23 Sep 2021 Current Affairs in English

Latest Current Affairs Daily Update

Important Days

World Rhino Day observed on 22 September

World Rhino Day is observed globally on 22 September every year. This day provides the opportunity for cause-related organizations, NGOs, zoos, and members of the public to celebrate rhinos in their own unique ways.

This day is celebrated to raise awareness of the need to protect all the five existing species of Rhinoceros, which are: Black Rhino, White Rhino, Greater one-horned Rhino, Sumatran Rhino and Javan Rhinos.

World Rhino Day was first announced by World Wildlife Fund-South Africa in 2010 and is being observed internationally since 2011.

National

Assam set up a tea Park at Kamrup district’s Chayygaon

Assam is setting up a tea Park at Chayygaon in Kamrup District. This tea garden will have rail and port connectivity, cargo and warehouse amenities, processing facilities like tea grinding, blending, packaging and other utility services under one roof.

Tea garden companies using garden lands for plantation of Segun and agar or selling off the tea estates, the Minister stated that tea garden owners cannot sell off their estates as the leased land still belongs to Assam Government and instead asked them to focus on innovation and branding of Assam Tea.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • Assam Governor: Jagdish Mukhi;
  • Assam Chief Minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Uttar Pradesh Government to set up ‘Electronic Park’

The Yogi Adityanath led Uttar Pradesh government has cleared a proposal to develop an ‘Electronic Park’, along the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) area, near Noida, to promote the electronics industry.

The park is proposed to be developed in an area of 250 acres of the YEIDA near Jewar Airport. National and international companies manufacturing mobile phones, TVs and other electronic devices and accessories will establish their units in the park.

The new Electronic Park will be built at an investment of around Rs 50,000 crore as well as generate employment for thousands of local youths.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • UP Capital: Lucknow;
  • UP Governor: Anandiben Patel;
  • UP Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath.

Ladakh set to roll out 1st edition of ” Himalayan Film Festival 2021″

  • The first edition of ‘The Himalayan Film Festival-2021’ (THFF) will begin from 24 to 28 September at Leh, Ladakh. The film festival is being organised by the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh in collaboration with the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
  • The film festival is being hosted in collaboration with the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh. The five-day film festival is a part of the celebration of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ commemorating 75 years of India’s Independence.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh: Radha Krishna Mathur.

Tamil Nadu and Puducherry beaches get coveted ‘blue flag’ certification

Two more beaches in India have been awarded “Blue Flag” certification, an international eco-level tag, taking the total number of such beaches in the country to 10. The two beaches to receive the certification this year are Kovalam in Tamil Nadu and Eden in Puducherry.

The Foundation for Environment Education (FEE), Denmark, which accords the Blue Flag certification, has also given re-certification for eight nominated beaches – Shivrajpur-Gujarat, Ghoghla-Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri-Karnataka, Kappad-Kerala, Rushikonda- Andhra Pradesh, Golden-Odisha and Radhanagar- Andaman and Nicobar, which were awarded the Blue Flag certificate last year. These eight beaches got the Blue Flag certification on October 6, 2020.

International

Justin Trudeau wins 3rd term as Prime Minister of Canada

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has won the third term to serve as the PM of the country, after his party won the 2021 parliamentary elections on September 20, 2021.

However, the Liberal Party of the 49-year-old Justin Trudeau could only manage to win minority seats in the election. Justin Trudeau is in power since 2015.

Trudeau’s Liberals were leading or elected in 157 seats exactly the same number they won in 2019, 13 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the House of Commons.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • Canada Capital: Ottawa; Currency: Canadian dollar.

World’s oldest living twins are 107-year-old Japanese sisters

Guinness World Records has certified two Japanese sisters as the world’s oldest living identical twins at 107.

Umeno Sumiyama and Koume Kodama were born the third and fourth of 11 siblings on Shodoshima island in western Japan on Nov. 5, 1913.

Sumiyama and Kodama were 107 years and 300 days old as of Sept 1, breaking the previous record set by famous Japanese sisters Kin Narita and Gin Kanie at 107 years and 175 days.

Appointments

Facebook India appointed Rajiv Aggarwal as Head of Public Policy

Facebook India has appointed former IAS officer Rajiv Aggarwal as the Director of Public Policy. He succeeds Ankhi Das, who quit the company in October last year. She was embroiled in a controversy for opposing the enforcement of hate-speech rules against right-wing leaders in the country.

In his new role, Aggarwal will define and lead important policy development initiatives for Facebook in India on an agenda that covers user safety, data protection and privacy, inclusion and internet governance.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • Facebook Founded: February 2004;
  • Facebook CEO: Mark Zuckerberg;
  • Facebook Headquarters: California, United States.

Air Marshal VR Chaudhari appointed as new IAF Chief

Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force Air Marshal, Vivek Ram Chaudhari has been appointed the next Chief of Air Staff.

The current Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria is set to retire on September 30. Chaudhari had taken over as the vice chief on July 1 this year, after Air Marshal HS Arora retired.

He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Vayu Sena Medals.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • Indian Airforce founded: 8 October 1932;
  • Indian Airforce Headquarters: New Delhi.

Economy

OECD lowered India’s FY22 growth projection to 9.7%

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has marginally lowered India’s growth projection for the ongoing fiscal to 9.7%, a reduction of 20 basis points (bps). For FY23, OECD reduced India’s growth projection by 30 basis points to 7.9%.

According to OECD data, India is the worst hit among major economies, with its real GDP in the June quarter 15% lower than the pre-pandemic forecast and around 7% lower than the December quarter.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Headquarters: Paris, France
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development  Founded: 30 September 1961.

Ranks and Reports

India will become 3rd largest importer by 2050

India could become the world’s third-largest importer by 2050, according to a report released by the UK’s Department of International Trade.

With a 5.9 per cent share of global imports by 2050, the country will become the third-largest importer, following China and the United States.

At present, India occupies the eighth spot on the list of the largest importing countries with a 2.8 per cent share. As per the Global Trade Outlook report, the country’s position on the list will jump to the fourth position by 2030 with a 3.9 per cent share.

The Department for International Trade is a United Kingdom government department responsible for striking and extending trade agreements between the United Kingdom and foreign countries, as well as for encouraging foreign investment and export trade.

Awards

SV Sarasvati receives National Florence Nightingale Award 2020

Brigadier SV Sarasvati, the Deputy Director-General of Military Nursing Service has been honoured with the National Florence Nightingale Award 2020. The National Florence Nightingale Award, the highest national distinction a nurse can achieve.

President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the award in a virtual ceremony on Brig Saraswati for her contribution as a nurse administrator.

Brig Saraswati is from the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and was commissioned into the MNS on December 28, 1983. She has served in the MNS for more than three and half decades, especially in perioperative nursing.

As a renowned operation theatre nurse, she has assisted in more than 3,000 lifesaving and emergency surgeries and has trained residents, operation room nursing trainees and auxiliary staff in her career.

She has served at several pan-India Army hospitals and United Nations Peace Keeping Forces in Congo, according to the government statement, where she has done various outreach activities for the troops and trained more than 1,000 soldiers and families in basic life support.

Sports

GM D. Gukesh of India wins Norway Chess Open 2021

India’s D Gukesh won his second consecutive tournament of this month, the Norway Chess Open 2021 Masters section. Gukesh scored an unbeaten 8.5/10 and finished a full point ahead of the competition to win the tournament.

Iniyan secured sole second position with 8.5/10 points, finishing a half point ahead of top seed Dmitrij Kollars (Germany) and Valentin Dragnev (Austria).