the sub-region itself. In contrast, the report states that Pakistan remains the least competitive country in South Asia in travel and tourism, including the region’s least favourable safety and security (134th) conditions.

Spain held on to the top spot in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) latest Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR), which ranked 140 countries on their relative strengths in global tourism and travel.

 

2. India among top 10 nations in gold reserves 

India has pipped the Netherlands to move into the list of top ten countries in terms of total gold reserves.

According to the World Gold Council, India has gold reserves totalling 618.2 tonnes, which is marginally higher than the Netherlands’ reserves of 612.5 tonnes.

Interestingly, in terms of individual countries, India actually ranks ninth since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) occupies the third position after the U.S. and Germany.

According to the latest release by the World Gold Council, U.S. leads the country list with total gold reserves of 8,133.5 tonnes followed by Germany with 3,366.8 tonnes.

While the IMF is ranked third with a holding of 2,451.8 tonnes, it is followed by countries such as Italy (2,451.8 tonnes), France (2,436.1 tonnes), Russia (2,219.2 tonnes), China (1,936.5 tonnes), Switzerland (1,040 tonnes) and Japan (765.2 tonnes) before India at the 10th spot.

India’s entry into the list of top ten countries comes at a time when the quantum of monthly purchases is the lowest in over three years.

 

3. Vienna is world's most liveable city, five Asian and Australasian cities in the top 10 

Austria’s capital Vienna is rated the world’s most liveable city for the second year running in the 2019 edition of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Liveability Report.

New Delhi dropped by six places to rank 118th on a list of the world's most liveable cities due to increase in cases of petty crimes and poor air quality.

While the national capital registered the biggest decline in Asia, Mumbai also fell two places since last year to rank 119^th.

While New Delhi has been given an overall score of 56.3, Mumbai has got 56.2, while top-ranked Vienna has scored 99.1 and least-ranked Damascus (Syria) has got 30.7 points.