CA Headlines

S. No.	Headlines
1	20-09-2021 - Polity and Constitution - Legal aid for all - "Ek Pahal Drive" - The Department of Justice and NALSA has undertaken a special pan-India campaign on 17th September 2021 to mainstream legal aid and to actualize the aspiration of access to justice for every citizen. Department of Justice launched the “Ek Pahal” drive across the country from 17th September till 2nd October to encourage mass registration under Tele-Law. The medium of Tele Law effectively provides pre-litigation advice / consultation to beneficiaries by Panel Lawyers through a huge network covering 51,434 Common Service Centres in 50,000 Gram Panchayats in 633 districts across 34 States and UTs. The highlights of this campaign include deployment of 185 Mobile Vans and other vehicles to show-case films and documentaries on Access to Justice programme, holding of 4100 Legal Aid Clinics to give pre-litigation / legal advice to common citizens with the help of 37,000 Panel Lawyers and Para-Legal Volunteers besides holding awareness programmes at the village level on legal aid in 672 districts. (Constitution and Law)
2	20-09-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - Serotype 2 Dengue - The Health Ministry flagged the emerging challenge in 11 States across India of serotype 2 dengue, which it said is associated with “more cases and more complications” than other forms of the disease. The States reporting serotype - II dengue cases are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, UP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection, found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. The virus responsible for causing dengue, is called dengue virus (DENV). There are four DENV serotypes (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4), meaning that it is possible to be infected four times. (Healthcare and Medicine)
3	20-09-2021 - Science and Technology - Pluto demoted, but ninth planet's search is on - In the continued search for the hypothetical ninth planet in our Solar System, Michael Brown, the CalTech astronomer who led the demotion of Pluto to a dwarf planet in 2006, has co-written a new study that claims to have narrowed the region the potential new planet could be located. The study proposes "Planet Nine" exists beyond Neptune and is six times the mass of Earth. The scientists first proposed Pluto had a replacement in a controversial study that came out in 2016 that said the clustering of asteroids and comets and other objects that orbit the sun in the Kuiper Belt suggests the existence of a large planet. The new study includes a "treasure map" of the planet’s likely orbit that the scientists said lasts around 7,400 Earth years and is closer to the Sun than the 2016 study found. A closer orbit to the Sun would make the planet brighter and easier to see. Planet Nine would probably be cold gas giant like Neptune, the farthest known planet in a Solar System from the Sun. Neptune has a nonsolid surface made up mostly of hydrogen, helium, and methane, according to NASA. (Science and Technology)
4	20-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Humboldts penguins in Mumbai zoo - The Byculla Zoo of Mumbai announced the addition of two new Humboldt penguin chicks. The two join seven adult Humboldt penguins at Byculla Zoo — Popeye, Flipper, Bubble, and the new parents. Humboldt penguins are a medium-sized species among at least 17 species. The largest, the Emperor penguin, stands at over 4 ft tall while the Little penguin has a maximum height of 1 ft. Humboldt penguins have an average height of just over 2 ft. Penguins are divided into six genera (see table). The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) belongs to a genus that is commonly known as the ‘banded’ group. Humboldt penguins are endemic to the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru. They are so named because their habitat is located near the Humboldt Current, a large oceanic upwelling characterised by cold waters. Humboldt penguins have large, bare skin patches around their eyes, an adaptation to help keep them cool. The Humboldt is one of the most popular zoo penguins due to its ability to withstand warmer climates. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
5	20-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Black Tigers are black because ... - A study on black tigers of Similipal Tiger Reserve showed that a mutation in Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep) gene caused black stripes to broaden or spread into the orange-brown coloured background. Simlipal’s small and isolated tiger population led to inbreeding and the anomalous appearance characterised by wide, merged stripes. Pseudo-melanism is a rare stripe pattern variant of tigers, which is distinguished by stripes that are broadened and fused together. This condition is observed in both wild and captive tigers. Pseudo-melanism is different from true melanism, a condition characterised by unusually high deposition of melanin, a dark pigment. Rare - Mutants are genetic variations which may occur spontaneously, but not frequently, in nature. Black tigers were sought out as a novelty by trophy hunters for their unusual appearance. So, only a few survived to establish blood lines. Besides, pseudo-melanism is caused by a recessive (hidden) gene. But these genes are rare and it is unlikely that two unrelated tigers will carry the same one and pass it on together to a cub. In an ideal tiger world, where far-ranging individuals are never short of choices for partners, that makes succession of black tigers a rarity. {Natural selection is also favouring melanistic leopards as their darker coats confer a selective advantage in both hunting and avoiding hunters in Simlipal’s tropical moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forest} (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
6	20-09-2021 - World Economy - WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture pact - In the G-33 Virtual Informal Ministerial Meeting held in September, the Indian commerce and industry ministry pointed out that the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was riddled with deep imbalances, which favour the developed countries and are against many developing countries. The G33 (or the Friends of Special Products in agriculture) is a coalition of developing countries, established prior to the 2003 Cancun ministerial conference. The group has coordinated during the Doha Round of WTO negotiations, specifically in regard to agriculture. Dominated by India, the group seeks to limit the degree of market opening required of developing countries, especially with regard to agriculture. There are currently 47 member nations. The Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) is an international treaty of the World Trade Organization, negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and entered into force with the establishment of the WTO on January 1, 1995. IT is criticised by civil society groups for reducing tariff protections for small farmers, a key source of income in developing countries, while allowing rich countries to continue subsidizing agriculture at home. (World Economy)
7	20-09-2021 - Indian Economy - 45th GST Council Meeting - The 45th GST Council meeting was chaired by union finance minister in Lucknow, in September. It emerged that petroleum products would remain out of the GST regime for now. Consumers will continue to pay the Compensation Cess along with GST levied on products like automobiles, tobacco products and aerated water till March 2026. Concessional tax rates on COVID-19 essential medicine like Tocilizumab, Amphotericin B and Remdesivir were extended till December 31st. Muscular atrophy drugs like a Zolgensma and Viltepso that cost around Rs.16 crore are now exempted from GST. Import of leased aircraft too has been exempted from IGST. Now, 5% GST will be levied on food delivery apps. Tax on fortified rice kernels for ICDS scheme reduced from 18% to 5%. The GST on cancer drugs like Keytruda is cut from 12% to 5%. GST on footwear costing less than Rs.1000 and ready-made garments and fabrics have increased to 12% from 5%. Bricks would attract GST at the rate of 6% without input tax credits under the scheme, or 12% with input credits. The biggest reforms, though, remain undone - rationalisation of slabs and inclusion of petro products. (Indian Economy)
8	20-09-2021 - Infrastructure - Railways restructuring - The Indian Railways is heading for a major restructuring plan that could lead to the closure of key establishments, merger of organisations and private participation in running of its schools and hospitals. The recommendations were proposed by the Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal as part of the Rationalisation of Government Bodies and Proposal for the Ministry of Railways. The Indian Railways is the country’s largest employer and transporter. Winding up (closing) the Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE), the Central Organisation for Modernisation Of Workshops (COFMOW), the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) and the Indian Railways Organisation for Alternative Fuel (IROAF). IROAF was recently closed. RailTel would be merged with the IRCTC. RailTel is one of the largest telecom infrastructure providers in the country that focuses on modernising operations and safety systems through optic fibre networks that exist along railway tracks. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd. (RVNL) to be merged with the Indian Railway Construction Limited (IRCON), a specialised infrastructure construction organisation. RVNL implements projects relating to creation and augmentation of railway infrastructure. Merging of railway schools with Kendriya Vidyalayas or handing them over to the respective State governments. (Infrastructure)
9	20-09-2021 - World Politics - Only "patriots" for Hong Kong elections! - Hong Kong held its first elections without even the semblance of an opposition—by a system China introduced to ensure that “patriots rule Hong Kong”. Nearly 4,380 people selected a 1,500-person “election committee” which will pick some legislators in December '21 and the territory’s chief executive in 2021. Hong Kong’s vocal pro-democracy opposition has been dismantled since huge anti-government protests in 2019. Xi Jinping's PRC has crushed democracy and free speech using new national security laws, even as the world has helplessly watched. (World Politics)
10	20-09-2021 - People and Personalities - Charanjit Singh Channi next CM of Punjab - Mr. Charanjit Singh Channi, who was the Minister of Technical Educational and Industrial Training in the outgoing Punjab Cabinet, was named as the next Chief Minister of the state. This came after 79-year-old Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from the top post, after the Congress High Command indicated him to do so. Mr. Channi (58) was unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab. A trained lawyer with two postgraduate degrees, one in business administration and another in political science, Channi is fond of academics. Channi’s tenure as a minister had its share of controversy when a woman IAS officer accused him of sending her an “inappropriate” text in October 2018. Amarinder later confirmed the development by saying he minister had apologised and the matter had been sorted. Mr Channi is the first Dalit Sikh CM of Punjab, where traditionally only Jat Sikhs have held the post. (People and Personalities)
11	18-09-2021 - Constitution and Law - CJI wants wholesale change in judicial system of India - The legal system in India is "colonial" in origin and may not be best suited for the needs of the Indian population, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana has said. "The need of the hour is the Indianisation of the justice delivery system," said Ramana. He also said there was a need for more equitable access to the system. Ever since J Ramana has assumed charge as the CJI, he has been assiduously working to restore the pride of the Supreme Court, as measured by its independent approach. (Constitution and Law)
12	18-09-2021 - Indian Politics - Punjab witnesses political change - Captain Amarinder Singh has stepped down from the post of Punjab CM, after being asked to do so by the Congress high command. Singh met Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and submitted resignations of his Council of Ministers along with his own. Singh today called a meeting of Congress MLAs loyal to him at his official residence. This is the second wholesale change of political guard in an Indian state in a week, the first being that of the BJP team in Gujarat. Both states are headed for elections soon. After resigning as the Punjab CM, Captain Amarinder Singh said, "I feel humiliated, feel they doubt my work. I told the Congress President that I will resign." (Indian Politics)
13	18-09-2021 - Science and Technology - Fossil findings of New Zealand’s giant penguin - In 2006 a group of fossil-hunting schoolchildren found a curious specimen in Kawhia Harbour on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. It is now confirmed to be a new species: that of a prehistoric penguin that is believed to have stood roughly as tall as a person. Scientists from Massey University compared 3D scans of fossilised bones found by the children with other scans of penguin fossils. They noticed it had unusually long legs compared with other Kairuku penguins from the same region and time period (around 30m years ago), and dubbed it waewaeroa after the Te reo Māori words for “long legs”. As one of the most complete fossilised giant penguins on record, Kairuku waewaeroa will help scientists track the animals’ evolution, as well as offer clues about a time when much of the area was underwater. It also adds to New Zealand’s reputation as a home for enormous, now-extinct birds, including a giant parrot and an eagle with a three-metre (ten-foot) wingspan. (Science and Technology)
14	18-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate Change - Focus on methane now - America and the EU pledged to cut methane emissions by at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030. Although less prevalent than carbon dioxide, methane is the more potent greenhouse gas. Separately, the UN warned that under countries’ current pledges, global greenhouse-gas emissions in 2030 will have risen by 16% from 2010 levels. A reduction of 45% is needed to avert the worst effects of climate change. Various countries are moving ahead with their own plans, and the dangers of a tipping point are being felt clearly. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
15	18-09-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - No booster shots for young - An advisory panel to America’s Food and Drug Administration advised against giving booster shots of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine to most over-16s. The vote, 16-2, by independent scientists was a setback for the Biden administration, which pledged to start offering third shots soon to most people, despite evidence that the two-jab regimen remains effective. But the panel unanimously endorsed boosters for over-65s and immunocompromised people. (Healthcare and Medicine)
16	18-09-2021 - Defence and Military - AUKUS's diplomatic fallout - France recalled its ambassadors to America and Australia in protest over AUKUS, a security pact announced this week. As part of the deal, which also includes Britain, America will supply Australia with nuclear submarines. That has enraged France, since it displaces a French contract with Australia for conventional submarines. The pact reflects the participating countries’ interest in containing China’s growing naval power. (Defence and Military)
17	18-09-2021 - People and Personalities - Auction of gifts given to PM Modi - The third edition of e-auction of prestigious and memorable gifts presented to Prime Minister Modi is being held from 17th September to 7th October 2021 through the web portal https://pmmementos.gov.in. The mementos include sports gear and equipment gifted to the Prime Minister by winners of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Other interesting interesting artefacts includereplica of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Chardham, Rudraksh Convention Centre, models, sculptures, paintings, angavastras among others. Proceeds from the e-Auction shall go to the NamamiGange Mission aimed at conserving and rejuvenating Ganga. The ‘Namami Gange Programme’ is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga. (People and Personalities)
18	18-09-2021 - Indian Economy - All India Debt and Investment Survey - The "All India Debt & Investment Survey" conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) was released. The number of indebted households have risen sharply in rural India, with the average debt shooting up by 84% between 2012 and 2018, and COVID-19 has (likely) further doubled all households’ borrowings by 2021. Rural households’ average debt grew from ₹32,522 in 2012 to ₹59,748 by June 2018, while urban households’ average debt increased by 42% in the same period to little more than ₹1.20 lakh. The number of households in debt as measured by the incidence of indebtedness among surveyed households, had risen to 35% in rural India from 31.4% in the previous survey, while it remained static at 22.4% for urban households. Government's fiscal support measures have largely been half-hearted, and jobs are not being generated as desired. (Indian Economy)
19	18-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Arsenic contamination in the food chain - A study in Bihar found arsenic contamination not only in groundwater but in the food chain as well. The research study was a part of the Project Nature and Nurture in Arsenic Induced Toxicity of Bihar jointly funded by the British Council in the United Kingdom and Department of Science and Technology in India. Arsenic has found its way into the food chain – mainly rice, wheat and potato. It is already present in the groundwater as it is used on a large scale for irrigation by farmers. The food had more arsenic content than drinking water, even when arsenic levels in drinking water was above the World Health Organization (WHO) provisional guide value of 10 micrograms per litre (μg/L). Arsenic is an odourless and tasteless metalloid widely distributed in the earth’s crust. (It is naturally present at high levels in the earth crust and groundwater of a number of countries. It is highly toxic in its inorganic form. Arsenicosis is the medical word for arsenic poisoning, which occurs due to accumulation of large amounts of arsenic in the body. Long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking-water and food can cause cancer and skin lesions.) (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
20	18-09-2021 - Science and Technology - REX MKII from Israel - The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) unveiled a remote-controlled armed robot REX MKII. The army robot is capable of patrolling battle zones, tracking infiltrators, and opening fire on enemy targets. Operated by an electronic tablet, it can be equipped with two machine guns, cameras and sensors. It shall provide logistical assistance to troops by carrying ammunition supplies, critical medical equipment, water, and food, as well as evacuating injured personnel on stretchers. The system can also gather intelligence through a situation-awareness system. The unmanned vehicle is the latest addition to the world of drone technology, which is rapidly reshaping the modern battlefield. These semi-autonomous machines allow armies to protect their soldiers, while critics fear this marks another dangerous step toward robots making life-or-death decisions. (Science and Technology)
21	17-09-2021 - World Economy - China's own Lehnam moment - Evergrande collapse - Evergrande, the most indebted property group in the world, has collapsed. With some $300bn in liabilities, the failure of the company, based in China’s Shenzhen, will hit the country’s entire financial system. In recent weeks a default has appeared conceivable and imminent. Evergrande warned investors of its potential inability to meet those liabilities. An ad hoc group of investors in the company’s offshore bonds appointed advisers to help manage the crisis, and Evergrande’s offices were besieged by angry investors who bought financial products through the company. A bailout is a likely outcome. China’s financial regulators will probably choose to favour the average citizen that have put down more than 1.3trn yuan ($200bn) in advances for new homes. Bondholders may get less help. (World Economy)
22	17-09-2021 - Science and Technology - Ceramics that are transparent - Indian researchers have developed transparent ceramics, reaching theoretical transparency through a technique called colloidal processing followed by simultaneous application of temperature and pressure, for the first time in India. The material can be used for thermal imaging applications, especially in harsh service conditions and personal protection systems such as, helmets, face shields, and goggles. Transparent ceramics is a new class of advanced materials with unique transparency and excellent mechanical properties. These materials can be designed not only for transparent to visible light but also for ultraviolet (UV), Infrared (IR), and Radiofrequency (RF), giving opportunity for diverse applications. Though produced by different countries globally, transparent ceramics are restricted in supply as they can be used for strategic applications in infantry personal protection systems involving thermal imaging such as helmets, face shields, and goggles. (Science and Technology)
23	17-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Zero-polluton delivery vehicles - The NITI Aayog, with RMI and RMI India’s support, launched Shoonya — an initiative to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles by working with consumers and industry. The campaign aims to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the urban deliveries segment and create consumer awareness about the benefits of zero-pollution delivery. As part of the campaign, a corporate branding and certification programme is being launched to recognise and promote industry’s efforts towards transitioning to EVs for final-mile deliveries. An online tracking platform will share the campaign’s impact through data such as vehicle kilometers electrified, carbon savings, criteria pollutant savings and other benefits from clean delivery vehicles. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
24	17-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Plant-based mRNA vaccines - The University of California, Riverside scientists are studying whether they can turn edible plants like lettuce into mRNA vaccine factories. Messenger RNA or mRNA technology, used in Covid-19 vaccines, works by teaching human cells to recognize and protect against infectious diseases. A challenge is it must be kept cold to maintain stability during transport and storage. If this new project is successful, plant-based mRNA vaccines — which can be eaten — could overcome this challenge with the ability to be stored at room temperature. The project, backed by a US $500,000 grant from the US National Science Foundation, has three goals: showing that DNA containing the mRNA vaccines can be successfully delivered into the part of plant cells where it will replicate, demonstrating the plants can produce enough mRNA to rival a traditional shot, and finally, determining the right dosage. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
25	17-09-2021 - Polity and Constitution - Reforms in urban planning in India - NITI Aayog launched a report titled ‘Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India’, on measures to ramp up urban planning capacity in India. It makes recommendations to unblock bottlenecks in the value chain of urban planning capacity in India. Some are (i) Every city must aspire to become a ‘Healthy City for All’ by 2030, (ii) a Central Sector Scheme ‘500 Healthy Cities Programme’, for a period of 5 years, wherein priority cities and towns would be selected jointly by the states and local bodies, (iii) Formation of an apex committee at the state level is recommended to undertake a regular review of planning legislations (including town and country planning or urban and regional development acts or other relevant acts), (iv) recommends a ‘Citizen Outreach Campaign’ for demystifying urban planning, (v) constitution of a ‘National Council of Town and Country Planners’ as a statutory body of the Government of India. A ‘National Digital Platform of Town and Country Planners’ is suggested to be created within the National Urban Innovation Stack of MoHUA. This portal will enable self-registration of all planners and evolve as a marketplace for potential employers and urban planners. (Constitution and Law)
26	17-09-2021 - Indian Economy - First green bond from PFC - The Power Finance Corporation (PFC) issued India’s first-ever Euro Green Bond. It is the leading NBFC in power sector, and successfully issued its maiden Euro 300 million 7-year Euro Bond issuance on 13.09.2021. The pricing of 1.841% achieved is the lowest yield locked in by an Indian Issuer in the Euro markets. It is the first ever Euro denominated Green bond issuance from India. It is the first ever Euro issuance by an Indian NBFC and the first Euro bond issuance from India since 2017. (Indian Economy)
27	17-09-2021 - Defence and Military - Russia begins rollout of new S-500 air defence system - Russia has completed tests of its new S-500 surface-to-air missile system and has started supplying it to the armed forces. The S-500 has been described as a space defence system and can intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic cruise missiles and aircraft. Russia started testing the system in 2020. (Defence and Military)
28	17-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Hybodont Shark fossils in Rajasthan - Teeth of new species of hybodont shark of Jurassic age called Strophodus jaisalmerensis have been reported for the first time from Jaisalmer region of Rajasthan by the Geological Survey of India (GSI). Hybodonts sharks were a dominant group of fishes in both marine and fluvial environments during the Triassic and early Jurassic time. But, these sharks started to decline in marine environments from the Middle Jurassic onwards until they formed a relatively minor component of open-marine shark assemblages, and became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous time 65 million years ago. The newly discovered crushing teeth from Jaisalmer represent a new species named by the research team as Strophodus jaisalmerensis (genus Strophodus identified for the first time from the Indian subcontinent). (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
29	17-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Input Tax Credit (ITC) related verdict - The Supreme Court said that refunds of tax credit cannot be claimed for input services under the Goods and Services Tax regime’s inverted duty structure, thus confirming a Madras High Court judgment which upheld a fiscal formula included in the Central Goods and Service Tax Rules to execute refund of unutilised Input Tax Credit (ITC) accumulated on account of input services. ITC is a mechanism to avoid cascading of taxes. Cascading of taxes, in simple language, is ‘tax on tax’. Input Tax Credit refers to the tax already paid by a person at time of purchase of goods or services and which is available as deduction from tax payable. When one buys a product/service from a registered dealer we pay taxes on the purchase. On selling, we collect the tax. We adjust the taxes paid at the time of purchase with the amount of output tax (tax on sales) and balance liability of tax (tax on sales minus tax on purchase) has to be paid to the government. This mechanism is called utilization of input tax credit. If the tax paid on inputs is higher than the tax on the output, the excess can be claimed as a refund. Exceptions: A business under composition scheme cannot avail of input tax credit. ITC cannot be claimed for personal use or for goods that are exempt. (Indian Economy)
30	17-09-2021 - World Politics - AUKUS partnership for Indo-Pacific - Before the meeting of Quad leaders in Washington DC, the Biden administration announced a new trilateral security partnership for the Indo-Pacific between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. (AUKUS). The grouping is security focused, and different from — but complementary to — arrangements such as the Quad. A feature of the partnership would involve a trilateral 18-month effort to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines which are quieter, more capable and can be deployed for longer periods, needing to surface less frequently. The partnership would also involve a new architecture of meetings and engagements between the three countries and also cooperation across emerging technologies (applied AI, quantum technologies and undersea capabilities). The U.S. sharing this kind of technology on nuclear submarines had been done only once before — with the U.K. and almost 70 years ago. Significance: Australia has felt increasing pressure from an assertive China and has sought to strengthen its partnerships with India, the U.S. and the U.K., including through ‘plurilateral’ forums. (World Politics)
31	16-09-2021 - People and Personalities - Celebrating the Engineers Day - To celebrate the birth anniversary of renowned engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, India celebrates Engineer’s Day on 15 Sept. Shri Visvesvaraya (1861 – 1962) was an Indian engineer and statesman, and the chief engineer responsible for the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara dam in Mandya district. He served as the Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918, and during this time, the Mysore Soap Factory (which makes the iconic Mysore sandal soap), the Bangalore Agricultural University, the Bank of Mysore and the Bangalore Press were set up. In 1915, He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the British Indian Empire (KCIE) by King George V for his contributions to the public good. He received Bharat Ratna, in 1955. He is held in high regard as a pre-eminent engineer of India. 15 September is celebrated as Engineer's Day in India in his memory. (People and Personalities)
32	16-09-2021 - Indian Economy - PLI scheme for drone industry - The government approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for India's drone industry, to address the strategic, tactical and operational uses of this new technology. The total amount allocated for the PLI scheme for drones and drone components is Rs.120 crore spread over three financial years. The incentive for a manufacturer of drones and drone components shall be as high as 20% of the value addition made. The Government, has agreed to keep the PLI rate constant at 20% for all three years, an exceptional treatment given only to the drone industry. In PLI schemes for other sectors, the PLI rate reduces every year. The Government has agreed to widen the coverage of the incentive scheme to include developers of drone-related IT products also.The PLI for Drones and Drone components industry, will over a period of three years, lead to investments worth ₹ 5,000 Crore, increase in eligible sales of ₹ 1500 crore and create additional employment of about 10,000 jobs. (Indian Economy)
33	16-09-2021 - Indian Economy - PLI scheme for auto industry - The government approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile Industry, to incentivize high value Advanced Automotive Technology vehicles and products. It is estimated that over a period of five years, the PLI Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components Industry will lead to fresh investment of over Rs.42,500 crore, incremental production of over Rs.2.3 lakh crore and will create additional employment opportunities of over 7.5 lakh jobs. It is open to existing automotive companies as well as new investors who are currently not in automobile or auto component manufacturing business. The scheme has two components viz. Champion OEM Incentive Scheme and Component Champion Incentive Scheme. The Champion OEM Incentive scheme is a ‘sales value linked’ scheme, applicable on Battery Electric Vehicles and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles of all segments. The Component Champion Incentive scheme is a ‘sales value linked’ scheme, applicable on Advanced Automotive Technology components of vehicles, Completely Knocked Down (CKD)/ Semi Knocked Down (SKD) kits, Vehicle aggregates of 2-Wheelers, 3-Wheelers, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and tractors etc. (Indian Economy)
34	16-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - 'Sansad TV' launched - The Prime Minister, Vice President and Lok Sabha Speaker jointly launched the 'Sansad TV' channel. The 'Sansad TV' will merge the two parliamentarian channels - Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV. Retired IAS officer Ravi Capoor will be the CEO of the new channel. (Governance and Institutions)
35	16-09-2021 - World Politics - SCO's Exercise Peaceful Mission - The Joint Counter Terrorism Exercise PEACEFUL MISSION is a Multilateral Exercise, conducted biennially as part of military diplomacy between Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states. The 6th edition of Exercise PEACEFUL MISSION was hosted by Russia in the Orenburg Region of South West Russia from 13 to 25 September 2021. The aim of the exercise is to foster close relations between SCO member states and to enhance abilities of the military leaders to command multi-national military contingents. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai on 15 June 2001. The SCO currently comprises eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and four Observer States interested in acceding to full membership (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia). (World Politics)
36	16-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Reaching ‘Net Zero’ is not going to be enough - India's Environment Minister said that reaching ‘net zero’ alone will not be enough to deal with climate change. India’s renewable power capacity is currently the fourth largest in the world, with an aspirational target of increasing it to 450 GW by 2030. India announced its Hydrogen Energy Mission 2021-22 for generation of hydrogen from green power sources. It has bilateral engagements with Germany, UK, and Denmark in the energy sector in the European Region. India and US have a joint climate and clean energy initiative called India-US Climate & Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership. Developed Countries should provide lead markets for products of green technologies and drive down costs, such that these can be deployed in developing economies at scale. Private sector companies should be encouraged to develop voluntary roadmaps for the transition towards low carbon pathways. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
37	16-09-2021 - Science and Technology - North Korea’s first strategic cruise missile test - North Korea had cruise missiles all along, but of a shorter range anti-ship system. The latest is North Korea’s first long-range (1,000 km+) cruise missile test, and also the first claimed nuclear-capable cruise missile. These missiles don’t come under various UNSC sanctions placed to curb its nuclear development programme. Cruise missiles are unmanned self-propelled, fast-moving, guided bombs that soar at a very low trajectory, parallel to the ground, sustaining flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path and whose primary mission is to place an ordnance or special payload on a target. Most use a small, solid- propellant rocket booster, allowing them to gain enough altitude and speed for the onboard sustainer engine to take over. Cruise missiles are classified based on the speed as, Subsonic (around 0.8 Mach), Supersonic (2-3 Mach) and Hypersonic cruise missiles (more than 5 Mach). Cruise Missiles differ from ballistic missiles as they travel within the earth’s atmosphere and aerodynamically maneuver for most of their flight time. (Science and Technology)
38	16-09-2021 - Agriculture - Digital agriculture in India - The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare signed several MOUs with private companies for taking forward a digital agriculture plan. A "Digital agriculture mission" has been initiated for 2021 -2025 for projects based on new technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, remote sensing and GIS technology, use of drones and robots etc. Establishing a digital ecosystem of agriculture needs to take a long-term view of aspects like interoperability, data governance, data quality, data standards, security and privacy, besides promoting innovation. Creation of a federated Farmers Database and building different Services around this Database is a goal. A "Federated farmers’ database" will be linked by the land records of farmers, and a unique Farmer ID will be created. It will be crucial, however, to have strong privacy and data protection features enabled. (Agriculture)
39	16-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Petrol, diesel may come under GST - The GST Council may consider taxing petrol, diesel and other petroleum products under the single national GST regime. Instead of GST, taxes like ‘Excise Duty’ and ‘VAT’ are today imposed on Petroleum goods like petrol, diesel, Air Turbine Fuel (ATF), natural gas and crude oil. When GST was implemented in 2017, States did not allow these goods to be included in GST, because of revenues implications (through VAT). States thought they may lose the freedom to decide the tax rate on these goods, so at that time it was agreed that within 5 years i.e. by 2022, these petroleum goods will be included in GST. The GST Council is a constitutional body established under Article 279A of Indian Constitution, which makes recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax (GST). The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister. Its other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States. (Indian Economy)
40	16-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - Forest Rights Act, 2006 for J&K - The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to implement the Forest Rights Act, 2006. The goal is elevate the socio-economic status of tribals and nomadic communities, including Gujjar-Bakerwals and Gaddi-Sippis. This will address the prolonged suffering of tribal people and also ensure forest conservation. The law deals with the rights of forest-dwelling communities to land and other resources, denied to them over decades as a result of the continuance of colonial forest laws in India. Eligibility is confined to those who “primarily reside in forests” and who depend on forests and forest land for a livelihood. Further, either the claimant must be a member of the Scheduled Tribes scheduled in that area or must have been residing in the forest for 75 years. (Governance and Institutions)
41	14-09-2021 - World Politics - Apple fixes Pegasus entry route - Apple issued a security update to fix a vulnerability that NSO Group, an Israeli spyware firm, has been exploiting since February '21 to silently infect its products. Victims play no role in compromising their own devices and do not know that they are being spied upon. NSO’s capability was exposed by Citizen Lab, a Toronto-based research centre. The firm has reportedly helped several governments surveil politicians, human-rights activists and journalists. (World Politics)
42	14-09-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - NEET exemption Bill in TN - The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a Bill to dispense with the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET) and allow admission to medical courses based on Class 12 marks to “ensure social justice”. CM M K Stalin introduced the Bill based on the recommendation of the high-level committee led by retired judge AK Rajan, which submitted its report in July. The Permanent Exemption Bill for NEET exempts medical aspirants in Tamil Nadu from taking NEET examination for admission to UG degree courses in Indian medicine, dentistry and homeopathy. Instead, it seeks to provide admission to such courses on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination, through “Normalisation methods”. The Bill opposes NEET because it “undermined the diverse societal representation in MBBS and higher medical studies, favouring mainly the affordable and affluent sections of the society and thwarting the dreams of underprivileged social groups. (Healthcare and Medicine)
43	14-09-2021 - Science and Technology - Footprints of three dinosaur species in Rajasthan - In a major discovery, footprints of three species of dinosaurs were found in the Thar desert in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district. It proves the presence of the giant reptiles in the western part of the State. The footprints belong to three species – Eubrontes cf. giganteus, Eubrontes glenrosensis and Grallator tenuis. The footprints were 20 crore years old. The dinosaur species are considered to be of the theropod type, with the distinguishing features of hollow bones and feet with three digits (like fingers). Theropod includes all the flesh-eating dinosaurs. The ‘Age of Dinosaurs’ (the Mesozoic Era – 252-66 Million Years Ago) included three consecutive geologic time periods (the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods). Different dinosaur species lived during each of these three periods. (Science and Technology)
44	14-09-2021 - Social Issues - Operation Blue Freedom sets world records - A team of eight persons with disabilities created a new world record for the “largest number of people with disabilities” to scale the world’s highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier, by scaling up to the Kumar Post at an altitude of 15,632 ft. The team with disabilities was trained and led by CLAW Global, a team of Special Forces veterans who had left the service due to disabilities. This is the land world record expedition part of “Operation Blue Freedom Triple World Records” being undertaken by CLAW Global. CLAW Global was set up in January 2019 by Major Vivek Jacob (retd), a Para Special Forces officer, who had to hang up his boots following a combat skydive injury after 14 years of service in the Army, with the aim of teaching life skills to adventurers and people with disabilities. (Social Issues)
45	14-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Warming of permafrost - The latest IPCC report has warned that increasing global warming will result in reductions in Arctic permafrost and the thawing of the ground is expected to release greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide. Permafrost is defined as ground (soil, rock and any included ice or organic material) that remains at or below zero degree Celsius for at least two consecutive years. Permafrost is spread across an area of over 23 million square kilometers, covering about 15% of the land area of the globe. The first impacts that are very rapid will affect countries where roads or buildings were constructed on permafrost. The Russian railways are an example. But the biggest international problem is to do with the potential for organic material, which is now entombed and frozen in the ground. If the ground begins to thaw, this material will become available for microbiota to break down. In some environments, the biota will release carbon dioxide, and in others release methane which is about 25 to 30 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. The total quantity of carbon that is now buried in the permafrost is estimated at about 1500 billion tonnes and the top three meters of the ground has about 1000 billion tonnes. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
46	14-09-2021 - World Economy - Lebanon fiscal crisis - Lebanon’s financial meltdown swiftly worsened due to fuel shortages. Lebanon has spent 30 years slowly recovering from 1975-90 civil war. Over two years, 78% of the Lebanese population has fallen into poverty. Early in the crisis, Lebanon defaulted on its massive pile of public debt. Currency has fallen by more than 90%, demolishing purchasing power in a country dependent on imports. The banking system is paralysed. Food prices have jumped by 557% since Oct. 2019 as per the World Food Programme, and the economy has contracted by 30% since 2017. There is also a steady brain drain as many of the most qualified have left the country. Fuel tankers have been hijacked, leading to security issues in southern Lebanon (sectarian standoff between Shi’ite Muslims and Christians) and in northern Lebanon (between rival Sunni Muslim clans). Donors have promised funds if Lebanon embarks on reforms to address the root causes of the collapse. Lebanon’s sectarian politicians remained at loggerheads over seats in a new government for over a year. (World Economy)
47	14-09-2021 - Science and Technology - Solar storm & the internet - A study found that solar storms could cause disruption of the internet, damage submarine cables and communication satellites. What is it? A solar storm is an ejection of highly magnetised particles from the sun. Previous studies showed there was a 1.6 to 2% chance of an extreme space weather event happening within the next decade. Impacts of solar storm will include longer submarine cables being susceptible to higher risks. At ground level, solar storm-induced geomagnetic variations can cause harm by inducing large currents in networks that can conduct electricity. Although fibre-optic internet cables are themselves not conductors, their electronic components can be rendered useless by very strong storms. The countries in the lower latitudes are at a much lower risk. Also, compared to the US, India is less vulnerable. To protect, a ‘shutdown strategy’ that can help minimise the connectivity loss during and after a solar storm impact is needed. (Science and Technology)
48	14-09-2021 - Defence and Military - NATGRID to go live soon - India will launch the National Intelligence Grid or NATGRID that aims to provide a “cutting-edge technology to enhance India’s counter-terror capabilities”. The final “synchronisation and testing” of the ambitious electronic database is being carried out. "NATGRID" is an online database for collating scattered pieces of information from more than 20 organisations in the field of telecom, tax records, bank, immigration, etc. to enable the generation of intelligence inputs, and is a post Mumbai 26/11 attack measure, aiming to mitigate a vital deficiency — lack of real time information, considered to be a major hurdle in detecting US terror suspect David Headley’s movement across India during his multiple visits between 2006 and 2009. NATGRID will use technologies like Big Data and analytics to study and analyse the data from various intelligence and enforcement agencies. At least 10 central agencies like IB, R&AW and others will have access to the data for counter-terror investigations. It will also have access to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems, including FIRs, across 14,000 police stations in India. Unlike the NCTC or the NIA which are central agencies, the NATGRID is essentially a tool that enables security agencies to locate and obtain relevant information. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) are two organisations established in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks of 2008. (Defence and Military)
49	14-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - Stubble burning containment - The Centre released Rs.496 crore to subsidise machinery to reduce stubble burning in farms of north India, to fight air pollution in Delhi and NCR. It released Rs.496 crore for four states - Delhi, UP, Haryana and Punjab. This was coordinated by the Union Ministry of Agriculture. Punjab's share was Rs.235 crore, while Rs.141 crore was released for Haryana, Rs.115 crore for UP and Rs.5 crore for Delhi. Stubble burning is a major source of air pollution for entire NCR region in winters, brought about by a unique combination of geography, climate and farm conditions. (Governance and Institutions)
50	14-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Bio decomposer to fight stubble burning - Terming the bio-decomposer technique a “smashing success” at curbing stubble burning in the Capital, CM Kejriwal appealed to the Centre to ask the neighbouring States to use the same to prevent pollution. The burning of paddy stubble left in the fields after harvest has been a cause of concern for the past several years as it contributes to air pollution in the northern Gangetic plains and its already polluted cities like Delhi. It is a common practice in October and November across North West India, but primarily in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to quickly clear crop residue from their fields before planting the rabi wheat crop. To tackle the issue ‘Pusa Decomposer’ capsule has been developed by Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI). It is a fungi-based liquid solution that can soften hard stubble to the extent that it can be easily mixed with soil in the field to act as compost. This would then rule out the need to burn the stubble, and also help in retaining the essential microbes and nutrients in soil that are otherwise damaged when the residue is burned. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
51	13-09-2021 - World Politics - Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis - The war may be over but Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis is worsening. The country, now under Taliban rule, is facing a grim mixture of economic devastation, covid-19 infections and drought. Its banking system is paralysed and its foreign reserves frozen. Aid, which once funded around three-quarters of the government budget, has dried up. The health-care system is on the verge of collapse. The first snows are only weeks away. The bleakest assessments reckon 97% of the population could fall below the UN’s poverty line by next year. Food, medicine, safe water and sanitation are all in short supply. António Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, will today convene a conference to solicit aid pledges, hoping to raise more than $600m of emergency funding to help 11m people. Countries may cough up, but it will take some cajoling. Many are reluctant to turn the aid taps back on full until they have seen how the Taliban govern. (World Politics)
52	13-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Capturing carbon from air directly - Orca, the largest direct-air carbon capture facility, started operations in Iceland. It will pull CO2 from the air and trap it in the ground. It will do this at the rate of 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, which is the amount the world would release in four seconds. Direct air capture is one of the few technologies extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and is viewed by scientists as vital to limit global warming, blamed for causing more heatwaves, wildfires, floods and rising sea levels. Direct air capture is still a fledgling and costly technology, but developers hope to drive down prices by scaling up as more companies and consumers look to reduce their carbon footprint. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
53	13-09-2021 - Social Issues - Making digital safer via Children's Code - The U.K. government as brought into effect the Age Appropriate Design Code or the Children’s Code, as an amendment to the Data Protection Act, 2018, operationalising a set of regulations that will make using the digital space safer for children. While the Code is officially in place only in the U.K., tech majors such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube have tightened safety rules for children, and campaigners hope this will become the norm globally. The Children’s Code is a data protection code of practice for online services likely to be accessed by children. It sets out 15 standards for online services, including in apps, games, toy and devices and even news services. (Social Issues)
54	13-09-2021 - History - The Battle of Saragarhi - September 12 marks the 124th anniversary of the Battle of Saragarhi that has inspired a host of armies, books and films, both at home and abroad. The Battle of Saragarhi is considered one of the finest last stands in the military history of the world. Twenty-one soldiers were pitted against over 8,000 Afridi and Orakzai tribals but they managed to hold the fort for seven hours. Though heavily outnumbered, the soldiers of 36th Sikhs (now 4 Sikh), led by Havildar Ishar Singh, fought till their last breath, killing 200 tribals and injuring 600. (History)
55	13-09-2021 - Education - N-DEAR for education sector - Recognizing the transitions happening in the Education sector, where Digital Technology has come to dominate the face of most remote learnings, the Government of India has announced a National Digital Educational Architecture, or in short, N-DEAR. An architectural blueprint for the education ecosystem and not a system. That defines a set of (a) Principles - e.g. technology and ecosystem; (b) Standards and Specifications - e.g. technology and data; (c) Guidelines - e.g. data process, ecosystem engagement; (d) Policies - e.g. data, openness, inclusion, accessibility and identifies the key building blocks needed to make the architecture blueprint a reality. (Education)
56	13-09-2021 - Defence and Military - Next version of Light Combat Aircraft - The configuration for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk2 has been frozen and steel cutting is expected to begin soon while configuration for the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) has been frozen and preliminary design completed. Roll-out of the aircraft (Mk2) is planned for 2022, and the first flight in early 2023. The aircraft features enhanced range and endurance including an onboard oxygen generation system, which is being integrated for the first time. Heavy weapons of the class of Scalp, Crystal Maze and Spice-2000 will also be integrated on the Mk2. The LCA-Mk2 will be a heavier and much more capable aircraft than the current LCA variants. The Mk2 is 1,350 mm longer featuring canards and can carry a payload of 6,500 kg compared to 3,500 kg the LCA can carry. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has one squadron of the LCA in initial operational clearance and deliveries of the second squadron in final operational clearance configuration are under way. (Defence and Military)
57	13-09-2021 - People and Personalities - New CM for Gujarat - In a surprise and sudden move, first-time legislator Bhupendra Patel was elected the new Chief Minister of Gujarat. He will be the 17th Chief Minister of Gujarat, and will succeed the outgoing CM Vijay Rupani, who resigned from the post. Patel became the MLA from the Ghatlodiya seat of Ahmedabad city in 2017. Mr. Bhupendra Patel is believed to be close to Anandiben Patel- Governor of Uttar Pradesh and former Chief Minister of Gujarat. His appointment is seen as a precursor to the BJP's trying to manage the public perception in state, after the disastrous Covid second wave. (People and Personalities)
58	13-09-2021 - History - Thamirabarani river civilisation, TN - The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister announced scientific evidence pointed at the Thamirabarani civilisation dating back to 3,200 years (1155 BC). This age was determined using carbon dating analysis of rice with soil found in a burial urn at Sivakalai, Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu. The CM said archaeological excavations would be carried out in other States and countries in search of Tamil roots. Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department would conduct research at Quseir al-Qadim and Pernica Anekke (Egypt) as well as in Khor Rori (Oman), to establish the Tamils’ trade relations with these countries. Already, potsherds bearing Tamil scripts have been found in these countries. Studies would also be conducted in Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, where King Rajendra Chola had established supremacy. MK Stalin claimed that this evidence indicates that Indian civilisation had its roots in Tamil region. (History)
59	13-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Revamped U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) launched - The Indian Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas co-chaired a virtual Ministerial meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Energy to launch the revamped U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP). It was launched in accordance with the "U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership" announced at the Leaders’ Summit on Climate held in April 2021. The revitalized SCEP emphasises on electrification and decarbonization of processes and end uses, scaling up and accelerating deployment of emerging clean energy technologies, and finding solutions for hard-to-decarbonize sectors. Under it, both agreed to collaborate across five pillars — Power and Energy Efficiency; Renewable Energy; Responsible Oil and Gas; Sustainable Growth; and Emerging Fuels. Emerging fuels were newly added to the list of areas of cooperation. The India-U.S. Task Force on Biofuels was also announced to build cooperation in the biofuels sector. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
60	13-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Rainfall recorded in August lowest in 12 years - As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rainfall in August 2021 (which recorded 24% deficiency) was the lowest in 12 years. The Southwest Monsoon season officially commences from June 1 and lasts till September 30. Some observations for 2021 - (a) Formation of less number of low pressure systems (LPS) and their lesser number of days compared to climatology, (b) Absence of longer westward movements of LPS during the month of August 2021, (c) Negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) over tropical Indian Ocean, unfavourable for Indian monsoon prevailed throughout the month of August. The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is known as the Indian Niño, and is an irregular oscillation of sea surface temperatures in which the western Indian Ocean becomes alternately warmer (positive phase) and then colder (negative phase) than the eastern part of the ocean. A negative IOD is associated with the heating of waters of the Indian Ocean. A positive IOD is associated with droughts in Southeast Asia and Australia. It is expected that the Western Indian ocean will warm at accelerated rates due to climate change leading to an increasing occurrence of positive IODs. This is likely to result in the increasing intensity of rainfall during the short rain period over East Africa. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
61	11-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - No Tesla in India anytime soon - India's Ministry of Heavy Industries has told told Elon Musk-led Tesla that the government cannot favour a reduction in import duties based only on an "intent to invest" as it'll be unfair to existing players. The ministry told Tesla to first begin local assembly operations of its electric cars in India and thereafter scale it to full-fledged manufacturing, reports said. (Governance and Institutions)
62	11-09-2021 - Constitution and Law - Apple gets a reality check - A US judge has issued a ruling in 'Fortnite' creator Epic Games' antitrust lawsuit against Apple. The court ordered that Apple cannot prohibit developers from providing buttons or links in their apps that direct customers away from Apple's in-app purchasing system. It also found Epic Games in breach of its contract with Apple and ordered it to pay damages. The ruling will substantially dent the App Store revenues for both Google and Apple, in the long run. Shares of Apple fell 3.3% and erased nearly $85 billion from its market capitalisation the ruling. Apple's stock suffered its biggest decline since May 4, 2021. But the judge said that 'Fortnite' creator Epic Games failed to prove that Apple is an "illegal monopolist". The court noted that Apple may enjoy 55% market share but "success isn't illegal". (Constitution and Law)
63	11-09-2021 - Science and Technology - ATL Space Challenge 2021 - The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) successfully launched the ATL Space Challenge 2021 for all school students across the country. The challenge has been designed for all the school students, mentors and teachers across the country who not only are associated with schools having ATL labs but for all the non ATL schools as well. This is to ensure that students of classes 6 to 12 are given an open platform where they can innovate and enable themselves to solve digital age space technology problems. The ATL Space Challenge 2021 aligns with the World Space Week 2021 which is being observed from 4 to 10 October each year at the global level in order to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology. Students can create a solution that can be implemented and adopted leveraging technologies such as:Explore Space / Reach Space / Inhabit Space / Leverage Space. (Science and Technology)
64	11-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Agri families in debt (NSS REPORT NO. 587) - Over 50 per cent of agricultural households in India were in debt with average outstanding loan per household at Rs 74,121 in 2019, says a survey conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO). The survey pointed out that only 69.6 per cent of the outstanding loans were taken from institutional sources like banks, cooperative societies and government agencies, while 20.5 per cent of loans were from professional moneylenders. Of the total loan, only 57.5 per cent was taken for agricultural purposes, it added. The NSO carried out the survey on land and livestock holdings of households and situation assessment of agricultural households in rural areas of the country during January-December 2019. The survey further said the average monthly income per agricultural household during agricultural year 2018-19 was at Rs 10,218. Of this, the average income per household from wages was Rs 4,063, crop production Rs 3,798, animal husbandry Rs 1,582, non-farm business Rs 641 and leasing of land Rs 134. (Indian Economy)
65	11-09-2021 - Social Issues - World Suicide Prevention Day - The World Suicide Prevention Day is observed on September 10th every year to highlight various ways by which suicide can be prevented. This day was marked first time on September 10, 2003, as an initiative by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) who teamed up to create a day dedicated to a very important message: suicides are preventable. The first year of the day was a success, so in 2004, the WHO formally agreed to co-sponsor the event again, making it an annually recognized day. Suicide is an act of intentionally taking one’s life and it is a major public health issue, especially during the testing times of pandemic and periods of lockdowns. Suicide is a global phenomenon and according to the World Health Organization, it was the 17th leading cause of death in 2019. Every 40 seconds someone in the world take their life, with 75% cases from the low and middle-income countries. Approximately 1.3% of deaths in 2019 were due to suicide. (Social Issues)
66	11-09-2021 - World Politics - Nord Stream 2 completed - Gazprom, the Kremlin-backed energy firm, said it had completed construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. The project will have to undergo technical testing, which could take several months, before it becomes operational. America heatedly opposed the pipeline, arguing that it will increase European reliance on Russian energy and, by bypassing Ukraine, leave that country vulnerable to Russian pressure. Germany had taken a strong stance against any American pressure to dump this project. (World Politics)
67	11-09-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - Gambusia fish to battle dengue - Firozabad district administration has released Gambusia fish (mosquitofish) that eat dengue-breeding mosquito larvae in ponds. This insectivorous fish is known to check the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue. Gambusia eats about 100 larvae daily. They are bred in ponds, wells and other shallow water bodies, which are the breeding grounds of mosquitoes. This makes them an excellent biological tool for mosquito control as they eat the larvae before they develop into adult mosquitoes. Besides Gambusia, guppy fish is used to check the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. They are bred in the same manner as Gambusia. A WHO study said that this strategy of using indigenous or exotic fish species with larvivorous potential (fish that feed on larvae) is potentially safer as it doesn’t involve use of insecticides. (Healthcare and Medicine)
68	11-09-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - Lung cancer in non-smokers - A study analysed the genome of lung cancer in people with no history of smoking. It found that a majority of the tumour genomes of never smokers bore mutational signatures related with damage from endogenous processes in the body. Example: Faulty DNA repair or oxidative stress. [Endogenous processes are natural processes happening in the body] It found three molecular subtypes of lung cancer in the never smokers. Situation - Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Every year, more than 2 million people around the world are diagnosed. Most people who develop lung cancer have a history of tobacco smoking, but 10% to 20% of people who develop lung cancer have never smoked. Lung cancer in never smokers occurs more frequently in women and at an earlier age than lung cancer in smokers.These new found insights may guide the development of more precise clinical treatments for lung cancer in never smokers. (Healthcare and Medicine)
69	11-09-2021 - Polity and Constitution - Delegation of financial powers to defence services - The Ministry of Defence released the Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services (DFPDS), 2021 rules. The goal is to overcome procedural delays, bring about greater decentralisation and operational efficiency. Which financial powers have been devolved to field formations? The rules enhance the delegation of revenue procurement powers for the Army, Navy and Air Force. They provide for a 10% increase in delegated financial powers of Vice Chiefs of Services. Critical equipment can now be hired for short periods. Field Commanders and below can procure equipment in a speedy manner for urgent operational necessities and meeting essential sustenance requirements. Up to three times increase in funding related to Indigenisation/R&D to achieve ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. (Constitution and Law)
70	11-09-2021 - World Politics - 13th BRICS summit conducted - The 13th BRICS summit was held virtually, chaired by the Indian PM. It was dominated by the developments in Afghanistan, and adopted the BRICS Counter Terrorism Action Plan. The document was titled "New Delhi Declaration" and called for addressing the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, and urged the need to uphold rights of women, children and minorities. It called for an “inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue” to ensure stability, civil peace, law and order. The agreement on Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation was signed between BRICS countries’ space agencies. BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Together, BRICS accounts for about 40% of the world’s population and about 30% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), making it a critical economic engine. Objective is to deepen, broaden and intensify cooperation for more sustainable, equitable and mutually beneficial development. To ensure relations are built on the respective country’s economic strengths and to avoid competition where possible. (The BRICS Leaders’ Summit is convened annually. The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.). (World Politics)
71	10-09-2021 - Social Issues - Village surveys on cleanliness - The Minister of Jal Shakti Ministry presided over the e-launch of Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021 under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase -II at an event organized by Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS). The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) will undertake Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021 countrywide to support acceleration of ODF Plus interventions and increase momentum for improving ODF Sustainability as well as Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) activities across the villages in the country. DDWS had commissioned Swachh Survekshan Grameen (SSG)on two occasions earlier in 2018 and 2019. As part of Swachh Survekshan Grameen 17,475 villages in 698 Districts across India will be covered. 87,250 public places namely schools, anganwadis, public health centres, haat/bazaars/religious places in these 17,475 villages will be visited for survey. In line with the Swachh Bharat Mission phase II program, SSG 2021 would focus on assessing ODF Sustainability & Implementation of ODF Plus in the villages. Many new elements have been added in the SSG 2021 - assessment of Solid, Liquid, Plastic Waste & faecal Sludge Management Arrangements, Awareness on Menstrual Hygiene and Management & Disposal Arrangements for Menstrual Waste. (Social Issues)
72	10-09-2021 - Defence and Military - MRSAM system - In a boost to India’s defence capabilities, the first deliverable Firing Unit (FU) of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) System was handed over to Indian Air Force (IAF) in the presence of DM Rajnath Singh at Air Force Station, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on September 09, 2021. The MRSAM (IAF) is an advanced network centric combat Air Defence System developed jointly by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in collaboration with the Indian industry comprising of private and public sectors including MSMEs. The MRSAM system provides point and area air defence for ground assets against a wide range of threats including fighter aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, sub-sonic & supersonic cruise missiles etc. It is capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 kms in severe saturation scenarios. The missile is powered by indigenously developed rocket motor and control system for achieving high manoeuvrability during the terminal phase. The firing unit comprises of Missiles, Combat Management System (CMS), Mobile Launcher Systems (MLS), Advanced Long Range Radar, Mobile Power System (MPS), Radar Power System (RPS), Reloader Vehicle (RV) and Field Service Vehicle (FSV). (Defence and Military)
73	10-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Street vendors to go digital - The Ministry of Housing and urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) launched the pilot drive 'Main Bhi Digital 3.0'. It is a campaign for Digital Onboarding and Training for street vendors under PM SVANidhi scheme across 223 cities. The BharatPe, Mswipe, PhonePe, Paytm, Aceware are participating in this drive to issue UPI IDs, QR code and provide digital training. Digital Payment Aggregators will handhold the street vendors to bring about enhanced adoption of digital transactions and behaviour change. To promote digital transactions instruction has been issued to the Lending Institutions (LIs) to handover a durable QR Code and train the beneficiaries for conducting digital receipt and payment transactions within a week of disbursement. PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) was launched on June 1, 2020 as a Central Sector Scheme. The scheme facilitates affordable working capital loan of up to ₹10,000 with an interest subsidy @7% on regular repayment. (Indian Economy)
74	10-09-2021 - World Geography - World's northernmost island - A team of Arctic researchers from Denmark say they accidentally discovered what they believe is the world’s northernmost island located off Greenland’s coast. The scientists from the University of Copenhagen thought they had arrived at Oodaaq, an island discovered by a Danish survey team in 1978, to collect samples during an expedition that was conducted in July. They instead wound up on an undiscovered island further north. “Island hunters” are known as adventurers whose hobby it is to search for unknown islands. The yet-to-be-named island is 780 meters (about 850 yards) north of Oodaaq, an island off Cape Morris Jesup, the northernmost point of Greenland and one of the most northerly points of land on Earth. The tiny island, apparently discovered as a result of shifting pack ice, is about 30 by 60 meters (about 100 by 200 feet) in size and rises to about three to four meters (10 to 13 feet) above sea level, the university said. The research team reportedly doesn’t consider the discovery to be a result of climate change and has allegedly proposed naming the island Qeqertaq Avannarleq, which means “the northernmost island” in Greenlandic. (World Geography)
75	10-09-2021 - World Politics - UAE's Green Visa - The United Arab Emirates announced a new class of visas called “green visa” intended to ease the restrictions faced by foreigners in pursuing employment opportunities in the country. The green visa will allow foreigners to work in the UAE without being sponsored by an employer. This will be a marked change from the norm that requires a prospective worker to be sponsored via an employer, who, in turn, applies for a work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The green visa will enable visa holders to sponsor their parents. It will increase the cap on the age of children who can be sponsored by the holder from 18 to 25. It will allow the holder to stay in the country up to 3 months to look for a new job if they are fired from older one. Previously, it was only 30 days. This visa targets “highly skilled individuals, investors, business people, entrepreneurs, as well exceptional students and postgraduates”. (World Politics)
76	10-09-2021 - World Politics - US and China updates - (a) In an effort to de-escalate hostilities between America and China, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping spoke on the telephone for 90 minutes. A White House statement said the pair had “a broad, strategic discussion” about economic issues, climate change and covid-19. Mr Biden and Mr Xi have not met in person since the American president took office in January. (b) China will auction an unspecified amount of crude oil from its secretive strategic reserves in order to counter inflationary pressure, fuelled by high commodity prices. Only domestic refiners will be invited to bid. It is the first time that China has announced plans to draw on oil stocks although it has tapped state reserves of other raw materials. (c) Mr Biden laid out measures to increase covid-19 vaccinations that cover 100m people, almost two-thirds of the American workforce. Firms with more than 100 employees and medical facilities that accept government funding will be required to mandate jabs or regular testing of workers. Employees of the federal government’s executive branch and contractors who do business with it will be required to get jabbed. Just 53% of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated. (World Politics)
77	10-09-2021 - Science and Technology - Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) - It is a genetic disorder that causes a range of developmental problems including learning disabilities and cognitive impairment. It is the leading inherited cause of autism in 4% of the global population. It is caused by changes in FMR1 gene which make an important protein (FMRP) that is required for brain development. It is caused by the mutation named FRAXA. (a) Mutation - A mother who is a carrier has a 50% chance of passing the mutated gene to her children, who will either be carriers or have FXS. Men who are carriers do not pass the pre-mutation to their sons, but only daughters, who become carriers. (b) Effect - Males are more severely affected by this disorder than females. Studies suggest a high effect of consanguineous parenting on FXS prevalence. (Consanguineous is a term relating to or denoting people descended from the same ancestor.) (c) Detection - The simplest tool for timely detection is a DNA test. This testing could be made mandatory for every child diagnosed with autism. (d) Symptoms - Learning difficulty, speech delay, aggressive behaviour, hyperactivity, attention deficit, fear of the unfamiliar, sensory processing disorders and problems in motor skills. It cannot be cured, but early therapy can improve a person’s quality of life. (Science and Technology)
78	10-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Assam phasing out fossil fuel-based vehicles - The Assam government has unveiled an electric vehicle (EV) policy for phasing out vehicles running on fossil fuels by 2030. The mission entails converting all government vehicles and fleet of public buses to electric and deploying 2 lakh EVs within the next five years. The policy offers a set of incentives for people to switch to EVs. These include 100% exemption on registration charges and road tax. Entrepreneurs setting up EV charging stations have been assured of 90% exemption of electricity duty. An electric vehicle uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion. An electric vehicle may be powered through a self-contained battery, solar panels or an electric generator to convert fuel to electricity. Climate change: EV are less polluting in nature. India is home to 14 out of 20 most polluted cities in the world. EVs will help in tackling this problem by reducing local concentrations of pollutants in cities. EVs can reduce dependence on imported crude oil promoting India’s energy security. Promotion of EVs will facilitate employment growth in a sun-rise sector. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
79	10-09-2021 - Indian Economy - PLI plan for India’s textile sector - The governent approved a Rs. 10,683 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the textile sector. Goal is to try and help India regain its historical dominant status in global textiles trade. The incentives will encourage investment in new capacities in man-made fibre (MMF) apparel, MMF fabrics, and 10 segments or products of technical textiles. The scheme shall help attract investment of more than Rs. 19,000 crore, creating an additional 7.5 lakh direct jobs. There will be two levels of investment with different sets of incentives. In the first category, any person or firm can invest a minimum Rs. 300 crore in plant, machinery, and civil works to produce the identified products to ensure eligibility for the PLI. In the second category a minimum investment of Rs. 100 crore would make an individual or firm eligible to apply for the incentives. Priority would be given for investment in aspirational districts, tier-three, tier-four towns and rural areas. The scheme is expected to benefit States such as Gujarat, U.P., Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Andhra, Telangana and Odisha. Applicants would have two years as investment period and 2024-2025 would be the ‘performance’ year. The incentive flow would start in 2025-2026 and extend for five years. (Indian Economy)
80	10-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - Jharkhand House clears Bill for 75% quota for locals - The Jharkhand Assembly passed a Bill, providing 75% reservation for locals in private sector jobs with a monthly salary of up to Rs. 40,000. Once notified, Jharkhand will become the third State, after Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, to pass such a law. ‘The Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2021’ was tabled in the House in March but was later referred to a six-member select committee. It was named ‘The Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates in Private Sector Bill, 2021’. The monthly salary cap was increased from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 40,000. Every employer shall register such employees receiving gross monthly salary as wages not more than Rs. 40,000 on the designated portal. Such "sons of the soil" schemes have generally proved counter-productive in the past. (Governance and Institutions)
81	09-09-2021 - People and Persoalities - Musk versus Bezos - Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took a dig at Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos after a report claimed that he has invested in a US-based startup focused on anti-ageing. "And if it doesn't work, he's gonna sue death," Musk tweeted. Earlier in September, Musk had tweeted that filing legal actions against SpaceX is Bezos' "full-time job". Jeff Bezos has reportedly invested in anti-aging startup Labs. Scientists will have a $1M salary & will research on how cells age and how to reverse them. (People and Personalities)
82	09-09-2021 - World Economy - Bitcoin falls as first sovereign adopts it - More than $360 billion was wiped out from the cryptocurrency market in two days as Bitcoin and Ether fell again on 08th September, 2021, after plunging during El Salvador's adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender. Bitcoin's rollout in El Salvador was affected by glitches and the country's Chivo wallet was taken offline. Bitcoin was down 8% to trade at $46,520 on 08th September. This country became the first one ever to begin using Bitcoin as legal tender. Many other countries are working on their own central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). (World Economy)
83	09-09-2021 - World Economy - China update - In the beginning of 2021, China’s ruling party celebrated a swift bounceback from the pandemic, as well as the eradication of abject poverty. But the triumphalism has since been tempered by a combination of covid lockdowns and regulatory crackdowns (on excesses in the property market and the internet economy). Investors are now looking for reassurance. President Xi Jinping’s economic adviser provided some solace by extolling private enterprise. And China’s exports, which grew by over 25% in August, year-on-year, have benefited from rival Vietnam’s own struggles with Covid. Over the same period, consumer prices rose by only 0.8%, according to figures out today. That should allow China to offset its regulatory tightening with more fiscal and monetary easing (“micro takes and macro gives”, as Goldman Sachs, a bank, puts it). Investors will be hoping that in the rest of the year macro gives a little more and micro takes a little less. (World Economy)
84	09-09-2021 - Energy - Coal-based Hydrogen production - Ministry of Coal has constituted a Task Force and Expert Committee to prepare a Road Map for coal-based Hydrogen production. On India’s 75th Independence Day, the PM announced a Hydrogen Mission. Coal is one of the important sources of hydrogen making (Brown Hydrogen) apart from Natural Gas (Grey hydrogen) and renewable energy (Green Hydrogen) through electrolysis. In case of renewable energy (Green Hydrogen) surplus solar power is used to electrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen. However, Coal has not been encouraged elsewhere because of the fear that while extracting hydrogen via coal (from the moisture embedded in coal) there may be carbon emission. Hence, the new work has commenced. (Energy)
85	09-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Blood Honey of the Sunderbans - Sundarbans is home to the Royal Bengal tigers, and every year people die venturing into the forests to collect this honey. Due to the risks involved in its collection, it is called blood honey. It is also called Sundarban honey, as it is collected by the Sunderbans’ Moulis community. This comparatively less thick honey has high demand for its nutritional value and purity. As this honey is multi-floral and there is practically no use of antibiotics or pesticides in Sundarbans. It is nearly twice as expensive as the branded honey, as collection is tough, and there are no pesticides or chemicals or any other impurities in this honey. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
86	09-09-2021 - Agriculture - Heterosis and soil microbes - A vast majority of commercially grown crops are hybrids, where two inbred lines are crossed, with their first-generation hybrid offspring exhibiting a vigour that is lacking in either of its parents. This property of hybrid vigour exhibited by the hybrid crop plants is known as heterosis. Rhizomicrobiome (plant-root microbe interactions) is the rich collection of microbes that surround the roots of every plant. A recent study has found that there is a strong positive relationship between the heterosis of a hybrid plant and the soil microbes. In laboratory-sterilised soils that are totally devoid of microbes, both the inbred parents and hybrid offspring grow equally well i.e. no heterosis. When the soil environment was ‘rebuild’ using bacteria, there was an increase in heterosis. Fumigating, or steaming the soil in one experimental plot led to decreased heterosis, because this soil was depleted of microbes. (Agriculture)
87	09-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Cairn Energy to finally end tax dispute with India - The U.K.-based Cairn Energy is working with the Government of India to expedite “documentation and payment of refund” of $1.06 billion of retrospective taxes. Cairn said it plans to return $700 million to the shareholders through special dividends and buybacks, out of the expected tax refund from the Indian government. The government had - in August '21 - amended the income tax laws to scrap the retrospective tax provisions introduced in 2012-13, under which Cairn was taxed in 2014 for a corporate restructuring undertaken in 2006-07. The tax department subsequently froze the firm’s shares as part of the proceedings and sold them off to recover the claimed tax dues. The changes propose to refund the taxes levied retrospectively if the affected taxpayers drop all pending litigation and forego any interest and damages claims. An international arbitration tribunal, scrutinising the tax dispute, in 2020, had ruled in Cairn’s favour and awarded $1.2 billion in damages to the company. While the government has filed an appeal against the verdict, Cairn has filed lawsuits in several overseas jurisdictions to enforce the tribunal’s award. (Indian Economy)
88	09-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Local sales by SEZ units without import tag - The government is considering a proposal to allow producers in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to sell their output to the domestic market without treating them as imports. It is also reviewing the exclusion of export-oriented units (EOUs) and SEZs from the recently notified tax refund scheme for exports. It was emphasised recently that despite the rise in freight rates and input costs, SEZ and EOU units had not been given benefits under the Remission of Taxes and Duties on Export Products (RoDTEP) scheme. The Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme was announced in 2019 by the Government of India and it became effective on 1 January 2021. It allows exporters to receive refunds on taxes and duties that are not exempted or refunded under any other scheme. The goal is to boost the export of goods that were poor in volume. It replaces the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS). It is a combination of the MEIS and the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL). Under this scheme, refund would be claimed as a percentage of the Freight On Board (FOB) value of exports. (Indian Economy)
89	09-09-2021 - Defence and Military - Tata gets massive military aircraft contract - Tata Group will make military transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force in the first such deal for an India private sector company. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The aircraft will be procured from Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain. About 16 of the aircraft will be delivered within 48 months of signing the contract in a flyway condition while the remaining will be manufactured in India by the TATA Consortium within ten years of the signing of the contract. This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. All 56 aircraft will be installed with the indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite. The project will give a boost to the aerospace ecosystem in India. (Defence and Military)
90	09-09-2021 - World Politics - Afghan Taliban update - The militant group’s new government took office with the acting prime minister, Mohammad Hasan Akhund, proclaiming that “the era of bloodshed in Afghanistan is over.” But a rally by women demanding representation in the new administration was shut down; the Taliban says protests are illegal. The new government has also re-established a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice”. The Taliban agreed to let 200 Americans and other foreigners leave Afghanistan on charter flights. A day after Taliban announced its interim government in Afghanistan, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China would provide 200 million yuan (₹228 crore) worth of grain, winter supplies, vaccines and medicine to Afghanistan. He added that China had already decided to donate an initial batch of 3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Afghan people. (World Politics)
91	08-09-2021 - Education - Karnataka’s ASER report - The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), which was drawn up in March 2021 in only Karnataka this year, found a huge drop in learning levels in both reading and numeracy, especially for primary classes. For the current report, Pratham surveyed 18,385 children between the age of five and 16 from 13,365 households across 24 districts. This was done earlier this year, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic set in. The report stated that there was a slight shift in enrolment from private to government schools across all age groups. The survey reported nearly a year of ‘learning loss’ among students across the State. The decline in foundational skills is visible throughout the elementary grades, among students enrolled in government and as well as private schools. It found that 56.8% of class I students surveyed could not read letters. In comparison, the 2018 report stated that 40% of class I students were unable to read letters (a drop of over 16 %). 66% of the class VIII students were able to read a standard II text, compared to 70% in 2018. The decline in learning levels is steeper in the arithmetic skills of the students. (Education)
92	08-09-2021 - Indian Economy - GST Appellate Tribunal and SC - The Supreme Court has warned that the government has no option but to constitute the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Appellate Tribunal. The GST tribunal has not been constituted even four years after the central GST law was passed in 2016. Section 109 of the GST Act mandates the constitution of the Tribunal. The GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) is the second appeal forum under GST for any dissatisfactory order passed by the First Appellate Authorities. The National Appellate Tribunal is also the first common forum to resolve disputes between the centre and the states. Being a common forum, it is the duty of the GSTAT to ensure uniformity in the redressal of disputes arising under GST. It holds the same powers as the court and is deemed Civil Court for trying a case. (Indian Economy)
93	08-09-2021 - Polity and Constitution - The problem with Tribunals - A Special Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, said the Centre should fill the long-pending vacancies in key tribunals by the next hearing on September 13. The Bench said tribunals across the country were on the verge of collapse. Cases were being adjourned by a year. Many operated with just one member as no appointments had been made for months, if not years. The court said it had three options: close the tribunals, make the appointments itself or initiate contempt. The court also said that the new law — Tribunal Reforms Act of 2021 — abolished nine key tribunals, raised a serious threat to judicial independence by giving the government wide powers regarding appointments, service conditions and salaries of members of key tribunals. The Bill was passed without parliamentary debate amid ruckus in the House. (Constitution and Law)
94	08-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - Animal spirits must make a comeback - The government gave an urgent call to action for reviving the animal spirits in the economy. ‘Animal spirits’ is a term coined by the British economist, J. M. Keynes, referring to the ways that human emotions and instincts can drive financial decision-making of investors and consumers in times of economic stress or uncertain environments and volatile times. Animal spirits are used to help explain why people behave irrationally, and are the forerunner to modern behavioral economics. If spirits are low, confidence levels will be low. This will drive down a promising market - even if the economy fundamentals are strong. If spirits are high, confidence among participants in the economy will be high, and market prices will soar. (Governance and Institutions)
95	08-09-2021 - Education - China crushes online tutoring - China's education ministry said that private tutors will be barred from offering courses online via avenues such as instant messaging services or livestreaming platforms. They'll also be barred from offering classes in unregistered venues such as residential buildings and hotels. Earlier, China barred for-profit tutoring in any school subject. This totally kills online, private tuition market in China now. (Education)
96	08-09-2021 - World Economy - Technology updates - (a) Intel said it would build at least two new semiconductor factories in Europe—including one in Ireland primarily to supply carmakers—with overall investment in the region reaching as much as €80bn ($94.7bn) over the next decade. In recent years the American firm has lost ground to more nimble chip-designers, including Arm, a British company, and to gigantic Asian chip-producers, such as TSMC. (b) Toyota said it would spend more than ¥1.5trn ($13.6bn) to develop and manufacture electric-car batteries by 2030. The carmaker will build an undisclosed number of battery factories around the world, with 70 production lines. Slow to invest in fully electric models given its strength in hybrids, Toyota now plans to sell 2m fully electric cars a year by the end of the decade. (World Economy)
97	08-09-2021 - Science and Technology - iPhones and satellite connectivity - The Internet is abuzz with news that the next-generation iPhone could have satellite connectivity, thus enabling it to make calls without a cellular network. It all started when top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the Apple’s next-generation iPhone 13 will feature a low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite communication mode. Low earth orbit (LEO) satellites operate 311 miles (roughly 500 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface. There are hundreds of satellites that move around at this height. Because they are closer to the earth’s surface, unlike traditional satellites that are stationed higher at roughly 36,000 km, the time needed for data to be sent and returned is shorter. (Science and Technology)
98	08-09-2021 - Trivia and Miscellaneous - Manda buffalo - The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) has recognised the Manda buffalo, found in the Eastern Ghats and plateau of Koraput region of Odisha, as the 19th unique breed of buffaloes found in India. The Manda are resistant to parasitic infections, less prone to diseases and can thrive on modest resources. This buffalo germ-plasm was first identified through a survey conducted by the Animal Resource Development (ARD) department of Odisha in collaboration with the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT). The NBAGR is affiliated to Indian Council of Agriculture Research. (Trivia and Miscellaneous)
99	08-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - e-ILP platform launched in Manipur - Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched the electronic Inner Line Permit (ILP) counters. Imphal, Jiribam and Mao Centers were inaugurated. Under the portal, a person from outside the state can apply online for ILP and get the permit from issuing centres after onsite verification. The e-ILP tracking system has been developed to mend the loopholes in the procedures adopted to issue the permit and its tracking system. It has a comprehensive dashboard system that would actively show information such as number of people entering the state on a particular date and time and graphical break-up based presentation of people visiting through different entry gates. The system is also enabled with automated generation of a defaulted list of people who have overstayed beyond the permitted number of days as per the permit. The ILP system came into effect in Manipur on January 1, 2020. (Governance and Institutions)
100	08-09-2021 - World Politics - New government in Afghanistan - The Taliban announced an interim government for Afghanistan comprising 33 men (naturally), with Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, a close aide to Mullah Omar, the Taliban’s former leader, to take the reins as prime minister. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, another co-founder, will be his deputy (contrary to what was being assumed earlier). Sirajuddin Haqqani, who has an American bounty on his head, will be interior minister. Mullah Yaqoob, Omar’s son, will act as defence minister. It is not only sexual inclusivity that will be lacking: the Taliban’s pledge to welcome other political groups into government was also forgotten. So there are no women, no minorities and no members from opposing camps at all. (World Politics)
101	07-09-2021 - Education - New schemes for education sector - Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched multiple projects in education sector on 7th September, as part of 'Shikshak Parv'. PM Modi launched Indian Sign Language Dictionary of 10,000 words, Talking Books (audiobooks for visually impaired) and School Quality Assurance and Assessment Framework (SQAAF) of CBSE. He also launched NISHTHA teachers' training programme for NIPUN Bharat and Vidyanjali portal. The Shiksha Parv is being celebrated by the Ministry of Education. The celebration started on September 5 and will continue till September 17 in recognition of the valuable contributions of teachers and to take New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 a step forward. (Education)
102	07-09-2021 - World Economy - Bitcoin is legal tender in El Salvador now - El Salvador adopted bitcoin as legal tender from 7th September, making it the first country to use a cryptocurrency as a national currency. Nayib Bukele, the president, announced plans formally to adopt the digital tokens just three months ago at a bitcoin conference in Miami. Locals and crypto-fans have dubbed September 7th “B-day”. New legislation means bitcoin can be used to pay taxes and discharge debts. It will also force businesses to accept the tokens as payment. To prepare for adoption the country is launching its own digital bitcoin wallet called “Chivo” (slang for cool), which Salvadoreans can use to hold and exchange bitcoin. Some 200 cash machines that convert physical dollars into the cryptocurrency have been installed. (World Economy)
103	07-09-2021 - Constitution and Law - The right to sit - The Tamil Nadu government has introduced a Bill in the Assembly for recognising workers’ ‘right to sit’. It aims to provide a chair to each worker, and a whole lot of dignity, besides helping the employees avoid the discomfort and health issues arising from remaining on their feet throughout the day. The Bill will benefit thousands of employees of large and small establishments, especially those working at textile and jewellery showrooms. It seeks to amend the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, 1947, by adding sub-section Section 22-A. (Constitution and Law)
104	07-09-2021 - Indian Economy - IBC updation - The insolvency regulator (IBBI) has called for public comments on a proposal to introduce a code of conduct for Committees of Creditors (CoC), of companies undergoing insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Under the IBC, a CoC composed of financial creditors to the Corporate Debtor (CD) — or operational creditors in the absence of unrelated financial creditors — is empowered to take key decisions, including decisions on haircuts for creditors, that are binding on all stakeholders, including those dissenting. The CoC is also empowered to seek and choose the best resolution plan for a corporate debtor from the market, and its role is vital for a timely and successful resolution for a CD. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) noted that a code of conduct for CoCs would promote transparent and fair working on the part of CoCs. (Indian Economy)
105	07-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Database of all farmers - The Centre has created a National Farmers’ Database with records of 5.5 crore farmers, which it hopes to increase to 8 crore farmers by December '21 by linking it to State land record databases, according to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Farmers’ database is key to advances in digital agriculture. Agriculture has to be linked with digital technology, scientific research and knowledge. The national database was created by taking data from existing national schemes such as PM-KISAN, soil health cards and the insurance scheme PM Fasal Bima Yojna. So far, 5.5 crore farmers had been identified in this manner. The Minister urged the States to create their own databases using the national database’s federated structure and also allow linkages to the land records maintained by the States. With the help of State governments, a total of eight crore farmers would be included by the end of the year. The database could be used “for targeted service delivery with higher efficiency and in a focussed and time-bound manner” and that it was the core for the proposed Agristack digital agriculture ecosystem. (Indian Economy)
106	07-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) update - They were started by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) in 1997-98 to impart quality education to Scheduled Tribes (STs) children in remote areas. These focus not only on academic education but on the all-round development of the students. This will enable the children to avail of opportunities in high and professional educational courses and get employment in various sectors. Each school will cater to 480 students from Class VI to XII. National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous organization has been set up under the MoTA to establish and manage these Schools across the country. Eklavya schools will be on par with Navodaya Vidyalaya and will have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development. Grants given for construction of schools and recurring expenses to the State Governments under Grants under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution. At least one EMRS is to be set up in each Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) / Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) having 50% ST population. (By 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons will have an EMRS) (Governance and Institutions)
107	07-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - Karbi Anglong Agreement - The Centre, the Assam government and insurgency groups from the state have signed an agreement to bring peace to the Northeastern state’s Karbi-Anglong district. This will ensure greater devolution of autonomy to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC). The KAAC is an autonomous district council in Assam for development and protection of tribals of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district. It proposed to notify Karbi as the official language of KAAC. But English, Hindi & Assamese will continue to be used for official purposes. A Special Development Package of Rs. 1000 crores over 5 years will be given by the Union Government and Assam Government to undertake specific projects for the focussed development of KAAC areas. The Agreement provides for rehabilitation of cadres of the Karbi armed groups, who have agreed to renounce violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land. (Karbi-Anglong is Assam’s largest district in terms of area and is home predominantly to a tribal and ethnic population comprising members of Karbi, Bodo, Kuki, Dimasa, Hmar, Garo, Rengma Naga, Tiwa, and Man communities.) (Governance and Institutions)
108	07-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Water diversion from Brahmani river - Environmentalists have expressed concern over the massive diversion of fresh water from the Brahmani river basin, which could pose a grave threat to the famous mangrove vegetation in Odisha. The Talcher-Angul coal mines, steel and power plants as well as the Kalinganagar steel and power hub are drawing enormous quantities of fresh water from the Brahmani river. The Brahmani is a major seasonal river in the Odisha state of eastern India. The Brahmani is formed by the confluence of the Sankh and South Koel rivers. Together with the river Baitarani, it forms a large delta before emptying into the Bay of Bengal at Dhamra. Bhitarkanika — a notified Ramsar wetland — is spread over 195 sq. km and is home to 62 mangrove species. Proportionate fresh water flow from the Brahmani river basin and the Kharasrota river keep the salinity level of the water along the shore down. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
109	07-09-2021 - World Politics - Logistics agreement with Russia - India will conclude the bilateral logistics agreement with Russia soon while the agreement with the U.K. is in the final stages of conclusion. The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) is likely to be signed by Indiain next two months. The agreement is an administrative arrangements facilitating access to military facilities for exchange of fuel and provisions on mutual agreement. This cooperation simplifies logistical support and increases operational turnaround of the military when operating away from India. India has signed similar logistics agreements with all Quad countries, France, Singapore and South Korea beginning with LEMOA with the U.S in 2016 (signed between India and the US in August 2016). It allows the militaries to replenish from the other’s bases: access supplies, spare parts and services from the other country’s land facilities, air bases, and ports, which can then be reimbursed. This is useful for Navy-to-Navy cooperation, since the US and India are cooperating closely in the Indo-Pacific. It took almost a decade to negotiate LEMOA. (World Politics)
110	07-09-2021 - Science and Technology - SpaceX's Inspiration4 - Elon Musk's firm SpaceX announced that ‘Inspiration4’, its first all-civilian, non-governmental spaceflight, was on track for launch on September 15, 2021. "Inspiration4" is the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit. The flight will be privately operated by SpaceX using a previously-flown Crew Dragon capsule launched to low Earth orbit (LEO). Inspiration4 will blast off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and the mission involves circling the Earth for three days, and then splashing down into the Atlantic Ocean. Inspiration4 will orbit the Earth at 575km, higher than the International Space Station (408km) and the Hubble space telescope (547km). This will be the farthest distance travelled by a crewed mission since 2009, when astronauts last went to repair the Hubble. The mission will raise awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in US. (Science and Technology)
111	06-09-2021 - Health and Medicine - Insect protein goes mainstream in EU - The European Union has now allowed insect protein to be included in chicken and pig feed. The move is a huge boost for the insect industry, which wants to offer an alternative to proteins such as soya and fishmeal, both of which are significantly more damaging environmentally. Poultry and pig feed are by far the largest animal-feed markets, but they are also the most competitive. Because insect protein is more expensive than fishmeal—and much more so than soya—sellers will have to work hard to persuade buyers to make the switch. Luckily for them, research suggests that insect protein offers several benefits, boosting growth rates and animals’ immune systems as well as filling their stomachs. Scaling up production will also help. Rabobank, an agricultural-investment bank, predicts that insect production will reach 500,000 tonnes a year by 2030, up from just 10,000 tonnes currently, and that prices will tumble accordingly. (Healthcare and Medicine)
112	06-09-2021 - History - 9/11 reaches its twentieth anniversary - Twenty years ago, several al-Qaeda terrorists commandeered and crashed four American aeroplanes, killing nearly 3,000 people, in a series of attacks on America, called 9/11. The tragedy reshaped America, its allies and the Middle East. It led to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the second of which concluded only in August 2021. President Joe Biden said he'd visit the sites of the attack: Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, where the two towers of the World Trade Centre once stood; the Pentagon; and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a plane terrorists meant for the Capitol crash-landed in a field. Most of the terrorists were Saudi, though the kingdom denies involvement. Prsident Biden ordered the review and declassification of documents within six months. Now he will focus on honouring those lost. (History)
113	06-09-2021 - Constitution and Law - Women in Judiciary - Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana lamented that “very few women find representation at the top” and admitted that even a “mere” 11% representation of women on the Bench of the Supreme Court was achieved with “great difficulty”. The CJI’s remarks come within days of the Supreme Court Collegium led by him scripting history by successfully recommending three women judges to the court in one go. The court has four women judges now, the highest ever. A majority of women lawyers suffered within the profession and continued to face significant challenges even after they reached the top. Women lacked basic amenities in court complexes. Women do not have restrooms in lower courts… It is difficult for them to wait for long hours in the court corridors. The CJI refused to accept sole credit for the recent appointment of nine judges to the Supreme Court in one shot. The Collegium, led by the CJI, had followed this feat by recommending a whopping 68 judges to 12 High Courts, again in one go. (Constitution and Law)
114	06-09-2021 - Defence and Military - ALUAV project - India and USA have signed a Project Agreement for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defence signed a Project Agreement (PA) for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) under the Joint Working Group Air Systems in the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) on July 30, 2021. The PA for ALUAV falls under the Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E) Memorandum of Agreement between Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defence, which was first signed in January 2006 and renewed in January 2015. The agreement is a significant step towards deepening defence technology collaboration between the two nations through co-development of defence equipment. (Defence and Military)
115	06-09-2021 - Science and Technology - Dinosaurs roamed in India - Footprints of three species of dinosaurs have been found in the Thar desert in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, proving the presence of the giant reptiles in the western part of the State, which formed the seashore to the Tethys Ocean during the Mesozoic era. The footprints, made in the sediment or silt of the seashore, later became permanently stone-like. They belong to three species of dinosaurs — Eubrontes cf. giganteus, Eubrontes glenrosensis and Grallator tenuis. While the giganteus and glenrosensis species have 35 cm footprints, the footprint of the third species was found to be 5.5 cm. The footprints were 200 million years old. They were found near Jaisalmer’s Thaiat village. The dinosaur species are considered to be of the theropod type, with the distinguishing features of hollow bones and feet with three digits. All the three species, belonging to the early Jurassic period, were carnivorous. (Science and Technology)
116	06-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - New risk perception by IUCN - Nearly 28% of the 1,38,374 species assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for its survival watchlist are now at high risk of vanishing forever, the global conservation body said. Habitat loss, overexploitation and illegal trade have hammered global wildlife populations for decades, and climate change is now kicking in as a direct threat as well. Komodo dragons, the largest living lizards, which are found only in the World Heritage-listed Komodo National Park and neighbouring Flores, were listed as “endangered”. Some 37% of the 1,200 shark and ray species assessed by experts are directly threatened by extinction, a third more than only seven years ago. The IUCN officially launched its “green status” — the first global standard for assessing species recovery and measuring conservation impacts. It makes the invisible work of conservation visible. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
117	06-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Red-Eared Slider turtle discovered - The aggressive species of Red-Eared Slider Turtle was found accidently from the Malankara dam in Idukki. It is a native of the southern U.S. (Mississippi river) and northern Mexico. They live in still and warm waterbodies such as ponds, lakes, streams, and slow- running rivers. Though they can be easily trapped in small waterbodies, it is not the case in larger waterbodies such as reservoirs. It is identified as exotic and enlisted in the 100 most invasive species in the world. They are considered a major threat to native turtle specials, as they mature fast, grow larger, and produce more offspring, and are very aggressive. It can grow up to about 33 cm long, with a life span of close to 30 years. It is also known to be a carrier of human-infected bacteria such as salmonella. EU and Australia have imposed strict regulations on its trading and import. It was first observed in private aquariums in the State of Kerala. It is favourite among pet lovers as it is very small that can be fit into a match box, easy maintenance and relatively low cost. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
118	06-09-2021 - Indian Economy - International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) - The IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) has committed to focus 30% of its climate finance to support nature-based solutions in rural small-scale agriculture by 2030. This body was created in 1977, an outcome of the World Food Conference of 1974. It is an international financial institution and specialized UN agency working in the field of poverty eradication in the rural areas of developing countries providing grants and loans with low interest for allied projects. It brings out the 'Rural Development Report' every year. It has 177 member countries. India is also a member country. Its goals include - (a) to increase the productive capacity of poor people, (b) to increase benefits for them from market participation, (c) to strengthen the environmental sustainability & climate resilience of their economic activities, (d) work with marginalized and vulnerable groups such as farmers with small holdings, foresters, pastoralists, fishermen and small scale entrepreneurs by giving them disaster preparedness, etc. (Indian Economy)
119	06-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) meeting - The Finance Minister chaired the 24th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC), on 3rd September, 2021. It is a non-statutory apex council constituted by an Executive Order in 2010, and works under the Ministry of Finance. The Raghuram Rajan committee (2008) on financial sector reforms first proposed the creation of FSDC. It is chaired by the Finance Minister and its members include the heads of all Financial Sector Regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA & IRDA), Finance Secretary, Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Secretary of Department of Financial Services (DFS), Chief Economic Adviser, Secretary of Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) and the Revenue Secretary. FSDC sub-committee is headed by the Governor of RBI. The Council can invite experts to its meeting if required. To strengthen and institutionalize the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination and promoting financial sector development. To monitor macro-prudential supervision of the economy. It assesses the functioning of the large financial conglomerates. (Indian Economy)
120	06-09-2021 - Agriculture - Massive protest in Muzaffarnagar against farm laws - Several lakh farmers from Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states on 05th September gathered at Muzaffarnagar for a ‘Kisan mahapanchayat' organised by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). Their main demand was repealing of the three new farm laws, against which the protests have been continuing on Delhi's borders since October 2020. The farmers have openly declared that they'll campaign in the forthcoming Assembly elections, and request people to vote against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, and elsewhere. The BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said that farmers' meetings were planned at many places, and 27th Sept will be observed as 'Bharat Bandh'. The BJP criticised the protest, claiming it was sponsored by opposition, and not really by farmers, and it was all political now. Farmer leaders at the protest claimed the govt. was 'selling away India's assets'. (Agriculture)
121	04-09-2021 - Social Issues - Apple backs down - Apple said it will delay the rollout of controversial software intended to scan iPhone users’ images for child pornography. The feature would have checked photos and videos in the cloud against a database of sexually exploitative images of children. The backlash from privacy advocates was swift, however. Instead Apple will “collect input and make improvements” to the software. (Social Issues)
122	04-09-2021 - History - Getting the 9/11 files out - President Joe Biden ordered the Department of Justice to review documents relating to the FBI’s investigation into the 9/11 attacks, with a view to declassifying them. Victims’ relatives have long called for files to be released, in particular to learn whether investigators secretly fingered Saudi Arabia (the kingdom has always denied complicity). The 20th anniversary of the atrocity arrived in 2021. (History)
123	04-09-2021 - Energy - Power from the floors - The smart buildings of the future could contain touch-sensitive walls, light-filtering windows and super-insulation. According to research in Matter, a scientific journal, their floors might also serve as electrical generators. Engineers have adapted ordinary wooden planks to produce power as people walk on them. The design is simple: two layers of spruce wood are sandwiched between metal conductors. But ordinary wood, when flexed underfoot, generates little power. To get some voltage going, the engineers coated one of the wooden panels with negatively charged silicone film. In the other they embedded positively charged nano-crystals. An adult stepping on the doctored panel generated 80 times more output than somebody stepping on ordinary wood, enough to fuel LED lamps. Using thinner layers of wood would make the device even more efficient. If a larger prototype proves viable, inhabitants of smart buildings could one day tap into a power source right beneath their feet. (Energy)
124	04-09-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - 'Eat right station' certification - The Indian Railways’ Chandigarh Railway Station has been awarded a 5- star 'Eat Right Station' certification for providing high-quality, nutritious food to passengers. This certification is granted by FSSAI to railway stations. The 'Eat Right Station' certification is awarded by FSSAI to railway stations adhering to standard food storage and hygiene practices that set benchmarks in providing safe and wholesome food to passengers. The station is awarded a certificate upon a conclusion of an FSSAI-empanelled third-party audit agency with ratings from 1 to 5. The 5-star rating indicates exemplary efforts by stations to ensure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers. The certification is part of the 'Eat Right India' movement- a large-scale effort by FSSAI to transform the country's food system to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians. (Healthcare and Medicine)
125	04-09-2021 - Education - Glue Grant scheme - Forty Central universities in India will kick off implementation of innovative measures such as the academic credit bank and the "glue grant" meant to encourage multidisciplinarity. Under the glue grant, announced in 2021's budget, institutions in the same city would be encouraged to share resources, equipment and even allow their students to take classes from each other. This is the first step for multidiciplinarity. One day, faculty will be able to design joint courses, and a student could take classes at Delhi University (DU) and a few more at IIT-Delhi, or vice versa. (Education)
126	04-09-2021 - World Politics - The Durand Line flashpoint - The fence erected by Pakistan along the 2,640-km Durand Line which is opposed by Taliban is a potential flashpoint in relations between the Taliban and Pakistan. In 19th century Afghanistan was used as a buffer by the British against the fear of Russian expansionism to its east. Hence the British civil servant Sir Henry Mortimer Durand signed an agreement with Afghan ruler Amir Abdur Rahman on November 12, 1893 demarcating the Durand line. The line stretches from the border with China to Afghanistan’s border with Iran. It demarcated the limits of Afghanistan’s and British India’s “spheres of influence” on the Afghan “frontier” with India. The line puts the strategic Khyber Pass on the British side. It cuts through Pashtun tribal areas, leaving villages, families, and land divided between the two spheres of influence. Some historians believe it was a part of British’s divide and rule policy. Hence, Pashtuns rejected the line after independence. When the Taliban seized power in Kabul the first time, they also rejected the Durand Line. The cross-border tensions peaked in 2017 with several attacks on Pakistani border posts by militants. Pakistan accused Afghanistan of sheltering – while the Afghan government accused Pakistan of giving safe haven to Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network. So Pakistan began erecting a $500mn fence fitted with surveillance cameras and infrared detectors, and punctuated by 1,000 watchtowers along the Durand Line. Cross-border movement will only be allowed through 16 formally designated points after the completion of the project. (World Politics)
127	04-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Neelakurinji flowers bloom - Neelakurinji flowers have bloomed in Kodagu district of Karnataka after 12 years. This kind of mass flowering is known as gregarious flowering. It is a shrub that is found in the shola forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Locally known as Kurinji, the flowers grow at an altitude of 1,300 to 2,400 metres. The Nilgiri Hills, which literally means the blue mountains, got their name from the purplish blue flowers of Neelakurinji that bloom only once in 12 years. The Kurinjimala Sanctuary of Kerala protects the kurinji in approximately 32 km2 core habitat in Kottakamboor and Vattavada villages in Idukki district. Kurinji Andavar temple located in Kodaikanal of Tamil Nadu dedicated to Tamil God Murugan also preserves these plants. The Paliyan tribal people living in Tamil Nadu used it as a reference to calculate their age. Karnataka has around 45 species of Neelakurinji and each species blooms at intervals of six, nine, 11 or 12 years. Besides the Western Ghats, Neelakurinji is also seen in the Shevroy in the Eastern Ghats, Sanduru hills of Bellary district in Karnataka. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
128	04-09-2021 - Science and Technology - Milky Sea Effect - New satellite technology Day/Night Band is being used by scientists to find glow-in-the-dark milky seas of marine lore. The "Milky Sea effect" refers to an unusual marine phenomenon in the ocean in which a large amount of sea water appears to glow brightly (eerie blue glow) at night. Also called "mareel", the milky sea is caused by bioluminescent bacteria, billions of trillions of them, that live throughout the water column from the surface to the sea floor. Some point out that Mareel is typically caused by Noctiluca scintillans (popularly known as “sea sparkle”), a dinoflagellate that glows when disturbed and is found in oceans throughout much of the world. Bioluminescent bacteria are light-producing bacteria that are predominantly present in sea water, marine sediments, the surface of decomposing fish and in the gut of marine animals. Stress, caused by the movement of the sea and waves, leads the plankton to emit light, or bioluminescence as a defence mechanism in a similar way to some fireflies. Such occurrences glow brightly enough at night to be visible from satellites orbiting Earth. In 2005, scientists announced that for the first time, they had obtained photographic evidence of this glow. Between 1915 and 1993, 235 sightings of milky seas were documented, most of which are concentrated in the northwestern Indian Ocean and near Indonesia. The luminescent glow is concentrated on the surface of the ocean and does not mix evenly throughout the water column. (Science and Technology)
129	04-09-2021 - Social Issues - TB Free India by 2025 - Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a meet with States to review public health gains against Tuberculosis. He assured that the Union government is open to all suggestions from the States/UTs on Tuberculosis in its mission to fulfil the goal of a TB Free India by 2025. He encouraged States and UTs to provide suggestions on the Public Health Management of COVID and other programs and initiatives of the Union Health Ministry. On the threat to the gains made against TB due to COVID-19, he spoke on the ramping up of COVID Vaccination in the recent days and also highlighted the importance of vaccinating all teachers by the 5th of September for which additional doses are being provided to the States. He emphasised on encouraging the common people to join us in this mission for eradicating TB. It has to be made a people’s initiative. (Social Issues)
130	04-09-2021 - Science and Technology - Blue Straggler stars - "Blue stragglers" are a class of stars on open or globular clusters that stand out as they are bigger and bluer than the rest of the stars. They have intrigued scientists who have for long probed their origin. Carrying out the first-ever comprehensive analysis of blue stragglers, Indian researchers found that half of the blue stragglers in their sample are formed through mass transfer from a close binary companion star. A bunch of stars born at the same time from the same cloud form a star cluster. As time passes, each star evolves differently depending on its mass. The most massive and bright stars evolve and move off the main sequence creating a bend in their track, known as the turnoff. Stars above this bend or brighter and hotter stars are not expected in a cluster, as they leave the main sequence to become red giants. But in 1953, Allan Sandage found that some stars seem to be hotter than the turnoff of the parent cluster. Initially, these blue stars, still straggling above the turnoff, were not part of these clusters. However, later studies confirmed that these stars are indeed cluster members, and they were termed “Blue Stragglers”. (Science and Technology)
131	03-09-2021 - World Politics - New government in Afghanistan - First was the conquest, and then is the new government. Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers were expected to announce their new regime. Haibatullah Akhundzada was expected to be confirmed in the top spot as supreme leader. Day-to-day governance will probably reside with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a popular co-founder of the movement who has served as the group’s deputy. A ruling council could be appointed to make many of the governing decisions, and here the insurgents may try to make minor concessions to inclusivity, awarding token seats to rival factions. The Taliban are thought to be wary of including figures who held positions in Ashraf Ghani’s government. Former president Hamid Karzai has been angling for a role, but may be too closely associated with the American intervention. The new government will have an unenviable set of problems to overcome, including little money, a humanitarian crisis, international suspicion and an Islamic State insurgency. (World Politics)
132	03-09-2021 - World Politics - Japan PM to resign over Covid mismanagement - Suga Yoshihide will not participate in a vote for leadership of his Liberal Democratic Party in September 2021, thus drawing to a close his tenure as Japan’s prime minister after just one year. Mr Suga served as Abe Shinzo’s chief cabinet secretary and became prime minister when his boss resigned last September. His cabinet began with approval ratings above 70% but have now dipped below 30% in some polls as Japan faces a relentless covid-19 crisis. Yet, despite his shortcomings he had been expected to win the leadership vote. There are accountable PMs too, in this world! (World Politics)
133	03-09-2021 - Social Issues - One giant leap backwards in US - America’s Supreme Court refused to stop a Texan law coming into force that in effect bans abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy. It is the strictest such law to be implemented anywhere in the United States since 1973. Unusually, it allows private individuals to sue anyone who helps anyone else get an abortion. The court said the law raised “serious” constitutional questions, and suggested that the plaintiffs pursue those through state courts. Women rights advocates say this is a big step backwards for jurisprudence in America, and raises the real risk of public interference in private lives. (Social Issues)
134	03-09-2021 - World Politics - New Zealand Zero Covid Strategy - New Zealand announced a strict, level-4 nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the Covid-19. Zero Covid Strategy is an elimination strategy that aims to drive down the number of Covid-19 cases by imposing very strict lockdowns, closing borders and imposing travel bans at the very early stages. During the initial stages of the pandemic, New Zealand adopted this strategy. Though initially it was seen as a success story, experts are increasingly advising against this. On August 17, the country discovered one case of covid in the community. But one of the strictest nationwide lockdowns was announced. Under level-4 lockdown, people will only be permitted to travel outside for essential reasons and are expected to remain in their bubbles. This strategy is discouraged as it is not very sustainable. With new variants mutating, residents would be “indefinitely trapped”. Citizens are stuck in foreign countries, unable to come back for over a year. Tourism industry has also been hit hard. The main reason for the inability to impart other strategy is because the country’s vaccination drive is very slow. With vaccine drives all over the world, more sustainable ways of learning to live with the pandemic should be developed instead of strict lockdowns. (World Politics)
135	03-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - 24% rain shortfall - According to the IMD, India ended August with a 24% shortfall from the predicted amount of rainfall. August normally receives the 2nd highest rainfall in the four monsoon months. So even a substantial rainfall in September would not wipe out the deficit. This brings India’s overall monsoon rainfall deficit to 9%, meaning “below normal” rainfall. In June, the IMD forecast rainfall in northwest, south, east and central India would be “normal” or within an 8% error window of their historical average. This forecast too has been significantly off the mark, with Northwest India and Central India registering a 14% shortfall. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
136	03-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Fiscal deficit 2021-22 - As per data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), the Centre’s fiscal deficit stood at ₹3.21 lakh crore or 21.3% of the budget estimates at the end of July. The deficit figure this fiscal appears better than it did a year earlier, when it had soared to 103.1% of the estimate, mainly on account of a jump in expenditure to help deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The difference between total revenue and total expenditure of the government is termed as fiscal deficit. It is an indication of the total borrowings needed by the government. While calculating the total revenue, borrowings are not included. (Indian Economy)
137	03-09-2021 - World Economy - World Social Protection Report 2020-22 - Despite the unprecedented worldwide expansion of social protection during the COVID-19 crisis, more than 4 billion people around the world remain entirely unprotected, a new International Labour Organization (ILO) report says. Social protection includes access to health care and income security, particularly in relation to old age, unemployment, sickness, disability, work injury, maternity or loss of a main income earner, as well as for families with children. In 2020, only 46.9% of the global population benefitted from at least one such protection, according to the report — ILOs first on the subject since 2017. The pandemic response was uneven and insufficient, deepening the gap between countries with high and low income levels and failing to afford the much-needed social protection that all human beings deserve. (World Economy)
138	03-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Ubreathe Life - Scientists of the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar have developed a living-plant based air purifier “Ubreathe Life”. It amplifies the air purification process in the indoor spaces (such as hospitals, schools, offices and your Homes). IIT Ropar’s startup company, Urban Air Laboratory, that has developed the product claims it to be world’s first, state-of-the art ‘Smart Bio-Filter’ that can make breathing fresh. It has been incubated at IIT Ropar, which is a designated iHub - AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) by the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
139	03-09-2021 - World Politics - Sri Lanka's economic emergency - Sri Lanka declared an economic emergency, after a steep fall in the value of the country’s currency caused a spike in food prices. The Sri Lankan rupee fell by 7.5 per cent against the US dollar this year. The President has promulgated emergency regulations under the Public Security Ordinance on the supply of essential goods. A former army general has been appointed by the government as the commissioner of essential services, with the power to seize stocks held by traders and retailers. Authorities say they will take control of the supply of basic food items, including rice and sugar, and set prices in an attempt to control rising inflation. Month-on-month inflation rose to 6% in August, mainly due to high food prices. The authorised officers will take steps to provide essential food items at a concessionary rate to the public by purchasing stocks of essential food items. These items will be provided at government guaranteed prices or based on the customs value on imported goods to prevent market irregularities. A key reason for rising prices is the increase in the foreign exchange rate, as Sri Lanka, a net importer of food and other commodities, is witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths which has hit tourism, the main foreign currency earners. (World Politics)
140	03-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Ladakh adopts State animal and bird - Ladakh adopted two endangered species, snow leopard and black-necked crane, as the State animal and the State bird. Black-necked crane, only found in the Ladakh region, was the State bird of J&K before August 5, 2019. It is also known as Ghost of the mountains. They are positioned as the top predator in the food web. It acts as an indicator of the health of the mountain ecosystem in which they live. Habitat is higher Himalayan and trans-Himalayan landscape in J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Threats for snow leopars includes a reduction in prey populations, illegal poaching and increased human population infiltration into the species habitat and illegal trade of wildlife parts and products Conservation efforts include "Himal Sanrakshak", a community volunteer programme, to protect snow leopards, launched on 23rd October 2020. In 2019, First National Protocol was also launched on Snow Leopard Population Assessment. Project Snow Leopard was launched in 2009. Snow Leopard is in the list of 21 critically endangered species for the recovery programme of the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
141	02-09-2021 - Social Issues - China tightens hold on content - China’s video influencers are facing a swathe of restrictions on what they may and may not share in the booming live-streaming industry, if the Ministry of Commerce has anything to say about it. Guidelines say that streamers should speak Mandarin (rather than local dialects), not dress in a way that “violates social public order” and not market certain goods, such as pornographic content. The new rules also say that vloggers should be aged 16 or over. As with the recent rules on video games, which restrict children to one hour a day of gaming, and only on the weekends and public holidays, the live-streaming guidelines have two motivations. They combine an attempt to more closely regulate a fast-growing part of the digital economy with a more old-school effort to enforce standards more in keeping with the Communist Party’s view of moral rectitude—especially for children. (Social Issues)
142	02-09-2021 - Social Issues - Texas' anti-abortion law - Joe Biden strongly criticised an anti-abortion law that came into force in Texas while the Supreme Court was still considering an appeal to block it (it did not, finally). A divided court gave the law the go-ahead. The legislation in effect bans all abortions after six weeks, with no concession for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. Under its broad terms, members of the public will be allowed to sue any party that aids a termination to take place. Mr Biden pledged to “protect and defend” women’s rights. For America, this is a big step backwards on women's rights. In addition, common public will now get the right to interfere in personal matters! (Social Issues)
143	02-09-2021 - World Politics - China's first road-rail transport link to Indian Ocean - A new rail line providing China with access to the Indian Ocean via Myanmar was opened on the Chinese side of the border. The rail line will enable China to trans-ship cargo from Singapore Port via Myanmar. It runs from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, to Lincang, a prefecture-level city in China’s Yunnan Province opposite Chin Shwe Haw, a border trade town in Myanmar’s northeastern Shan State. The route is the first to link western China with the Indian Ocean, and will reduce the time needed to import cargo to landlocked Yunnan Province. The route is expected to become the lifeblood of international trade for China and Myanmar, while providing a source of income for Myanmar’s military regime. Measures are also under way to establish a border economic cooperation zone in Chin Shwe Haw as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The planned zone will become an intermediate economic hub for Yunnan Province’s imports and exports. (World Politics)
144	02-09-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Govt. wants to revie some Hydro projects in Himalayas - The Environment Ministry, in an affidavit placed in the Supreme Court, disclosed that it has permitted seven hydroelectric power projects, which are reportedly in advanced stages of construction, to go ahead. One of them is the 512 MW Tapovan Vishnugadh project, in Joshimath, Uttarakhand that was damaged by a flood in February. Though hearings in the Supreme Court are ongoing, this is the first time that the government has a formal uniform position on hydropower projects in the Uttarakhand region. In the aftermath of the Kedarnath floods of 2013 that killed at least 5,000 people, the Supreme Court had halted the development of hydroelectric projects in Uttarakhand pending a review by the Environment Ministry on the role such projects had played in amplifying the disaster. Three committees followed thereafter - Ravi Chopra Committee (set up by the Ministry), Vinod Tare Committee (Supreme Court), and B.P. Das Committee (Ministry). The Das committee recommended all six projects with design modifications to some. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
145	02-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Rights Issue by Bharti Airtel - The board of directors of Bharti Airtel has approved the company’s plan to raise up to Rs 21,000 crore by way of a rights issue. Under Company Laws, a rights issue is one of the many ways in which a company can raise additional capital when they need it. A rights issue gives investors the option, or a right to buy new shares of the company at a discount to the current market price. Only existing shareholders of a company can participate in the rights issue. This means that instead of going to the general public at large, only the existing shareholders of the company can buy additional shares in the company if they so wish to. Companies also declare a rights entitlement ratio when declaring a rights issue. For example, if a company declares an entitlement ratio of 1:4, it means that for every four shares that a shareholder already has, they can buy one more share in the rights issue. Indian telecom sector is struggling for now, and Airtel has asked the government to try and help Vodafone Idea stay alive. (Indian Economy)
146	02-09-2021 - World Politics - Universal Postal Union (UPU) - India was elected to the Council of Administration (CA) at 27th Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress in Abidjan. India was also elected with 106 votes out of 156 countries to the Postal Operations Council (POC) at the 27th UPU Congress in Abidjan. The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874. It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration (CA), the Postal Operations Council (POC) and the International Bureau (IB). It also oversees the Telematics and Express Mail Service (EMS) cooperatives. The UPU's headquarters are located in Bern, Switzerland. (World Politics)
147	02-09-2021 - Indian Economy - Economic growth figures for Q1, FY 2021-22 - India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 20.1% in the first quarter of 2021-22, compared with the 24.4% contraction recorded in the corresponding quarter a year ago, but economic activity remained well below the pre-pandemic levels. The second wave of COVID-19 showed its effect. The Gross Value Added (GVA) in the April to June period rose 18.8%, as per the National Statistical Office (NSO), from a 22.2% dip in the first quarter of 2020-21. GVA from agriculture, forestry and fishing, the only sector to grow amid last year’s national lockdown, picked up pace to grow 4.5% in Q1 this year from 3.5% in Q1 2020-21. Overall GVA in Q1 was still 7.8% lower than the first quarter of 2019-20, at ₹30,47,516 crore, while GDP remained 9.2% lower, indicating that the economy still has some way to go before it returns to activity levels prior to the pandemic. Electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services, whose GVA grew 14.3% in Q1 of 2021-22, compared with a 9.9% fall last year, was the only sector along with agriculture, forestry and fishing, to recover beyond the pre-pandemic levels of 2019-20. The first quarter GDP was even lower than that of the first quarter of 2018-19. (Indian Economy)
148	02-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - One District One Product scheme - The objective of the scheme is to convert each district of the country into an export hub. Under Phase 1 of the scheme, a number of export-potential products from various districts have been selected. It aims to improve market accessibility of the chosen product by identifying and solving problems in its respective supply chain to make it globally competitive. A dedicated team has been established to identify products from 739 districts. It will create a comprehensive plan on each product including product branding & scheme awareness, trade facilitation, e-commerce on boarding, and to create forward & backward market linkages. Director General of Foreign Trade is engaging with State/UT Governments to implement the initiative in a phased manner. District Export Promotion Committee (DEPC) is constituted in all Districts of India, except districts of the state of West Bengal. It is operationally merged with ‘Districts as Export Hub’ initiative. A number of products from several districts have been selected for the phase 1 of the scheme. (Governance and Institutions)
149	02-09-2021 - Governance and Institutions - New rules for poultry farms - The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries under Union Ministry of Agriculture has released a set of new guidelines for poultries. It classifies poultry farmers based on the number of birds in the farm. Small - 5,000-25,000 birds / Medium - 25,000 – 1 lakh birds / Large – more than 1 lakh birds. A farm should be set up 500m away from a residential area, 100m from rivers, lakes, canals and drinking water sources, 100m from national highways and 10-15m from village footpaths and rural roads. In 2015, the Central Pollution Control Board classified Poultry, hatchery and piggery as a “Green” sector and exempted it from air, water and environmental protection laws. In the new guideline, a farmer of medium-sized poultry farm will have to obtain a certificate of Consent from State Pollution Control Board under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981. The permission will be valid for 15 years. (Governance and Institutions)
150	02-09-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - West Nile Virus infections - Russia warned of a possible increase in West Nile Virus (WNV) Infections this autumn as mild temperatures and heavy precipitation create favourable conditions for the mosquitos that carry it. It is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae. WNV was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937. It was identified in birds in the Nile delta region in 1953. Before 1997, WNV was not considered pathogenic for birds. Human infections attributable to WNV have been reported in many countries for over 50 year. WNV is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia. WNV is an infectious disease spread by infected mosquitoes. It spreads from birds to humans with the bite of an infected Culex mosquito. It can lead to a fatal neurological disease in humans. It may cause inflammation of the brain, called encephalitis, or inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called meningitis. (Healthcare and Medicine)
151	31-08-2021 - Social Issues - A new work ethic - Employees in the Western world returning to physical workplaces after their summer break will find that the virtual world is here to stay. For companies it raises questions about whether to hold meetings in-person or virtually (or both), as well as how to integrate physically absent people. Most people prefer a hybrid approach to work, combining some days at home and some at the office. However, they clash on what this means for meetings. When it comes to larger group gatherings, 61% of people in countries including America, Germany and Japan would prefer to attend virtually, according to research by Zoom, a video-conferencing company. The responses also differ by gender. Among men, 44% report they would prefer to attend large group meetings in person, compared with 33% of women. (Social Issues)
152	31-08-2021 - World Politics - Taliban celebate American exit - The Taliban fired guns in the air to celebrate as the last American troops left Kabul, ending a 20-year presence in Afghanistan. Fewer than 200 Americans remain in the country and its diplomatic mission will move to Qatar. General Kenneth McKenzie, who heads US Central Command, said the Taliban had been “useful” during the withdrawal, and that the group would have their “hands full” fighting Islamic State Khorasan Province. Earlier it was revealed that an American drone strike on an ISKP target—retribution for last week’s terrorist attack—killed 10 civilians, including seven children. The British also left, taking with them 15,000 people as well as 173 cats and dogs. The French lowered their tricolour and departed, taking 3,000 people, including more than 2,600 Afghans. Germany got out 5,100 before ending its own airlift. Last to leave were the Americans, fulfilling President Joe Biden’s promise to depart by August 31st. “Our country gained its full independence,” a spokesman for the Taliban tweeted afterwards. (World Politics)
153	31-08-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate Change - Mapping groundwater resources - The Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh informed that mapping groundwater sources by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will help utilise groundwater for drinking purposes and supplement PM Modi’s Har Ghar Nal Se Jal Mission. CSIR in collaboration National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) has undertaken High Resolution Aquifer Mapping and Management in arid regions of northwestern India, to augment the groundwater resources. Heli-borne geophysical mapping technique of CSIR-NGRI provides high resolution 3D image of the sub-surface up to a depth of 500 metres below the ground. This technique is cost-effective, precise and is useful to map large areas within a short time to map the vast extent of groundwater resources in arid regions of our country. The entire work will be completed by 2025 with more than 1.5 lakh square kilometers of area with an estimated cost of 141 crore rupees. The ultimate aim of this project is to map the potential sites for groundwater withdrawal and conservation. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
154	31-08-2021 - People and Personalities - Paralympic Games, Tokyo, 2021 - Sumit Antil set three world records on his way to winning the men’s Javelin Throw F64 gold medal on debut in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. He dominated the competition with the four best throws by any competitor, finally writing the world record at 68.55m with his fifth attempt. India also won a silver and a bronze medal in the F46 Javelin Throw through Devendra Jhajharia (64.35m) and Sundar Singh Gurjar (64.01m) respectively. Avani Lekhara, 19-year-old para shooter, made history on Monday by winning the elusive Tokyo Paralympic Games gold. (People and Personalities)
155	31-08-2021 - Indian Economy - National Small Industry Day - Every year on August 30, India celebrates National Small Industry Day. On August 30, 2000, a comprehensive policy package for the SSI (Small Scale Industry) sector was launched, providing significant support to small firms in India. In 2020, the Government revised the MSME definitions, under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Package. MSME classification was changed, by inserting composite criteria of both investment and annual turnover. (a) Udyam Registration - Udyam is an online and simplified procedure of filing of registration which enables MSMEs to obtain registration without any documentation and fees. (b) Champions Portal - It is an ICT based technology system aimed at making the smaller units big by solving their grievances, encouraging, supporting, helping and handholding throughout the business lifecycle. The platform facilitates a single window solution for all needs of MSMEs. (c) National SC-ST Hub (NSSH) - It has been launched to promote entrepreneurship culture in the SC-ST community and fulfill the 4% procurement target mentioned in the Public Procurement Policy order, 2018. (d) Self-Reliant India (SRI) Fund - The scheme is expected to facilitate equity financing of Rs.50,000 crore in the MSME Sector. The infusion of equity will provide an opportunity to get MSMEs listed in stock exchanges. (e) Procurement Policy - For providing marketing support to MSEs, all Central Ministries/Government Departments and CPSEs are required to procure 25% of their annual requirements of goods and services from MSEs including 4% from MSEs owned by SC/ST and 3% from MSEs owned by women entrepreneurs under the Public Procurement Policy. (Indian Economy)
156	31-08-2021 - Entertainment Games and Sports - Online Gaming restrictions in China - Chinese regulators slashed the amount of time players under the age of 18 can spend on online games to an hour of gameplay on Fridays, weekends and holidays, in response to growing concern over gaming addiction. The rules, published by the National Press and Publication Administration, said users under the age of 18 will only be able to play games from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time on those days. Online gaming companies will be barred from providing gaming services to them in any form outside those hours and need to ensure they have put real name verification systems in place, said the regulator, which oversees the country's video games market. Previously, China limited the total length of time minors could access online games to three hours on holiday or 1.5 hours on other days. The National Press and Publication Administration also told Xinhua it would increase the frequency and intensity of inspections for online gaming companies to ensure they were putting in place time limits and anti-addiction systems. (Entertainment Games and Sports)
157	31-08-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - Scrub Typhus, the mystery fever - Several districts of Uttar Pradesh and Assam have reported cases of scrub typhus, a mystery fever. Scrub typhus is a disease caused by bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi. It spreads to people through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites). Its symptoms usually begin within 10 days of being bitten. These include fever and chills, headache, body aches, rashes and muscle pain. According to CDC, no vaccine is available to prevent scrub typhus. It suggested that the risk of contracting the infection by avoiding contact with infected chiggers. The CDC says that if someone gets infected by scrub typhus, the person should be treated with the antibiotic doxycycline. People who are treated early with doxycycline usually recover quickly. (Healthcare and Medicine)
158	31-08-2021 - Indian Politics - Jallianwala Bagh Smarak (memorial) - The PM dedicated the renovated complex of Jallianwala Bagh Smarak to the nation. Elaborate heritage restoration works were carried out in sync with the local architectural style of Punjab. The Shaheedi well has been repaired and restored with a redefined super structure. The horrendous Jallianwala Bagh Massacre was an incident on April 13, 1919, when British troops fired on a large crowd of unarmed Indians in an open space known as the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in Punjab. A large but peaceful crowd had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh to protest against the arrest of pro-Indian independence leaders Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satya Pal, who had opposed the passing of Rowlat Act in early 1919, which extended various repressive wartime measures (including preventive detention). In response to the public gathering at Bagh, the British Brigadier-General R. E. H. Dyer surrounded the Bagh with his soldiers, and ordered them to shoot at the crowd, continuing to fire even as protestors tried to flee. The Jallianwala Bagh could only be exited on one side, as its other three sides were enclosed by buildings. At least 1000 people were killed and over 1,200 injured. The ineffective inquiry by Disorders Inquiry Committee (also known as Hunters Commission) together with the initial praise for Dyer, fuelled great widespread anger against the British among the Indian populace, leading to the Non-cooperation movement of 1920–22. This incident shocked Rabindranath Tagore (the first Indian and Asian Nobel laureate) to such an extent that he renounced his knighthood. Britain never formally apologised for the massacre but expressed “regret” in 2019. The renovated memorial was criticised by many (including INC leader Rahul Gandhi) as being a "celebration" via light-and-sound show, whereas it should be kept sombre and silent, always. (Indian Politics)
159	31-08-2021 - Science and Technology - Active Galactic Nuclei AGN - Indian researchers discovered three supermassive black holes from three galaxies merging together to form a triple active galactic nucleus, a compact region at the center of a newly discovered galaxy that has a much-higher-than-normal luminosity. This rare occurrence in our nearby Universe indicates that small merging groups are ideal laboratories to detect multiple accreting supermassive black holes and increases the possibility of detecting such rare occurrences. Supermassive black holes are difficult to detect because they do not emit any light. But they can reveal their presence by interacting with their surroundings. When the dust and gas from the surroundings fall onto a supermassive black hole, some of the mass is swallowed by the black hole, but some of it is converted into energy and emitted as electromagnetic radiation that makes the black hole appear very luminous. They are called active galactic nuclei (AGN) and release huge amounts of ionized particles and energy into the galaxy and its environment. Both of these ultimately contribute to the growth of the medium around the galaxy and ultimately the evolution of the galaxy itself. Many AGN pairs have been detected in the past, but triple AGN are extremely rare, and only a handful has been detected before using X-ray observations. (Science and Technology)
160	31-08-2021 - Governance and Institutions - Laddoo Distribution for pregnant ladies - Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a ‘Laddu Distribution Scheme’ for pregnant women in his Parliamentary constituency Gandhinagar. Around 7,000 pregnant women in the area will be provided 15 nutritious laddu each, free of cost, till birth of their child, through various NGOs. There will be no expenditure by the Government, as the responsibility for this will be borne by the NGOs. This is a unique initiative by the dynamic home minister, and he received tremendous praise from all quarters for it. (Governance and Institutions)
161	30-08-2021 - Indian Economy - Jan Dhan - Bank accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) have increased to 43.04 crore with total deposits over ₹1.46 lakh crore as of August 2021. The government was considering providing life insurance and accident covers to over 43 crore account holders. Out of the current account holders, 55.47% (around 23.87 crore) are women. (Indian Economy)
162	30-08-2021 - Governance and Institutions - India's digital rupee - The RBI may launch its first digital currency trial programmes by December '21, as per Governor Shaktikanta Das. He said the RBI was being extremely careful about it because it's completely a new product, not just for RBI, but globally. The RBI was examining various aspects including the digital currency's security, impact on India's financial sector and monetary policy. (Governance and Institutions)
163	30-08-2021 - Entertainment Games and Sports - Fit India Mobile app - Sports Minister Shri Anurag Singh Thakur launched the Fit India Mobile App on National Sports Day. The Fit India App is free and available in English & Hindi on both the Android and the iOS platforms. The Fit India Movement was launched on 29th August 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the vision of making India a Fit and Healthy Nation. Over the past two years, the Fit India Movement has reached millions of people across the country through its various fitness campaigns such as Fit India School Week, Fit India Freedom Run, Fit India Cyclothon and many others. Currently, the Fit India Movement is also conducting Fit India Freedom Run 2.0 in celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence. (Entertainment Games and Sports)
164	30-08-2021 - Terrorism - Terror attack in Assam - A suspected militant attack left five truckers dead in Assam’s Dima Hasao hill district. It was perhaps by an outfit called the Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA). The Dimasas (or Dimasa-Kacharis) are the earliest known rulers and settlers of Assam, and now live in Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong, Cachar, Hojai and Nagaon districts of central and southern Assam, as well as parts of Nagaland. Prior to Ahom rule, the Dimasa kings — believed to be the descendants of the rulers of the ancient Kamarupa kingdom — ruled large parts of Assam along the south bank of the Brahmaputra between the 13th and 16th centuries. Their earliest historically known capital was Dimapur (now in Nagaland), and later Maibang in North Cachar Hills. The hill districts of Assam — Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao (earlier North Cachar Hills) — have had a long history of insurgency by Karbi and Dimasa groups which peaked in the mid-1990s, and was rooted in a core demand of statehood. Both districts are now protected under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, and allows for greater political autonomy and decentralised governance in certain tribal areas of the Northeast. They are run by the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council respectively. (Terrorism)
165	30-08-2021 - Science and Technology - QSim Toolkit - A Quantum Computer Simulator (QSim) Toolkit was launched by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). QSim is a first-of-its-kind indigenously developed toolkit that helps in learning and understanding the practical aspects of programming using Quantum Computers. QSim provides a platform to acquire the skills of ‘programming’ (Quantum Code) as well as ‘designing’real Quantum Hardware. It enables the researchers and students to carryout research in Quantum computing in a cost effective manner. It was developed collaboratively by IISc Bangalore, IIT Roorkee and C-DAC with the support of MeitY under the ‘Design and Development of Quantum Computer Toolkit (Simulator, Workbench) & Capacity Building’ project. It offers a QC Simulator integrated with a Graphic User Interface (GUI) based Workbench allowing people to create Quantum programs. QSim helps simulate Quantum circuits with and without noise and test how well various algorithms work with imperfect quantum components. It has pre-loaded Quantum programs and algorithms providing a head start to the users. PARAM SHAVAK QSim – Standalone system with Quantum Simulator in a box. PARAM QSim Cloud – Available on cloud using HPC infrastructure PARAM SIDDHI AI (developed under NSM program). (Science and Technology)
166	30-08-2021 - Indian Economy - Tokenization by RBI - The Reserve Bank of India decided to extend the scope of tokenisation to include consumer devices such as laptops, desktops, wearables like wristwatches and bands, as well as Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Tokenization refers to the replacement of actual card details with a unique alternate code called the ‘token‘, which is unique for a combination of card, token requestor (i.e. the entity which accepts request from the customer for tokenization of a card and passes it on to the card network to issue a corresponding token) and identified device.Normally, in a tokenized card transaction, parties / stakeholders involved are merchant, the merchant’s acquirer, card payment network, token requestor, issuer and customer. An entity, other than those indicated, may also participate in the transaction. It aims at improving the safety and security of the payment system. The RBI earlier permitted ‘tokenization’ services, under which a unique alternate code is generated for transaction purposes, on mobile phones and tablets of cardholders. The facility was available only for mobile phones and tablets of interested cardholders. A tokenized card transaction is considered safer as the actual card details are not shared with the merchant during transaction processing. (Indian Economy)
167	30-08-2021 - Environment and Ecology - Children’s Climate Risk Index: UNICEF - The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with Fridays for Future launched a report named ‘The Climate Crisis Is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index’. It is the first comprehensive analysis of climate risk from a child’s perspective, and ranks countries based on children’s exposure to climate and environmental shocks, such as Cyclones and Heatwaves, and vulnerability to those shocks, based on their access to essential services. Pakistan (14th), Bangladesh (15th), Afghanistan (25th) and India (26th) are among four South Asian countries where children are at extremely high risk of the impacts of the climate crisis. It is estimated that more than 600 million Indians will face ‘acute water shortages’ in the coming years, while at the same time Flash Flooding is to increase significantly in the majority of India’s urban areas once the global temperature increase rises above 2 degree celsius. Twenty-one of the world’s 30 cities with the most polluted air in 2020 were in India. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
168	30-08-2021 - Constitution and Law - Tamil Nadu moves SC over Mekedatu - The Tamil Nadu government moved the Supreme Court seeking judicial orders to restrain Karnataka from proceedings with “any activity” in regard to the proposed construction of a reservoir at Mekedatu across the inter-State Cauvery river. On July 6, 2021, Karnataka's CM said that his government would go ahead with the long-pending Mekedatu dam project. The project involves building a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery River near Kanakapura in Ramanagaram district of Karnataka, and envisages supplying drinking water to Bengaluru and Ramanagaram districts, besides generation of power. Tamil Nadu feels that Karnataka, as the upper riparian State, has adequate infrastructure even now to address the water needs of Bengaluru, and there is no need for the Mekedatu project. The project also does not find mention in the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final order or the Supreme Court judgment. Given the unpleasant experiences that it has had with Karnataka in securing its share of the Cauvery water over the years, Tamil Nadu is wary of the assurances of the other side. (Constitution and Law)
169	30-08-2021 - People and Personalities - 19-year-old shooter Avani first Indian to win Paralympics gold - Shooter Avani Lekhara has become the first-ever Indian woman to win a gold medal in the history of Paralympics. The 19-year-old equalled the world record by shooting a score of 249.6 in the R2 - Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 event to clinch the gold. It is India's first gold medal at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics. (People and Personalities)
170	30-08-2021 - World Politics - Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) - When many were killed in several explosions at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai Airport, the Afghan offshoot of the terror organization “Islamic State,” the ISIS-Khorasan claimed responsibility. The Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISK) is also known as ISISK, IS-KP, or ISIS-K. The group takes its name from the Khorasan Province, an area that once included wide swaths of Afghanistan, Iran and central Asia in the Middle Ages. It is a militant branch of the ISIS, active in the border region of eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan (Nangarhar province in the eastern part of Afghanistan bordering Pakistan). Its area of operations also includes other parts of South Asia, such as India where individuals have pledged allegiance to it. It was set up in 2015 and has targeted Afghan security forces, politicians and ministries, the Taliban, religious minorities, including Shia Muslims and Sikhs, US and NATO forces, and international agencies, including aid organisations. It failed to hold any territory in the region, suffering huge losses because of Taliban and US-led military operations. It recruits both Afghan and Pakistani jihadists, and comprises defectors from Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) and Afghan Taliban who don't see their own organisation as extreme enough. Some maintain that ISKP is run by Pakistan’s Inter State Intelligence. (World Politics)
171	27-08-2021 - Health and Medicine - Covid-19 in Africa - As a third devastating wave of covid-19 slowly ebbs in Africa, the picture remained grim. Only 2.6% of Africans are fully vaccinated, making further waves inevitable. The biggest problem remains getting enough vaccines. And with many rich countries prioritising booster shots, this may soon become harder. African leaders hope that schemes to produce more Covid-19 vaccines in Africa itself could help fill the gap. But these will take time. Getting available jabs into arms is tricky, too. In west Africa only 38% of the doses received have been administered, compared with 76% in east and southern Africa and 95% in north Africa. Policymakers are trying to learn from each other to improve their campaigns promoting inoculations. But they face a fundamental tension: mass campaigns to encourage vaccination are tricky when you do not have masses of vaccines. (Healthcare and Medicine)
172	27-08-2021 - Indian Economy - Ease 4.0 in banking sector - The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the fourth edition of the Public Sector Bank (PSB) Reforms Agenda ‘EASE 4.0’ for 2021-22 - tech-enabled, simplified, and collaborative banking. Public Sector Banks have reported healthy profits and have accelerated on technology-driven reforms. These banks have reported a profit of Rs. 31,817 crore in FY21 as compared to a loss of Rs. 26,016 crore in FY20. This is the first year when PSBs have reported profit after five years of losses. Total gross non-performing assets stood at Rs. 6.16 lakh crore as of March 2021 - a reduction of Rs. 62,000 crore from March 2020 levels. Credit@click was a flagship initiative under EASE 3.0. Nearly 4.4 lakh customers have been benefitted through such instantaneous and simplified credit access. Nearly 72% of financial transactions happening at PSBs is now happening through digital channels. The next edition of EASE reforms i.e. EASE 4.0 aims to further the agenda of customer-centric digital transformation and deeply embed digital and data into PSBs' ways of working. (Indian Economy)
173	27-08-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - National Food and Nutrition Campaign - The Union Minister for Agriculture launched the National Food and Nutrition Campaign for the farmers. It is organized by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The Government has resolved to solve the problem of malnutrition under the leadership of the Prime Minister and has also launched several schemes and programs in this direction. The year 2023 will be celebrated as the International Year of Millets under the leadership of India. Farmers associated with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) should motivate other farmers for improved farming and ensure participation of all farmers in various schemes including Farmers Producer Organisations (FPO), Agri Infra Fund, and increasing the area of organic farming under traditional farming. (Healthcare and Medicine)
174	27-08-2021 - World Politics - Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) - The Maldives government officially signed an agreement with Mumbai-based company AFCONS, for the construction of the Greater Malé Connectivity Project (GMCP). This project, the largest-ever by India in the Maldives, involves the construction of a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link that will connect the Maldives capital Malé with the neighbouring islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. This project was funded by India in a grant of $100 million, with a line of credit of $400 million. This project is significant because it facilitates inter-island connectivity in the country. The GMCP is not only the biggest project India is doing in the Maldives but also the biggest infrastructure project in the Maldives overall. (World Politics)
175	27-08-2021 - World Economy - World Bank help to Afghansitan stopped - The World Bank has halted all financial assistance for projects to Afghanistan. The move comes in the wake of the Taliban assuming power by force. The World Bank paused disbursements in its operations in Afghanistan and is closely monitoring and assessing the situation in line with its internal policies and procedures. The World Bank will continue to consult closely with the international community and development partners in this direction. Concerns have also been raised as regards the impact on the country’s development prospects, especially for women. (World Economy)
176	27-08-2021 - Governance and Institutions - New liberalised Drone Rules, 2021 - In March 2021, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) published the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Rules, 2021. Based on the feedback, the Government decided to repeal the UAS Rules, 2021 and replace the same with the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021. Many approvals abolished include - unique authorisation number, unique prototype identification number, certificate of manufacturing and airworthiness, certificate of conformance, certificate of maintenance, import clearance, acceptance of existing drones, operator permit, authorisation of R&D organisation, student remote pilot licence, remote pilot instructor authorisation, drone port authorisation etc. Quantum of fee reduced to nominal levels and delinked with size of drone. Digital sky platform shall be developed as a user-friendly single-window system. No permission required for operating drones in green zones. Yellow zone reduced from 45 km to 12 km from the airport perimeter. No remote pilot licence required for micro drones (for non-commercial use) and nano drones. Drone promotion council to be set up by Government with participation from academia, startups and other stakeholders to facilitate a growth-oriented regulatory regime. (Governance and Institutions)
177	27-08-2021 - Governance and Institutions - Samridh Scheme - The Start-up Accelerators of MeitY for pRoduct Innovation, Development and growth (SAMRIDH) programme was launched by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). SAMRIDH will create a conducive platform to growing Indian Software Product start-ups that are ready for acceleration stage to enhance their products and secure investments for scaling their business. It will provide them with funding support, mentorship and other supports that are required by startups at this stage. The programme is being implemented by MeitY Start-up Hub (MSH). SAMRIDH will accelerate 300 early-stage start-ups that are close to the product development stage over a period of time. This acceleration will be done by providing customer connect, investor connect, and international immersion in the next 3 years. The government has invited existing startup accelerators to partner with and will provide funding of up to ₹40 lakh to them. Only accelerators that have been in the incubation business for at least 3 years and supported more than 50 startups, with at least 10 having a non-public business will be able to apply for the scheme. They must also have operations in India and the necessary space and infrastructure to be eligible. (Governance and Institutions)
178	27-08-2021 - Infrastructure - Rs.15,000 cr. NMP-linked FDI proposal - The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared a foreign direct investment (FDI) proposal entailing an investment of up to Rs. 15,000 crore in Anchorage Infrastructure Investment Holding (AIIH) Ltd. It is a company incorporated to invest in the infrastructure and construction development sectors. The government thinks the investment will boost the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) as AIIH had proposed downstream investments in some of the sectors covered under the NMP. The government aims to raise $81 billion by leasing out state-owned infrastructure assets over the next four years (from FY22 to FY25) through NMP. The NMP’s roadmap has been formulated by NITI Aayog in consultation with infrastructure line ministries, under the ‘Asset Monetisation’ mandate of the Union Budget 2021-22. NITI Aayog has a Public Private Partnership Cell and has engaged transaction advisors to handhold any ministry for any support it needs in pursuing the monetisation roadmap. The sectors in which assets are being identified to monetise include roads, ports, airports, railways, power generation and transmission, telecom, warehousing, gas & product pipeline, mining, stadium, hospitality and housing. (Infrastructure)
179	27-08-2021 - Agriculture - Farmers at Singhu border mark 9 months of protest - The national convention by farmers to mark nine months of their protest against the Centre's three farm laws began at the Singhu border on 27th August. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said, "We will reflect on what we have lost and what we have gained over the last nine months." Farmers have been protesting at Delhi borders since November 2020, and the government has conducted several rounds of meetings, that proved futile. The primary demand of farmers is that the three new farm reform laws be scrapped, but the government is determined not to. Farmers allege that the farm reforms are the first step towards eventual corporatisation of agriculture in India. (Agriculture)
180	27-08-2021 - World Politics - President Biden vows revenge on Kabul attackers - President Joe Biden vowed retribution on an affiliate of Islamic State for an attack at Kabul airport that killed about 90 people, including at least 13 American soldiers, and injured a further 150 or so. “We will hunt you down and make you pay,” he said in a speech at the White House. They were the first American military casualties in combat in Afghanistan since February 2020. The twin suicide-bombings occurred outside Kabul’s airport and a nearby hotel. General Kenneth McKenzie, who heads United States Central Command, said that fresh attacks from Islamic State Khorasan Province were to be expected in the next few days. ISKP is an enemy both of the Taliban and of America. (World Politics)
181	26-08-2021 - World Economy - Crypto updates - (a) Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said that cryptocurrencies won't be "your last resort" in a doomsday scenario. He added, "I would be much more confident about the value of these cryptocurrencies once they find proper use cases" such as an effective means of payment, especially in cross-border transactions. They have a potential future, particularly well-regulated stablecoins, Rajan said. (b) The world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange Binance is "not capable" of being supervised, the UK's financial regulator said. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also expressed concerns over its "complex and high-risk financial products", saying they pose a significant risk to the consumers. In June, the FCA banned Binance from undertaking any regulated activity in the UK. (World Economy)
182	26-08-2021 - Indian Politics - Not selling off India - Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the country's assets aren't being sold off through the ₹6 lakh crore National Monetisation Pipeline that aims to monetise assets like roads and railways. "There will be a strict hand-back rule...The ownership of assets will remain with the government," she clarified as the Opposition accused the Centre of selling the country's assets. Opposition rulers have alleged that a few cronies (large businesses with close links with government) will practically, eventually control most of the assets being monetised, and the public would lose as user charges will rise substantially. (Indian Politics)
183	26-08-2021 - World Economy - MNCs to the rescue - The chief executives of 20 large American corporations—including those of Apple, Alphabet and Amazon—pledged to spend billions to shore up America’s cybersecurity. Microsoft alone pledged $20bn over five years. Joe Biden summoned the bosses after a series of damaging security breaches at companies crippled the country’s infrastructure, compromised privacy and led to hefty ransoms being paid to cybercrooks. (World Economy)
184	26-08-2021 - Defence and Military - Multi Mode Hand Grenades (MMHG) - The first batch of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades (MMHG), manufactured by Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), following Transfer of Technology from Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), was handed over to the Indian Army in Nagpur, Maharashtra on August 24, 2021. It is not just more lethal, but is safer to use. It has a distinctive design that gives flexibility of employment in both defensive (fragmentation) and offensive (stun) modes. It has a highly accurate delay time, very high reliability in usage and safe for carriage. These new grenades will replace Grenade No 36 of World War I vintage design, which had been continuing in service till date. The EEL had signed a contract with Ministry of Defence on October 01, 2020 to supply 10 lakh modern hand grenades for Indian Army and Indian Air Force. The deliveries would be spread over two years from the bulk production clearance, which was accorded to EEL in March 2021. The first order has been delivered within five months. (Defence and Military)
185	26-08-2021 - Defence and Military - Order for AK-203 assualt rifles - India signed a deal with Russia for the procurement of 70,000 AK-203 assault rifles to be bought off the shelf. The development happens in spite of the joint venture of both the countries to manufacture 7.5 lakh AK-203 rifles in India. Reportedly, the deliveries would begin within three months and be completed in six months. AK-203 assault rifle is considered to be the latest and most advanced version of the AK-47 rifle. It is a 7.62×39mm variant from the AK-100 rifle family (one that offers the AK-74M system, in multiple cartridges and lengths). This variant is expected to replace the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) 5.56×45 mm assault rifle, that are presently being used by Army, Navy and the Air Force besides other security forces. This variant is an advanced version of AK-47 and its magazine can hold 30 bullets. Unlike the INSAS rifles, these rifles never get jammed as these belong to AK series. These rifles are a type of Kalashnikov rifles, which can work under extreme climatic conditions and are effective even in sand, soil and water. (Defence and Military)
186	26-08-2021 - World Politics - Afghanistan update - America, Australia and Britain advised their citizens not to travel to Kabul airport over fears that Islamic State Khorasan, an IS affiliate that operates in Afghanistan, is planning a terrorist attack. Turkey has begun withdrawing its troops from the country and Russia its citizens. France says its evacuations will end soon. IS-K, which is also active in Iran, Pakistan and Central Asia, is a sworn enemy of both the Taliban and of America. Meanwhile, Taliban said the militant group will ban the production of opium, a drug harvested from poppies which can be turned into heroin. Afghanistan is the world’s biggest supplier of the drug and its cultivation produces 6-11% of the country’s GDP. The Taliban have profited from taxing the opium trade. But they also successfully enforced an opium ban for a short time when they were last in power, in a bid for international recognition and aid. (World Politics)
187	26-08-2021 - Governance and Institutions - AERA (Amendment) Bill, 2021 - The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that seeks to amend the AERA Act, 2008 was passed by the Parliament. This bill would help in monetising airports in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Major airports - The AERA regulates tariffs and other charges for aeronautical services rendered at ‘major’ airports. Under the AERA Act, 2008, a major airport is, One that has, or is designated to have, passenger throughput in excess of 3½ million per annum or any other airport as the Central Government may specify, by notification. This Bill will broaden the category of airports for which the AERA can determine tariff by amending the definition of major airports - to include “a group of airports” after the words “any other airport”. The Bill adds that the central government may group airports and notify the group as a major airport. Profitable Clubbing - The Bill seeks to club profitable airports with non-profitable ones and offer them as a package for development in public-private partnership mode to expand connectivity. (Governance and Institutions)
188	26-08-2021 - Science and Technology - Immune Cells in Sea Corals - A study identified that specialised immune cells (phagocytic cells) exist in certain varieties of sea corals and anemones. It will help in better understanding how reef-building corals and other reef animals protect themselves from foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses found in and around coral reefs. Phagocytosis is the process by which certain living cells called phagocytes ingest or engulf other cells or particles. The phagocyte may be a free-living one-celled organism, such as an amoeba, or one of the body cells, such as a white blood cell. In some forms of animal life, such as amoebas and sponges, phagocytosis is a means of feeding. They are sometimes called the ‘flowers of the sea’, sea anemones are actually beautiful animals, they are a close relative of coral and jellyfish, and are the marine, predatory animals of the order Actiniaria. They are found from the tidal zone of all oceans to depths of more than 10,000 metres. (Science and Technology)
189	26-08-2021 - World Politics - India-Russia Defence trade - In past three years, since 2018, the defence trade between India and Russia was $15 billion due to major defence deals. The S-400 air defence systems deal, for which deliveries are scheduled to begin by November 2021, was on schedule. A team of Indian Air Force (IAF) officials has been trained in Russia to operate the system while another team is undergoing training. The S-400 is Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. In 2018, India had signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to buy the S-400 air defence missile systems. The system is also known as the ‘Triumf’ interceptor-based missile system. It can simultaneously track numerous incoming objects — all kinds of aircraft, missiles and UAVs — in a radius of 400km and launch appropriate missiles to neutralise them. The U.S. imposed sanctions on Russia under its stringent Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for manufacturing S-400. The law also provides for punitive action against countries purchasing defence hardware from Russia. (World Politics)
190	26-08-2021 - Polity and Constitution - Creamy layer in OBC reservation - Holding that annual earning cannot be the sole criteria for identifying creamy layer between backward class to deny reservation, the Supreme Court held that it has to be done on the basis of social economic and other relevant factors and not only economic criteria. The S.C. quashed the 2016 notification issued by the Haryana government by which sections of backward classes earning above Rs.6,00,000 per annum were to be considered as a creamy layer, whereby the state wrongly sought to determine creamy layer solely on the basis of economic practice. The SC said that the decision of the state government was in violation of the principles laid down by the apex court in Indra Sawhney case. In "Indra Sawhney case", the court held that persons from backward classes who occupied posts in higher services like IAS, IPS and all India services had reached a higher level of social advancement and economic status and therefore were not entitled to be treated as backward. Such persons were to be treated as creamy layer without any further enquiry. Likewise people with sufficient income who are in a position to provide employment to others should also be taken to have reached a higher social status and therefore should be treated as outside the backward class. Similarly, persons from backward classes who had higher agricultural holdings or were receiving income from property beyond the prescribed limit do not deserve the benefit of reservation. The above mentioned categories were necessary to be excluded from backward classes. (Constitution and Law)
191	25-08-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate Change - The plight of Madagascar - Much of southern Madagascar is drying up. The United Nations launched an appeal for $155m to save lives threatened by drought. In some areas there has been barely any rain for four years. Malnutrition is on the rise. Desperate, hungry families are selling their underage daughters to buy food. With an eye on COP26, the UN’s upcoming climate-change conference, some of its officials argue that the drought makes the Malagasy people the victims of excessive carbon emissions produced by industrialised countries. There is an element of truth in that. But this traditionally drought-prone region has been ignored by the country’s government for decades. There are no tarmac roads and virtually no piped clean water. Otherwise fertile fields, which would blossom if they were irrigated, are slowly becoming ever less productive because of sandstorms. Lives need saving today. But without long-term economic development the misery will continue. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
192	25-08-2021 - Social Issues - The plight of Rohingyas - To avoid persecution in Myanmar or being cooped up in refugee camps in Bangladesh, increasing numbers of Rohingya Muslims have been trying to escape by sea. A recent UN report shows that this carries ever more risk. Voyages from both countries were eight times deadlier in 2020 than those in 2019, as the pandemic shut down other ways of travel. This left more refugees stranded at sea than at any point since the “boat crisis” began in 2015. It is now four years since Myanmar’s armed forces expelled hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from their homes in what has been widely called a genocide. Nearly 1m Rohingya live in 34 refugee settlements just over the border in Bangladesh, and their situation has deteriorated sharply since the imposition of covid-19 restrictions by the Bangladeshi and other regional governments. The pandemic shrunk the number of aid workers by 80% in the camps, fuelling hunger and poverty while violence perpetrated by gangs has soared, forcing more Rohingya to take their chances across the Bay of Bengal. (Social Issues)
193	25-08-2021 - Indian Economy - Problems in the new I.T. portal - After months of continuing glitches in the revamped e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department, and its unavailability over the last two days, Finance Ministry officials held two meetings with Infosys MD & CEO Salil Parekh. The Income Tax Department in May announced the launch of its new e-filing portal http://www.incometax.gov.in on June 7. It said the “new taxpayer-friendly portal” would be integrated with immediate processing of Income Tax Returns to issue quick refunds to taxpayers, with all interactions and uploads or pending actions to be displayed on a single dashboard. The portal was to also have free ITR preparation software available with interactive questions to help taxpayers for some categories, along with a new call centre for prompt response to queries. Infosys was in 2019 awarded the contract to develop the new system to reduce processing time for returns from 63 days to one day and expedite refunds. Tremendous inconvenience is being caused to millions of Indians. Earlier, the same experience was seen with the GSTN portal also, made by Infosys. (Indian Economy)
194	25-08-2021 - Religion - Sikh Saroop - Among the most striking images emerging from the flight of Sikhs from Afghanistan have been those of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri carrying on his head one of the saroops of the holy Guru Granth Sahib flown in from that country. Saroop is a physical copy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, also called Bir in Punjabi. Every Bir has 1,430 pages, which are referred to as Ang. The verses on every page remain the same. The Sikhs consider the saroop of Guru Granth Sahib a living guru and treat it with utmost respect. They believe that all the 10 Gurus were the same spirit in different bodies, and the Guru Granth Sahib is their eternal physical and spiritual form. It was the fifth Sikh master, Guru Arjan Dev, who compiled the first Bir of the Guru Granth Sahib in 1604, and installed it at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Later, the tenth Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh, added verses penned by the ninth master, his father Guru Tegh Bahadur, and compiled the Bir for the second and last time. It was in 1708 that Guru Gobind Singh declared the Guru Granth Sahib the living Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Granth Sahib is a compendium of hymns written by six Sikh gurus,15 saints, including Bhagat Kabir, Bhagat Ravidas, Sheikh Farid and Bhagat Namdev, 11 Bhatts (balladeers) and four Sikhs. The verses are composed in 31 ragas. (Religion)
195	25-08-2021 - World Politics - Afghan refugee crisis brewing - Fearing a repeat of the 2015 refugee crisis, Greece has completed building a 40-km long wall and installed a hi-tech surveillance system on its border with Turkey to avoid the influx of Afghan migrants following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The development comes amid apprehensions about heavy migration of Afghan citizens into Greece via Turkey, and then further into Europe. Greece built the wall stating that the country cannot let Afghan nationals penetrate their borders and enter the country. Over the past many years, European nations have taken in several lakh Afghan refugees already. (World Politics)
196	25-08-2021 - Polity and Constitution - SDG Index for Northeast - The NITI Aayog and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (M/DoNER) will be launching the first edition of the North Eastern Region (NER) District SDG Index Report and Dashboard 2021–22 on 26 August 2021. The NER District SDG Index and Dashboard is a collaborative effort by NITI Aayog an Ministry of DoNER, with technical support from UNDP. The NER District SDG Index and Dashboard: Baseline Report 2021-22 has been constructed by NITI Aayog, the nodal agency for SDGs in India, utilising 84 indicators which cover 15 of the Global Goals across 50 targets. It measures the performance of the districts of the eight States of the North Eastern Region on the SDGs and their corresponding targets and ranks the districts based on the same. The index is based on NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index –the principal and official tool for monitoring progress on the SDGs at the national and State/ Union Territory levels. (Constitution and Law)
197	25-08-2021 - History - Language used in Indus Valley Civilization - A latest research paper has provided some new insight on the linguistic culture of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC). Earlier, a study found that the diet of the people of IVC had a dominance of meat, including extensive eating of beef. In July 2021, UNESCO announced the Harappan city of Dholavira in Gujarat as India’s 40th world heritage site. The IVC has its language roots in Proto-Dravidian, which is the ancestral language of all the modern Dravidian languages. The speakers of ancestral Dravidian languages had a greater historic presence in northern India including the Indus Valley region from where they migrated. Proto-Dravidian was one among several languages being spoken in the Indus Valley region. The research claims that there were more than one or one group of languages spoken across the one-million square kilometre area of IVC. Since people of ancient Persia had functioned as intermediaries between Mesopotamia and IVC traders, while exporting IVC’s ivory, they had arguably spread the Indic words to Mesopotamia as well. (History)
198	25-08-2021 - World Economy - Ubharte Sitaare Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) - The Ministry of Finance has launched ‘Ubharte Sitaare’ Alternative Investment Fund to facilitate debt and equity funding to export-oriented MSMEs (Micro Small and medium Enterprises). Under the scheme, an identified company is supported even if it is currently underperforming or may be unable to tap its latent potential to grow. The scheme diagnoses such challenges and provides support through a mix of structured support covering equity, debt and technical assistance. It will also have a Greenshoe Option of Rs 250 crore. What is that? A greenshoe option is an over-allotment option, which is a term that is commonly used to describe a special arrangement in a share offering for example an IPO. The fund has been set up jointly by Exim Bank and SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) which will invest in the fund by way of equity and equity-like products in export-oriented units, in both manufacturing and services sectors. Companies will be selected for support based on their USP in technology, products or processes that match global requirements. Fundamentally strong companies with acceptable financials with an annual turnover of up to approx. Rs.500 crore and companies with a good business model, strong management capabilities, and focus on product quality. (World Economy)
199	25-08-2021 - Defence and Military - Russia to deliver new stealth frigate in 2023 - The first of two additional Krivak class stealth frigates being built by Russia is expected to be delivered to India in the middle of 2023. Frigate ships are kind of guard ships. In October 2016, India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for four Krivak or Talwar class stealth frigates — Two to be procured directly from Russia. Two to be built by Goa Shipyard Ltd. (GSL). The frigates were being built to operate both Indian and Russian equipment. The Navy currently operates six Krivak class frigates weighing around 4,000 tonnes. The Krivak class were a series of frigates and guard ships (patrol boats) built in the Soviet Union primarily for the Soviet Navy since 1970. They were designed as a successor to the Riga class. (Defence and Military)
200	25-08-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - Assam to destroy stored rhino horns - Assam’s Environment and Forest Department has decided to destroy the rhinoceros horns, elephant tusks (ivory) and body parts of other protected animals stored in the district treasuries. About 5% of the specimens would be preserved for education, awareness and scientific purposes. The destruction of the horns and other animal articles would be in conformity with a relevant section of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. A State-level committee has been constituted for this purpose and a public hearing will be held soon. The Assam government had in 2016 constituted the Rhino Horn Verification Committee to study the specimens kept in 12 treasuries. The exercise was a bid to allay public apprehensions about tampering and allegations that officials were illegally trading the horns collected from dead rhinos or retrieved from poachers and smugglers. In Africa, many countries took to burning captured elephant tusks publicly. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
201	24-08-2021 - People and Personalities - Harris and Biden - America’s vice-president, Kamala Harris, accused China of coercion and intimidation over its “unlawful claims” to the South China Sea. During a speech in Singapore Ms Harris also laid out America’s commitment to a rules-based international order. With America out of Afghanistan Joe Biden’s administration intends to pay more attention to South-East Asia, starting with Ms Harris’s trip. Meanwhile, Mr Biden urged employers to require vaccines of workers after the Food and Drug Administration granted full approval for the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech covid-19 vaccine on people aged 16 and older. It is hoped that the authorisation will persuade some of the 85m eligible unvaccinated Americans to get jabbed. Until now the vaccine had been approved for emergency use only. (People and Personalities)
202	24-08-2021 - Social Issues - Anti Coversion laws - The Gujarat High Court stayed key provisions of The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021 pertaining to marriages involving religious conversion of either of the two parties. While a larger constitutional challenge is still pending, the interim stay provides relief to interfaith couples. The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021 amended the 2003 Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act. The laws ostensibly seek to end conversion through unlawful means, specifically prohibit any conversion for marriage, even if it is with the consent of the individual except when prior sanction is obtained from the state. Apart from UP and Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh too, have also enacted similar laws. The new anti-conversion laws shift the burden of proof of a lawful religious conversion from the converted to his/her partner; define “allurement” for religious conversion in vague, over-broad terms; prescribe different jail terms based on gender; and legitimate the intrusion of family and the society at large to oppose inter-faith marriages. They also give powers to the state to conduct a police inquiry to verify the intentions of the parties to convert for the purposes of marriage (Social Issues)
203	24-08-2021 - World Politics - Controversy over Kanal Istanbul - The Kanal Istanbul, an under-construction shipping route running parallel to the strategically critical Bosphorus Strait, is fast gaining prominence as a major divisive issue in Turkey. President Recep Tayyib Erdogan wants to dig up a new route through Istanbul connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. The planned canal will run parallel to the Bosphorus Strait, a natural waterway that separates Europe and Asia, which for centuries has served as a key outlet for Russian ships entering the Mediterranean Sea. Since 1936, passage through the Strait has been governed by the Montreux Convention, a multilateral treaty that allows ships to go across almost free of cost during peacetime, and which tightly restricts the movement of naval vessels. Turkish leaders say that the new canal, which will run on the European side of Bosphorus, will be safer and faster to navigate compared to the Bosphorus, making it a more attractive option for commercial ships, who will pay to pass through. Analysts also believe that Erdogan would use the canal to circumvent Montreux Convention, by marketing the mega project to NATO allies as a legally kosher way of sending their warships into the Black Sea to counter Russia, their major geopolitical rival, all while attracting Chinese investment. (World Politics)
204	24-08-2021 - Defence and Military - Women in Indian armed forces - A Selection Board of the Indian Army cleared the way for the promotion of five women officers to Colonel (Time Scale) rank, post completion of 26 years of reckonable service. This is the first time that women officers serving with the Corps of Signals, Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers (EME) and the Corps of Engineers have been approved to the rank of Colonel. Previously, promotion to the rank of Colonel was only applicable for women officers in the Army Medical Corps (AMC), Judge Advocate General (JAG) and the Army Education Corps (AEC). The widening of promotion avenues to more branches of the Indian Army is a sign of increasing career opportunities for women officers. Combined with the decision to grant permanent commission to women officers from a majority of branches of the Indian Army, this step defines the Indian Army’s approach towards a gender-neutral Army. (Defence and Military)
205	24-08-2021 - Science and Technology - Amolops adicola - A new species of cascade frog discovered from Adi hills of Arunachal Pradesh has been named after the Adi hills, the abode of Adi tribes. The species discovered, Amolops adicola, is predominantly brown colour frog, with a size ranging roughly between 4 cm to 7 cm. The new species belongs to the genus Amolops, which includes medium- to large-sized Cascade frogs from northeast India. The species draws its nomenclature from Adi tribes, an indigenous group of people from the Himalayan regions of Arunachal Pradesh. This species dwells particularly during the post-monsoon season. Another Cascade frog species of the Amolops genus previously discovered from the Sikkim Himalayas is Amolops monticola. They are named so because of their preference for small waterfalls or cascades in flowing hill streams. For this, these frogs have developed certain morphological features like expanded digit tips and extensive foot webbing that makes them adapt to strong water currents. These frogs belong to Amolops genus. Amolops is one of the largest groups of family Ranidae or ranid frogs. Many frogs in the north-eastern India are reported to occur widely but, have relatively small geographical ranges and require special attention for conservation before they go extinct forever. (Science and Technology)
206	24-08-2021 - Governance and Institutions - Voluntary vehicle-fleet modernisation programme - It is India’s vehicle scrapping policy launched by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. It seeks to phase out unfit and polluting vehicles in an environment-friendly manner. The policy dictates that automated fitness test must be conducted on all the automobiles (run on diesel or petrol) over a certain age. All medium and heavy commercial vehicles over 15 years of age and all light motor vehicles (personal vehicles) over 20 years are marked for scrapping, if they fail an automated fitness test. These vehicles will be deregistered; the owner can choose to scrap them, but cannot use them on the road. If an old personal vehicle passes the fitness test, the owner can continue to use it, but the charges for re-registration will be much steeper. Currently, the testing is not mandatory. But the mandatory testing of heavy commercial vehicles will start in April 2023, and that of other categories of vehicles will start, in a phased manner, in June 2024. Benefits - This Policy would create a viable circular economy and bring value for all stakeholders while being environmentally responsible. (Governance and Institutions)
207	24-08-2021 - World Economy - ESG Bonds - Chinese internet giant Baidu raised $1 billion in a two-tranche, the US dollar sustainability bond, its first environment, social and governance (ESG) transaction. ESG Bond is a kind of mutual fund. Its investing is used synonymously with sustainable investing or socially responsible investing. This concept involves a complex mix of investors, public pension funds and college endowments (a number of whom want to divest oil and gas stocks), investors looking for other alternatives than stocks and bonds, etc. Green bonds are universally rated as the most "invested" ESG asset class (33%). They raise money for renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, green buildings, wastewater management and climate change adaptions. Social bonds (21%) are focused on food security and sustainable food systems, socioeconomic advancement, affordable housing, access to essential services, and affordable basic infrastructure. Sustainability bonds (22%) are a catch-all, and often refinance these other two categories. In India, the ESG Bond is regulated by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). SBI Magnum Equity ESG Fund was the first ESG mutual fund of India. (World Economy)
208	24-08-2021 - Governance and Institutions - India’s wool sector - Amid the rising demand of import of wool, shepherds in Uttarakhand will get a batch of lambs through crossbreeding of sheep indigenous to the region with Australian Merino sheep by the end of 2021. Australian Merino sheep are known to have the softest and finest wool used for apparels. The main trigger for import was the deteriorating quality and quantity of carpet and apparel grades wool, largely due to inbreeding. India is the seventh-largest producer of wool and accounts for nearly 2 to 3% of total world production. India has the third largest sheep population in the world with over 64 million sheep. The annual wool production is in the range of 43-46 million kg. Due to the insufficient domestic production, India depends on imports for raw wool, particularly on Australia and New Zealand. This wool is then used to prepare products like carpets, yarn, fabrics and garments for the domestic market and for exporting, especially to the United States and Europe. Rajasthan is the largest wool producer and is known for its superior carpet grade Chokla and Magra wool. Carpet grade is rougher than apparel grade and accounts for 85% of India’s production. Apparel grade wool accounts for less than 5% of production and coarse grade fit for making rough blankets accounts for the rest. The wool textile industry provides employment to 2.7 million workers – 1.2 million in the organised sector, 1.2 million in sheep rearing and farming, and 0.3 million weavers in the carpet sector. (Governance and Institutions)
209	24-08-2021 - Social Issues - Drug abuse on rise, grave consequences: HC - The Delhi High Court observed that the menace of drug abuse was on the rise, with consequences experienced across the board from causing economic issues to societal disintegration. The harmful effects of drugs on an individual and on society have been researched extensively. The purpose of enacting the NDPS [Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances] Act was to curb this menace. The Narcotics Control Bureau was constituted by the Government of India in 1986 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. It is the apex coordinating agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The "National Policy on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances" is based on Article 47 of the Indian Constitution which directs the State to endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption, except for medicinal purposes, of intoxicating drugs injurious to health. Drug abuse control is the responsibility of the central government. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 provides for the penalty of property derived from or used in illegal traffic in narcotic drugs. The Act made an express provision for constituting a Central Authority for the purpose of exercising the powers and functions of the Central Government under the Act. (Social Issues)
210	24-08-2021 - Indian Politics - Covid warning from MHA - In a stark warning, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) warned that India may see 6 lakh COVID cases daily if vaccination rates did not improve. The current rate of COVID-19 vaccination in India is 3.2% and if it doesn't improve, India may see 6 lakh cases per day in the third COVID-19 wave, a report by MHA's NIDM said. The National Institute of Disaster Management said that vaccination for children, especially those with comorbidities, should be an immediate priority. While the Union Ministry of Health has cited data from the US and other countries to claim that India’s Covid vaccination rate is the highest, the report of the NIDM, which functions under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), says India’s coronavirus immunisation drive needs to pick up pace. It said that if the government’s proposal to increase this rate by five times (1 crore doses per day) came to fruition, India will see only 25 per cent of the cases (seen in the second wave) during the third wave peak. (Indian Politics)
211	23-08-2021 - Health and Medicine - Where did it come from - As many as 18 million people may have died of Covid-19 since the first case was reported in 2019. Millions more have slipped into poverty because of the pandemic. Yet one question remains unanswered: where did the virus come from? In May Joe Biden ordered American spooks to complete a 90-day report into how the virus spread worldwide, with a focus on the theory that it began with a lab leak in Wuhan, China. In their initial report, the intelligence agencies said they were split between an accidental lab leak and “zoonotic spillover”, whereby a virus jumps from animals to humans. The final report is unlikely to produce a more definitive answer. China’s unwillingness to co-operate—characterised by a consistent refusal to allow further investigations on its territory—means the world may never discover the true origins of covid-19. Meanwhile the disease itself continues to devastate millions of lives. (Healthcare and Medicine)
212	23-08-2021 - World Politics - G7 meet on Afghanistan - Leaders of the G7 group of rich countries held a virtual summit to discuss Afghanistan. Because Britain currently chairs the G7, Boris Johnson, the country’s PM, presided. He and other NATO allies have already voiced their dismay at Joe Biden’s abrupt decision to pull all American troops out of Afghanistan. The move triggered a collapse of the Afghan government and victory for its Taliban jihadist opponents. Mr Johnson’s team say he pressed Mr Biden to extend the August 31st deadline for withdrawing troops, so that people who worked for Western allies can continue being evacuated from Kabul airport. But the Taliban have called August 31st a “red line”, and warned of “consequences” if any foreign forces remain afterwards. The group also says that those with the correct papers will be allowed to leave the country after August 31st. But Afghans fearful of reprisals quite reasonably mistrust such promises. No wonder that thousands are scrambling to escape. (World Politics)
213	23-08-2021 - Terrorism - US now in Afghanistan - The Biden administration left open the possibility that American forces would remain at Kabul airport past August 31st to oversee evacuations from Afghanistan. Joe Biden is “taking this day by day”, his national security adviser said. America is under pressure to delay its deadline if necessary to extract all Americans and Afghans who aided them. But a Taliban spokesman called the date a “red line” and warned of “consequences” should America tarry. Around 37,000 people have been airlifted out since August 14th. (Terrorism)
214	23-08-2021 - Constitution and Law - Child marriage prosecutions - Studies have found that legal proceedings against child marriages are commonly undertaken against elopements, but forced child marriages often go unpunished. The report — “Child Marriage Prosecutions in India” — brought out by Partners for Law in Development (PLD), a Delhi-based legal resource group, analysed 83 high court and district court verdicts in cases relating to child marriage from 2008 and 2017. It selected for analysis judgments and orders in which child marriage was specifically mentioned. These included cases filed under the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act, 2006, as well as legal action initiated under other laws in relation to child marriage such as Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The study found that legal prosecution of child marriages was twice as much against elopement or self-arranged marriages by girls with such cases accounting for 65% (54 out of a total 83 cases) of the total cases studied. Only 30% of the cases were those of arranged child marriages, and a mere 5% were forced child marriages (such as those that involved kidnapping, enticement or forcible marriage by parents). An analysis of who initiated the legal proceedings shows that it was primarily the parents of girls who approached the legal system with a complaint. Only 7% of the cases were initiated by a child marriage prohibition officer — the State functionary designated for implementing the law. (Constitution and Law)
215	23-08-2021 - Indian Economy - India's largest floating Solar PV project - The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC ) Ltd, has commissioned the largest floating solar PV project (of 25MW) in India on the reservoir of its Simhadri thermal station in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This is also the first solar project to be set up under the Flexibilisation Scheme, notified by the Government of India in 2018. The floating solar installation which has a unique anchoring design is spread over 75 acres in an RW reservoir. This floating solar project has the potential to generate electricity from more than 1 lakh solar PV modules. NTPC is also planning to set up a hydrogen-based micro-grid system on a pilot basis at Simhadri. The 2000MW coal-based Simhadri Station is the first power project to implement an open sea intake from the Bay of Bengal which has been functional for more than 20 years. (Indian Economy)
216	23-08-2021 - People and Personalities - Ex CM Kalyan Singh passes away - Uttar Pradesh's ex Chief Minister Kalyan Singh passed away in August 2021 (1932 – 2021). He was appointed CM of UP for the first time in 1991, but resigned following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992. He became Chief Minister for a second term in 1997, but was removed by his party in 1999. Singh was appointed Governor of Rajasthan in 2014, and was given the position of Governor of Himachal Pradesh as an additional charge in January 2015, and relinquished it in August 2015 itself. He was bid farewell by the PM himself, and the Home Minister said he was a leading light of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. When the last respects were being paid, his body wrapped in the Indian tricolour had a BJP flag partially wrapped over it, leading people to question as per the flag protocol. (People and Personalities)
217	23-08-2021 - World Politics - Resistance in Panjshir Valley - The Panjshir Valley remained Afghanistan’s last remaining holdout where anti-Taliban forces were working on forming a guerrilla movement to take on the Islamic fundamentalist group. Panjshir is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country containing the Panjshir Valley, with Bazarak as the capital. It is currently controlled by the Second Resistance, and the only province not to be controlled by the Taliban since the 2021 Taliban offensive. The region, located 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of the capital, Kabul, now hosts some senior members of the ousted government, like the deposed Vice President Amrullah Saleh and ex-Defense Minister Bismillah Mohammadi. Famed for its natural defenses, the region tucked into the Hindu Kush mountains never fell to the Taliban during the civil war of the 1990s, nor was it conquered by the Soviets a decade earlier. The only access point to the region is through a narrow passage created by the Panjshir River, which can be easily defended militarily. Most of the valley’s up to 1,50,000 inhabitants belong to the Tajik ethnic group, while the majority of the Taliban are Pashtuns. (World Politics)
218	23-08-2021 - Indian Economy - National Monetisation Pipeline NMP - Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman launched the National Monetisation Pipeline. The NMP comprises a four-year pipeline of the Central Government's brownfield infrastructure assets. Besides providing visibility to investors, NMP will also serve as a medium-term roadmap for the Asset Monetisation initiative of the Government. The Union Budget 2021-22 laid a lot of emphasis on Asset Monetisation as a means to raise innovative and alternative financing for infrastructure, and included a number of key announcements. The NMP book was released in the presence of Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO, Shri Amitabh Kant, and Secretaries of relevant line ministries whose assets constitute the monetisation pipeline. The plan has already come under heavy criticism as "government selling off assets built over decade", but he govt. has steadfastedly refuse, claiming it is just monetising, not selling ownership. Severe revenue pressures are making the govt. do all this. (Indian Economy)
219	23-08-2021 - Governance and Institutions - Railways' loss during pandemic - The Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve informed that Indian Railways suffered losses to the tune of Rs.36,000 crore during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that passenger train segment always runs into losses. Since increasing the ticket fares affects the passengers, the government could not do so. He also said that a bullet train project would be executed along the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway. The first railway on Indian sub-continent ran over a stretch of 21 miles from Bombay to Thane. The idea of a railway to connect Bombay with Thane, Kalyan and with the Thal and Bhore Ghats inclines first occurred to Mr. George Clark, the Chief Engineer of the Bombay Government, during a visit to Bhandup in 1843. The formal inauguration ceremony was performed on 16th April 1853. (Governance and Institutions)
220	23-08-2021 - World Politics - Afghanistan update - Taliban fighters headed to the Panjshir province, one of the few parts of Afghanistan not yet under their control. Ahmad Massoud, a local anti-Taliban leader, said that he hoped to be able to negotiate with them. But he has also appealed to Afghan soldiers to join his National Resistance Front. Amrullah Saleh, the deposed vice-president (and current caretaker president), is said to be in the province. Saleh has been a long-time opponent of the Taliban, having asked the US to strike their bases inside Pakistan. Meanwhile, gun fights broke out between unidentified gunmen, Afghan guards and German and American security forces, at the Kabul airport. Thousands are fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan. The militant group, who are controlling crowds around the airport, have fired into the air and used batons to force those trying to leave into orderly queues. (World Politics)
221	21-08-2021 - World Economy - Tesla being investigated - In America road-safety regulators opened an investigation into Tesla. Since 2018, 17 people have been injured and one killed in crashes involving the carmaker’s partially automated driving systems. The investigation will cover 765,000 cars made by Tesla since 2014. The probe is primarily concerned with an apparent inability of Tesla’s autopilot to cope with emergency vehicles stopped in the road while attending other accidents. (World Economy)
222	21-08-2021 - World Politics - The Hazaras versus The Talibanis - Taliban militants in Afghanistan vandalised and blew up a statue of Shiite militia leader Abdul Ali Mazari in the province of Bamiyan, the unofficial capital of the Hazara ethnic group. Mazari, widely known as a champion of the Hazaras, was executed by the Taliban in 1995. The Hazaras are an ethnic and religious minority group largely found in the rugged and mountainous central Afghan region of Hazarajat. The Hazaras are one of Afghanistan’s largest ethnic minorities, accounting for about 10-12 per cent of the country’s 38-million strong population. They are targetted by the Taliban because they are primarily Shia Muslims, as opposed to most Afghans who follow the Sunni branch of Islam. Their distinct Asiatic features and use of a Persian dialect called Hazaragi also sets them apart from the rest of the country. (World Politics)
223	21-08-2021 - Environment Ecology and Climate change - A new thinking on urban rivers of India - The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the National Institute for Urban Affairs (NIUA) had organised ‘Re-Imagining Urban Rivers’, a national level thesis competition in September 2020, under a joint project that the two organizations are implementing to promulgate river- sensitive development in our cities. This is a first of its kind initiative to engage young minds to research and envisage solutions for urban river issues. The purpose of this sponsored thesis competition is to tap into the intellect and creativity of students to arrive at innovative solutions for re-imagining the outlook and management of rivers that flow through cities and their associated features. The competition had three themes - Re-imagining water bodies and/or wetlands, developing eco-friendly riverfront projects and Promoting River tourism. Students from leading institutes across the country presented their thesis in the grand finale of the competition on 19th Aug 2021 at Indian Habitat Centre, New Delhi. (Environment Ecology and Climate Change)
224	21-08-2021 - Indian Economy - Road safety monitoring through electronic means - The Ministry of Road transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued notification regarding Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety. The rules specify the detailed provisions for placement of electronic enforcement devices (speed camera, closed-circuit television camera, speed gun, body wearable camera, dashboard camera, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), weigh in machine (WIM) and any such technology). State Governments shall ensure that electronic enforcement devices are placed at high-risk and high-density corridors on National Highways and State Highways, and at critical junctions at least in major cities with more than one million population and also including the 132 cities as specified in the rules. Footage from an electronic enforcement device having electronic stamp for location, date and time, can be used to issue challan for various offences. (Indian Economy)
225	21-08-2021 - History - Maharaja Ranjit Singh statue vandalised - A nine-foot-tall bronze equestrian statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire, was vandalised in the Lahore Fort. Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) seized Lahore in 1799 after he was invited to rule the city by its Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh elite. Lahore, once among the biggest and most developed of the cities of Punjab, was in a shambles at the time — the dying Mughal Empire was no longer able to extend it patronage and protection, it was battered by repeated assaults from bands of Afghan raiders, and weakened by infighting among some Sikh groups. Residents of Lahore complained of being forced to pay exorbitant taxes. Ranjit Singh brought peace and security to Lahore and revived its economic and cultural glory. He proclaimed himself maharaja of the Punjab in 1801, and proceeded to rule with religious tolerance for communities other than Sikhs. He carried out repairs to the Lahore fort — which was built by Emperor Akbar at the site of an older mud-brick structure and was subsequently beautified and expanded by Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb — and built a wall around it, and used a part of the fort as his residential quarters. As the founder of a mighty empire that sprawled over a large part of northwestern India, the Maharaja is identified by many with the identity of Punjab. (History)
226	21-08-2021 - World Politics - Afghan resistance forces kill Taliban militants, recapture 3 districts - All is not going well with the Taliban takeover of the country. Local resistance forces in Afghanistan recaptured three districts – Bano, Pul-e-Hesar, and Dih Salah – in Baghlan province from Taliban. About 60 Taliban militants were killed or injured in the clashes and resistance forces are advancing to other districts. Several videos and pictures surfaced on social media regarding the reported clashes. This was not unexpected, as the smooth takeover of the country had surprised many, who attributed it to deals cut between the Taliban and militia leaders of provinces. (World Politics)
227	21-08-2021 - World Politics - Taliban frees over 100 Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan terrorists - The Taliban have freed over a hundred Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists including several top commanders from Afghanistan prisons after it seized control of the country last weekend. Among those released is Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, the former deputy chief of TTP. Taliban also released several top commanders of terror groups Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. The Talibanis have given assurance earlier (to US and China) that they won't allow Afghanistan to be used by terror groups at all. (World Politics)
228	21-08-2021 - Social Issues - Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) - The Nagaland CM has sought to reduce fears over an exercise similar to Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC). The RIIN will be the master list of all indigenous inhabitants of the state. Objective: To prevent outsiders from obtaining fake indigenous certificates for seeking jobs and benefits of government schemes. The RIIN will be prepared after an extensive survey with the help of a village-wise and ward-wise list of indigenous inhabitants based on official records. It will be prepared under the supervision of each district administration. No fresh indigenous inhabitant certificate will be issued after the RIIN is completed except for children born to the State’s indigenous inhabitants who will be issued indigenous certificates along with birth certificates. The RIIN database will be updated accordingly. The RIIN will also be integrated with the online system for Inner-Line Permit, a temporary document non-inhabitants are required to possess for entry into and travel in Nagaland. The entire exercise will be monitored by the Commissioner of Nagaland. In addition, the state government will designate nodal officers of the rank of a Secretary to the state government. (Social Issues)
229	21-08-2021 - Defence and Military - Taliban take over US-made war chest - The Taliban have taken over a war chest given by the US to the Afghan military. Videos surfaced online showing Taliban militants inspecting lines of vehicles and opening crates of new firearms, communications gear and even military drones. As per an official, Taliban are believed to control over 2,000 armoured vehicles and up to 40 aircraft. President Biden has been criticised for the very poorly executed withdrawal, something that many feel was totally avoidable. (Defence and Military)
230	21-08-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - World's first DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D cleared for emergency use in India - Zydus Cadila has received approval for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from DCGI for its three-dose COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D. It's shown to be 66.6% effective in phase 3 trials and has become sixth COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in India. It's the world's first and India's indigenously-developed DNA-based vaccine for COVID-19 to be administered in those aged 12 years and above. (Healthcare and Medicine)
231	20-08-2021 - World Economy - Neobanks rising - America’s banking system finally has some fresh blood. “Neobanks” try to make retail banking cheap, easy and accessible. They are fintech firms that partner with small regional banks—which hold and ensure deposits—to provide users with snazzy, fee-free digital products. Most take a cut of customers’ debit-card spending. Chime, America’s largest neobank, was valued at $25bn in its latest fundraising round. Lockdowns, branch closures and swift cashing of stimulus cheques, among other factors, helped them to grow. In 2018 the Federal Reserve found that one in five adults felt shut out or poorly served by the banking system. Chime and its peers hope to better integrate “everyday Americans” into financial services. Smaller neobanks serve specific groups, such as migrants. (World Economy)
232	20-08-2021 - World Politics - Twitter suspends Afghanistan's 'caretaker President' Amrullah Saleh's party's accounts - Twitter has suspended all accounts related to Amrullah Saleh's party. Saleh had declared himself the caretaker President of Afghanistan as Taliban seized control of the country. According to Twitter, the accounts were suspended after they were found to be in violation of its guidelines. Saleh had cited the constitution of Afghanistan while declaring himself caretaker President. Meanwhile, US suspended all arms sales to Taliban-held Afghanistan. In a notice to defence contractors, the US State Department's Political-Military Affairs Bureau said pending or undelivered arms transfers to Afghanistan have been put under review. The notice said it would issue updates in the coming days. (World Politics)
233	20-08-2021 - Healthcare and Medicine - West Africa facing new outbreaks like Ebola, atop COVID-19: WHO - The WHO warned that on top of the COVID-19 pandemic, West Africa is facing new outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fevers Marburg and Ebola. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said, "Fighting multiple outbreaks is a complex challenge." The country on Saturday declared its first case of Ebola after an 18-year-old girl was found to be infected with the disease. (Healthcare and Medicine)
234	20-08-2021 - World Politics - Protests against the Taliban - Protestors waving the Afghan national flag turned out in a number of cities including Kabul, the capital, on August 19th, the anniversary of independence from Britain in 1919. Taliban militants fired on crowds in the city of Asadabad, as they had the day before in Jalalabad. Imams leading Friday prayers have been asked to try to persuade people not to try to leave Afghanistan. The Taliban are targeting Afghans who worked for NATO or the previous Afghan government—despite its promising not to take “revenge” on “collaborators”. A report by the RHIPTO Norwegian Center for Global Analyses, which provides intelligence to the United Nations, says that those identified on a blacklist, or their families, are being arrested, interrogated and punished. (World Politics)
235	20-08-2021 - Indian Economy - e-Vehicle Friendly Highway - Union Minister of Heavy Industries Inaugurates Solar Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station at Karnal Lake Resort, Karnal. With this, the Delhi-Chandigarh Highway has become the first e-vehicle friendly highway in the country, with a network of Solar-based Electric Vehicle Charging stations (SEVCs) set up by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) under the FAME-1 [Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) & Electric Vehicles in India] scheme of the Ministry of Heavy Industries. The EV charging station at Karnal lake resort, is strategically located at the midpoint of Delhi-Chandigarh highway, and is equipped to cater to all types of E- cars plying currently in the country. The establishment of similar EV chargers at regular intervals of 25-30 kms on the highway will allay range-anxiety among Electric Vehicle users and bolster their confidence for inter-city travel. (Indian Economy)
236	20-08-2021 - Defence and Military - Defence India Startup Challenge 5.0 - India's DM Rajnath Singh launched the Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) 5.0 under Innovations for Defence Excellence - Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) on August 19, 2021. Thirty five Problem Statements – 13 from the Services and 22 from Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) – were unveiled under DISC 5.0. These are in areas such as Situational awareness, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Aircraft-trainer, Non-lethal devices, 5G network, Under-water domain awareness, Drone SWARMS and Data Capturing. iDEX will support five times more start-ups over the next five years as the aim is to accelerate progress, reduce costs and complete procurement in a time bound manner. The launch of DISC 5.0 by iDEX-DIO comes three years after the launch of DISC 1.0. The iDEX initiative was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in April 2018 to achieve self-reliance and foster innovation & technology development in defence and aerospace sectors. (Defence and Military)
237	20-08-2021 - Governance and Institutions - CSE Transparency Index - The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based non-profit, released the report ‘Transparency Index — Rating of Pollution Control Boards on Public Disclosure’. There are 28 state pollution control boards (SPCB) and 6 pollution control committees (PCC) in the country that make pollution information public on websites. CSE has released a report/index to assess the level of transparency maintained by these SPCBs and PCCs. This report critically evaluates the information shared by SPCBs/PCCs during the last four-five years (2016–21) and uses several indicators that provide a broader indication on the type and amount of information shared. Around 60% of the bodies scored less than 50% on the information disclosure parameters studied. Only 14 boards scored above 50% in the index. They are Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Goa, Karnataka, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. The index’s analysis cited that most agencies are not transparent enough with information in the public domain. Information on functioning, actions taken by boards against polluting industries, public hearing data on new projects etc are rarely disclosed, or are not even available on public websites. (Governance and Institutions)
238	20-08-2021 - Defence and Military - Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A - Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a $716-mn deal with GE Aviation of the U.S. for 99 F404 aircraft engines and support services that will power the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A. In February, the Defence Ministry had signed a Rs. 48,000 crore deal with HAL to supply 83 LCA-Mk1A to the Indian Air Force. The Light Combat Aircraft Tejas is an indigenous supersonic fighter-jet used by the Indian military. LCA Tejas is a single-engine multirole light combat aircraft. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme was started by the Government of India in 1984 when they established the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to manage the LCA programme. LCA Tejas was designed and developed by India’s HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited). It replaced the ageing Mig 21 fighter planes. It is the second supersonic fighter jet that was developed by HAL (the first one being HAL HF-24 Marut). It is the lightest and smallest multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft in its class. It is designed to carry a range of air-to-air, air-to-surface, precision-guided, and standoff weaponry. (Defence and Military)
239	20-08-2021 - Indian Economy - Green Bonds - According to a Council On Energy, Environment and Water – Centre for Energy Finance (CEEW-CEF) report, Indian renewable energy project developers have raised Rs. 26,300 crore through issuance of green bonds during January to June in 2021. A green bond is a debt instrument, like any other bond, by which investors can finance sustainable assets or projects. The proceeds of the green bond offering are earmarked for use towards financing ‘green’ projects like electric vehicles, mass rapid transport systems, water and irrigation management, renewable energy etc. They can be raised either by financial institutions for further lending to green projects, or by the developers directly for investment in their projects. Positive Impact on Environment. Attracts Investment. Alternative to Bank Loan: Green bonds are also an effective tool in driving down the cost of capital and reducing asset-lia

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