Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 10th September 2024

1. A critically endangered elongated tortoise species has been spotted in Haryana’s Damdama area. 

• During a research survey in the Aravallis, a critically endangered tortoise species was spotted in Haryana’s Damdama area. 
• The tortoise has been medium-sized with a yellowish-brown or olive shell and distinct black blotches at the centre. This tortoise has been found in the Sal deciduous and hilly evergreen forests. 
• Sunil Harsana and Nitesh Kaushik have discovered this tortoise. This tortoise is generally found at wetter places but discovering in Aravallis is an aberration than a norm. Elongated tortoises were assessed for the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of threatened species in 2018. 
• They are listed as critically endangered under the criteria A2cd. 

2. India and US Joint Military Exercise, Yudh Abhyas 2024, commenced in Rajasthan. 

• The 20th edition of the India-USA Joint Military Exercise, Yudh Abhyas 2024, started at the Foreign Training Node in the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan. This exercise will take place from September 9 to 22. 
• Since 2004, Exercise Yudh Abhyas has been organized annually every year between India and the United States. The Indian Army contingent, comprising 600 personnel, including a battalion from the Rajput Regiment, is taking part in this exercise. The UScontingent, with a similar number of troops, is represented by the 1-24 Battalion of the 11th Airborne Division. 
• The main objective of the exercise is to enhance the military capabilities of both countries in conducting counter-terrorism operations. The exercise will primarily focus on operations in a semi-desert environment. 

3. A minimum age law for social media use will be enacted by Australia. 

• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would introduce a minimum age law for social media to protect children. Albanese said the goal is to support parents and keep children safe. In a national survey of children's health conducted by the University of Michigan's C.S. 
• Mott Children's Hospital on August 21 last year, more than half of parents reported mental health issues as the top health concern for their children and teens. Mental health and technology use are now the top health concerns for U.S. parents, surpassing childhood obesity, which was the leading worry a decade ago. 
• According to a nationally representative survey, two-thirds of parents are concerned about the time children spend on devices, including total screen time and social media use, which ranked first and second, respectively, on this year’s list of children’s health concerns. 

4. The 2nd Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation will be hosted by India. 

• The conference, to be held on September 11-12, 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, NewDelhi, is being hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. 
• This is an important event for the aviation sector of the region. As the third largest domestic aviation market globally, India is establishing itself as a major hub for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, cargo operations, and regional aviation. Ongoing development of new greenfield airports and progressive policies, such as the UDAN initiative, are promoting regional air connectivity. 
• This will be the second edition of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference, the first one was held in Beijing, China, in 2018. It is estimated that the region's share of global air traffic will exceed 40% by 2035, with around 3.5 billion passengers annually. The conference will also celebrate the 80th anniversary of ICAO and the Chicago Convention, reaffirming India's role in global aviation. 

5. Amid delay in census, Centre dissolves Pronab Sen-led standing committee on statistics, surveys. 

• The Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has dissolved the 14-member Standing Committee on Statistics (SCOS) headed by eminent economist and former chief statistician of the country Pranab Sen. Its members had reportedly raised questions over the delay in conducting the census. 
• The reason for its dissolution is that the work of the Committee overlapped with the work of the recently constituted National Sample Survey Steering Committee. The decennial census of India has been conducted every ten years since the 1870s, and the last census was conducted in 2011. The next census, scheduled for 2021, was initially delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has not yet been notified. 
• Several economists have expressed concern that the data sets used for most statistical surveys are still drawn from the 2011 census, affecting their accuracy and quality. The SCoS, constituted in July 2023, was to advise the central government on the survey methodology, including sampling frame, sample design and survey instruments, and finalize the tabulation plan of the surveys. 

6. Randhir Singh elected President of the Asian Olympic Council. 

• On September 8, veteran sports administrator Randhir Singh was unanimously elected President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) at its 44th General Assembly. Singh is the first Indian to become the full-time President of this continental body. 
• He will remain in this top post for four years. He wasthe OCA's secretary general from 1991 to 2015– the position is nowabolished– and thereafter its life vice-president until 2021. He is a trap shooter who represented India in five Olympics from 1968 to 1984, winning a gold medal in the event at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games. Since 2021, he has been serving as the acting president of the OCA. 
• He took over after Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah was handed a 15-year ban from sports administration by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for ethics violations. 

7. India and the UAE signed five agreements covering different fields. 

• Among the signed agreements is an agreement between Emirates Nuclear Energy Company and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited on the operations and maintenance of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. Additionally, an agreement was signed between Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for a long-term LNGsupply. ADNOCandIndia Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited signed an agreement. 
• Urja Bharat and ADNOC have signed a production concession agreement for Abu Dhabi Onshore Block 1. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. and Bharat Petro Resources Ltd., a BPCL subsidiary, are partners in the joint venture Urja Bharat. With this concession agreement, Urja Bharat is allowed to import crude oil into India. 
• After discussions in New Delhi between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the Memorandums of Understanding were signed. The two leaders conveyed their pleasure with the significant progress madein the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the past several years. 
• They talked about how to expand and strengthen the partnership in all areas of bilateral cooperation. At Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu also had a meeting with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. 

8. GST council has decided to reduce rate of Goods and Service Tax (GST) on cancer drugs from 12% to 5%. 

• The decision was taken in the 54th GST Council meeting held in New Delhi on 09 September 2024. The meeting was chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and Finance Ministers of States. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said GST on selected snacks has also been cut from 18% to 12%. 
• According to Union Finance Minister, grants to universities established by the law of Centre, state governments and those who have got income tax exemption are not subject to the Goods and Services Tax. The Group of Ministers (GoM) was established by the GST Council with the goal of lowering the tax rate on health and life insurance. By the end of October 2024, the Group of Ministers on GST rate reduction on medical health insurance will give its report. The matter of rate decrease will be decided at a meeting scheduled for November. The formation of a Group of Ministers on Compensation Cess has also been approved by the GST Council. 
• The Group of Ministers on Rate Rationalisation and Real Estate presented the status reports, according to the Union Finance Minister. She said, status report on online gaming and casinos was also submitted. According to Union Finance Minister, in just six months, the revenue generated by online gaming has surged by 412%, or 6,909 crore rupees. Car seats now carry a 28 percent GST charge instead of the previous 18 percent rate. 
• The GSTrate on Roof Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) Air Conditioning Machines for Railways would be 28%. GSTshall not apply to certified flight training courses delivered by DGCA-licensed flight Training Organisations. 

9. New Jumping Spider Species in Tamilnadu 

• A new species of jumping spider, Carrhotus piperus, has been identified in the lower Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu. 
• The discovery occurred during a 2016 survey in Thadiyankudisai, Dindigul. 
• Thisdiscovery brings the number of known Carrhotus species in India to 10, and to 37 globally. 

10. Odisha’s second AIIMS will come up in Sambalpur 

• Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced that the state’s second AIIMS will be built in Sambalpur. 
• Thestate got its first All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in 2014 during the UPA regime. 
• Meanwhile, Majhi also launched ‘CM-KISAN Yojana’ on the occasion of the Nuakhai festival at Odisha’s Sambalpur. 
• Theschemeaims to provide 925 crores financial assistance to 46 lakhs small and marginal farmers who are not covered under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) yojana. 
• Eligible farmers will receive a total of Rs 4,000 in two phases. The first instalment of Rs 2,000 will be distributed on Nuakhai , which begins from September 8, and the remaining Rs 2,000 will be provided on Akshaya Tritiya. 

About Odisha 

• Capital– Bhubaneswar 
• Chief Minister– Mohan Charan Majhi (replace Naveen Patnaik) 
• Deputy CM–KVSinghdeo and Pravati Parida 
• Governor– Raghubar Das 
• Legislative Assembly Seat– 147 pp 

11. A global framework for investigating pathogen origins launched by the World Health Organization with contributions from Indian scientists. 

• A new global framework has been introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) that aims to streamline the investigation into the origins of new and re-emerging pathogens that have the potential to cause epidemics or pandemics. This framework has been developed by the Scientific Advisory Group on the Origins of New Pathogens (SAGO). 
• The aim of this framework is to address existing shortcomings in outbreak investigation methods and establish an integrated approach to the study of pathogen origins. Indian scientists have made significant contributions to the development of this framework, especially in key areas such as animal-human interface studies and genomic analysis. 
• These topics are key to understanding how germs evolve and are transmitted, which is essential to preventing future outbreaks. The framework outlines six technical elements that provide guidance for investigations, including early epidemiological studies, research on human disease patterns, and laboratory safety protocols. 
• These investigations are designed to begin as soon as an outbreak is detected, initially focusing on areas where cases are first identified. Early identification of the source of the pathogen can help prevent spread and reduce the likelihood of a large outbreak. 

12. Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated 8 new Nidhi I-TBIs across India 

• On September 6, Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra virtually inaugurated a new DST-Nidhi website as well as 8 new Nidhi I-TBIs across India at IIT Delhi to mark the completion of 8 years of Department of Science and Technology (DST-Nidhi) initiative. 8 newFundInclusive TBIs (I-TBIs) have been established at various locations across the country: Central University of Rajasthan Ajmer. 
• Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Ludhiana, Punjab BLDE Bijapur, Karnataka Aligarh Muslim University Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (Central University) Bilaspur, GSSS Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women Mysore, Karnataka University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES) Dehradun I-TBI (Inclusive TBI) is a three-year period initiative supported by DST for those educational institutions. 
• These have the potential to promote innovation and entrepreneurial culture among students, faculty, entrepreneurs and surrounding communities. Apart from this, Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the DST-GDC IIT Madras Incubate programme for deep tech startups. GDCis funded by grants from three distinguished alumni of IIT Madras namely Dr. Gururaj Deshpande, Mrs. Jayashree Deshpande and Mr. 'Kris' Gopalakrishnan. 
• These initiatives are designed to enhance our support to innovators primarily from Tier II and Tier III cities and provide targeted support to start-ups at critical stages of growth. The NIDHI was launched by the Department of Science and Technology in 2016. 

13. Indian Army and Indian Airforce inked a pact with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. 

• To enhance the skills and capability building of personnel in logistics operations, the Indian Army and Indian Airforce signed a MoU. It is a partnership to build a world-class and future-proof logistics system and achieve self-reliance in the defence sector. 
• Vishwavidyalaya act as a vital partner in empowering the Armed Forces with cutting-edge logistics education, research and innovation. Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) is a central university located in Vadodara, Gujarat. 
• It was established in 2018 as a Deemed-to-be University and was converted into a central University under The Central Universities (Amendment) Act, 2022. 

14. Semicon India 2024 will be hosted by the UP government at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida. 

• Uttar Pradesh government will host Semicon India 2024 at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida from September 11 to 13. It will be organized in collaboration with SEMI, Messe Muenchen India, and the Electronic Industries Association of India. Its main aim is to elevate India’s semiconductor sector and establish the country as a significant global contender. 
• This year’s Semicon India Exhibition and Conference will be held alongside Electronica India and Productronica India. Many domestic and international companies will participate in this event. It will provide an opportunity to explore India’s burgeoning semiconductor sector and discover new business prospects. 

15. Abdelmadjid Tebboune re-elected as Algerian President 

• 78-year-old incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria was re-elected with a landslide victory. 
• According to Mohamed Charfi, head of the National Independent Authority for Elections, President Abdelmadjid Tebbounen secured 94.65 per cent of the valid votes. 
• President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was elected for a second five-year term. 
• President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was first elected as the President of Algeria in 2019, which was boycotted by the opposition. 

About Algeria

• Capital- Algiers 
• Currency-Algerian Dinar 
• Continent– Africa 
• President– Abdelmadjid Tebboune 

Newly Appointed Prime Minister & President 

• PM of France–Michel Barnier 
• PM of Thailand– Paetongtarn Shinawatra (youngest PM of country) 
• President of Rwanda– Paul Kagame (4th time) 
• PM of Bulgaria– Goritsa Gruncharova-Kozhareva 
• PM of Tunisia– Kamel Madouri 

16. Arun Goel appointed ambassador to Croatia 

• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has appointed former Election Commissioner Arun Goel as India’s next ambassador to Republic of Croatia. 
• The retired bureaucrat earlier served as the Election Commissioner of India. 
• He was appointed as the Election Commissioner in November 2022. He resigned from the post in March 2024. 
• Prior to his appointment as the Election Commissioner, he had taken voluntary retirement after serving as a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. 

About Croatia 

• Capital- Zagreb 
• Currency– Kuna 
• Official language- Croatian 
• Primeminister- Andrej Plenković 
• President- Zoran Milanović 

17. Moeen Ali announces retirement from international cricket 

• Moeen Ali, the versatile England all-rounder, has officially announced his retirement from international cricket. 
• Moeen madeh is international debut in 2014 against West Indies. He scored 6678 international runs and picked 366 wickets. He won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup with the senior men’s side.

Recently Retired Players 

• ShannonGabriel (West Indies)– International Cricket 
• DawidMalan (England)– International Cricket 
• Vinesh Phogat (Haryana, India)– Wrestling 
• RohanBopanna (Karnataka, India)– International Tennis 
• ThomasMuller (Germany)– International Football 
• Shikhar Dhawan (India)– All forms of Cricket 
• Ilkay Gundogan (Germany)– International Football 

Australian Open title 2024 Men’s Singles 

• Winner–Jannik Sinner (Italy) 
• RunnerUp–Daniil Medvedev (Russia) 

Women’s Singles 

• Winner–Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) 
• RunnerUp–ZhengQinwen (China) 

Men’s Doubles 

• Winner–Rohan Bopanna (India) & Matthew Ebden (Australia) 
• RunnerUp–Simone Bolelli (Italy) and Andrea Vavassori (Italy) 

Women’s Doubles 

• Winner–Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) & Elise Mertens (Belgium) 
• RunnerUp–Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) and Lyudmyla Kichenok (Ukraine) 

Mixed Doubles title 

• Winner–Hsieh Su-wei (Taiwan) & Jan Zielinski (Poland) 
• RunnerUp–Desirae Krawczyk (USA) & Neal Skupski (Britain) 

French Open title 2024 

Men’s Singles 

• Winner–Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) 
• RunnerUp–Alexander Zverev (Germany) 

Women’s Singles 

• Winner–Iga Świątek (Poland) 
• RunnerUp–Jasmine Paolini (Italy) 

Men’s Doubles 

• Winner-Marcelo Arevalo (El Salvador) & Mate Pavic (Croati) 
• RunnerUp–Simone Bolelli (Italy) and Andrea Vavassori (Italy) 

Women’s Doubles 

• Winner–Coco Gauff (USA) & Katerina Siniakova (Czech) 
• RunnerUp–Sara Errani (Italy) & Jasmine Paolini (Italy)

Mixed Doubles title 

• Winner–Laura Siegemund (Germany) and Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 
• RunnerUp-Desirae Krawczyk (USA) and Neal Skupski (Britain) Wimbledon Open title 2024 

Men’s Singles 

• Winner–Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) 
• Runner Up–NovakDjokovic (Serbia) 

Women’s Singles 

• Winner–Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic) 
• Runner Up–Jasmine Paolini (Italy) 

Men’s Doubles

• Winner–Henry Patten (British) & Harri Heliövaara (Finland) 
• Runner Up-Max Purcell (Australia) & Jordan Thompson (Australia) 

Women’s Doubles 

• Winner–Taylor Townsend (USA) & Katerina Siniakova (USA) 
• Runner Up–Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) & Erin Routliffe (New Zealand) 

Mixed Doubles title 

• Winner–Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) & Jan Zielinski (Poland) 
• Runner Up–Santiago Gonzalez (Mexico) & Giuliana Olmos (Mexico) US Opentitle 2024 

Men’s Singles 

• Winner–Jannik Sinner (Italy) 
• RunnerUp–Taylor Fritz (USA) 

Women’s Singles 

• Winner–Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) 
• Runner Up–Jessica Pegula (USA) 

Men’s Doubles 

• Winner–Max Purcell (Australia) and Jordan Thompson (Australian) 
• Runner Up–Kevin Krawietz (Germany) and Tim Puetz (Germany) 

Women’s Doubles 

• Winner–Lyudmyla Kichenok (Ukraine) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) 
• Runner Up-Kristina Mladenovic (France) and Zhang Shuai (China) 

Mixed Doubles 

• Winner–Sara Errani (Italy) and Andrea Vavassori (Italy) 
• RunnerUp–Donald Young (USA) and Taylor Townsend (USA) 

18. 8 September– World Physical Therapy Day 

• World Physical Therapy Day is observed every year on 8 September. 
• The day raises awareness amongst the public and other stakeholders about the role physiotherapists play in keeping people well, mobile, and independent. 
• Theme2024–LBP(LowBack Pain) and the role of physiotherapy in its prevention and management 
• On 8 September 1951, the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) was founded by 11 national physiotherapy associations in London, United Kingdom. The name WCPTwaslater changed to World Physiotherapy in 2020. 
• In1996, the World Confederation for Physical Therapy decided to observe its foundation day, the 8th of September, as World Physical Therapy Day. 

19. 9 September– International Literacy Day 

1. International Literacy Day is observed every year on 9 September. 
2. The day is observed to remind the public, the government, and other stakeholders about the importance of literacy, its contribution to developing a person’s personality, and also its role in creating a just and equitable society. 
3. Theme2024–Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace’. 
4. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in 2022, around one out of seven adults above 15 years of age were illiterate, and around 25 crore children of the 6- 18 age group were out of school.