Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 11th September 2024

 

1. Amit Shah releases documentary on Mumbai Samachar’s 200-year journey 

• Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah released the documentary film Mumbai Samachar- 200 Not Out, which chronicles the remarkable 200-year journey of Asia’s oldest newspaper.
• Entering its 203rd year of publication, Mumbai Samachar has become an integral part of Mumbai’s identity. 
• Mumbai Samachar- 200 Not Out delves into the newspaper’s pivotal role in the freedom movement, its unwavering commitment to unbiased reporting, and the secrets behind its enduring success. 
• The documentary was released simultaneously in 40 countries, offering a historical perspective not only for Mumbai Samachar but also for the entire newspaper industry. 
• Hormusji N Cama, the managing director of the Mumbai Samachar, was present at the event. The trailer for Mumbai Samachar- 200 Not Out was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the newspaper’s bicentenary event in June 2022.

2. Rajasthan Cabinet approves 33% reservation for women in police force 

• Rajasthan Cabinet has approved 33% reservation for women in the police force by deciding to amend the State Police Subordinate Service Rules, 1989. 
• The State Cabinet took the decision at its meeting held here, fulfilling a promise made by the BJP in its manifesto for the 2023 Assembly election to increase the representation of women. 
• This will enable the police to work with more sensitivity in matters related to women, while this decision will also provide more employment opportunities to women. 

About Rajasthan 

• Capital– Jaipur 
• Chief Minister– Bhajan Lal Sharma (replace Ashok Gehlot) 
• Deputy Chief Minister– Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa 
• Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly– Vasudev Devnani 
• Governor– Haribhau Bagade 

3. Gujarat to host 4th RE-INVEST meet on September 16-18

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 4th Global RE-INVEST Renewable Energy Investors Meet and Expo at Gandhinagar, on September 16. 
• A three-day flagship event of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, at Mahatma Mandir will bring together key players in the renewable energy sector. 
• The event will have a plenary session of all chief ministers on the first day and a similar session of all state energy ministers on the second day. 
• Representatives from Germany, Australia, Norway, Denmark, among others will be in attendance. Sessions will be held on topics including Green Hydrogen, Innovative Models for round the clock renewable energy, making India a hub in Battery energy storage and mainstreaming offshore wind in India. 

4. Algeria joins BRICS New Development Banks 

• Algeria has been approved as the newest member of the BRICS New Development Bank, joining other nations in seeking alternatives to international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF.
• The decision was taken and announced by NDB chief Dilma Roussef at a meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. The bank of the BRICS group of nations — whose name derives from the initials of founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. 
• Membership in the BRICS bank will offer Algeria — Africa’s leading exporter of natural gas — “new prospects to support and strengthen its economic growth in the medium and long term. 
• Created in 2015, the NDB’s main mission is to mobilize resources for projects in emerging markets and developing countries. 
• The NDB has expanded its membership to include Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates in 2021, and Egypt in 2023. 

About New Development Bank (NDB) 

• Founded– 2015 
• Headquarters– Shanghai, China 
• Membership (9)– Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Bangladesh, UAE, Uruguay & Egypt 
• President– Dilma Rousseff (Brazil) 

5. 1st India GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue held in Riyadh 

• The first India-GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue was held in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital. 
• This was the first Foreign Minister level meeting between India and the six-member GCC. 
• The first India-GCC Joint Ministerial Meeting for Strategic Dialogue was co-chaired by Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar. Qatar holds the Presidency of the GCC. 

About the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) 

• GCC was formed in May 1981 as a political and economic alliance of six Islamic Arab countries-Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 
• The Presidency of the GCC rotates annually amongst the member countries.
• Headquarters– Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 

6. Vinay Goyal to be State Mission Director of NHM 

• Vinay Goyal has assumed office as the State Mission Director of the National Health Mission (NHM). 
• He takes over from K. Jeevan Babu, who has moved to the Kerala Water Authority as Managing Director. 
• A native of Haryana, Dr. Goyal, belongs to the 2016 IAS batch. He has formerly held the posts of CEO, of Thiruvananthapuram Smart City; 
• Managing Director of Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Ltd. (KRTCL); Director of Backward Classes Development department; Secretary, Kerala State Housing Board among others. 

Recent Appointment 

• Chairman of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) for 2024-25– Partha Sinha 
• MD of Philips Indian subcontinent– Bharath Sesha (replace Daniel Mazon) 
• Chairman of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)– V Satish Kumar (replace SM Vaidya) 
• Interim CMD of HPCL– Rajneesh Narang (replace Pushp Kumar Joshi 
• Chairman and CEO of Railway Board– Satish Kumar (replace Jaya Varma Sinha) 
• Chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC)– Jay Shah (replace Greg Barclay) 

7. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojna will be launched by Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh. 

• He will also release Standard Operating Procedure on Production and Processing Clusters in the Fisheries Sector. Both Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojna, and Standard Operating Procedure will be released at the 4th Anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna. The major activity to be highlighted during the celebration of 4th Anniversary of PMMSY event shall be the national priority projects taken up under PMMSYduring financial year 2024-25. 
• The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched in May2020. It comes under under the aegis of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India. It is aimed at addressing critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernization. It is also aimed at strengthening of value chain, traceability, establishing a robust fisheries management framework and fishers’ welfare. 

8. Ashok Raj Sigdel has been appointed Nepal’s New Chief Of The Army Staff. 

• He has becomeNepal’s 45th Chief Of The Army Staff. Newly appointed Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS), Ashok Raj Sigdel, was administered the oath by President Ranchandra Paudel. The recently appointed CoAS took an oath of office and secrecy as the 45th CoAS of the Nepali Army before the President. 
• For this, a special program was held at the Office of the President, Sheetal Niwas. Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia. Kathmandu is its capital and largest city. KP Sharma Oli is its Prime Minister. 

9. Government relaxed exclusion criteria under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G). 

• The “automatic exclusion” criteria under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) has been revised by the government. Families owning “two-wheelers, motorized fishing boats, refrigerators, and landline phones and earning up to Rs 15,000 per month can now avail the benefits of the rural housing scheme. 
• The person owning motorised three- or four-wheelers; mechanised three- or four-wheeler agricultural equipment; or a Kisan Credit Card with a credit limit of Rs 50,000 or above are in the “automatic exclusion” of PMAY-G. Households with any member as a government employee; households with non-agricultural enterprises registered with the government; and any member of the family paying income tax are excluded from the PMAY-G. The exclusion criteria of the PMAY-G have been revised as the government aims to construct two crore additional houses under the rural housing scheme by 2028–29. 
• Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana—Gramin (PMAY-G) was launched in 2016 to achieve the objective of providing “Housing to All”. 

10. Gujarat government set up GRIT as a policy think tank. 

• Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT) has been set up under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s chairmanship. It will act as a policy think tank on the lines of NITI Ayog. The Chief Minister will be the chairman of the GRIT, while the Finance Minister will be the vice chairman. 
• The Ministers of Agriculture, Health, Education, and Industries will be the members of the GRIT. A10-member executive committee will look after the day-to-day operations of GRIT. Aresolution related to the formation of ‘GRIT’ and its scope will be published by the General Administration Department-Planning Division. 

11. Amit Shah unanimously re-elected as the Chairperson of Parliamentary Committee on Official Language 

• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah has been unanimously re-elected as the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language. 
• After the formation of the new government, a committee meeting was held in New Delhi to reconstitute the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language. 
• Amit Shah has also served as the Chairperson of the committee from 2019 to 2024. The Parliamentary Committee on Official Language was constituted under the provisions of Section 4 of the Official Languages Act, 1963, in the year 1976. 
• The committee comprises 30 members of Parliament, out of which 20 are from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

Recent Appointment 

• Chairperson of Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR– Rajesh Verma
• State Mission Director of National Health Mission (NHM) Vinay Goyal (replace K. Jeevan Babu) 
• Chairman of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) for 2024-25– Partha Sinha 
• MD of Philips Indian subcontinent– Bharath Sesha (replace Daniel Mazon) 
• Chairman of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)– V Satish Kumar (replace SM Vaidya) 

12. Subrata Mondal appointed as MD & CEO of IFFCO Tokio General Insurance 

• IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company Limited (IFFCO Tokio) has appointed Subrata Mondal as its new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). 
• Mondal, who has been associated with the company since 2001, brings over 36 years of experience in the insurance industry to his new leadership role. 
• IFFCO-Tokio General is a 51:49 joint venture between the Indian Farmers Fertilisers Co-operative (IFFCO) and Tokio Marine Group one of the world’s largest insurance companies based in Japan. 

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector 

• MD & CEO of Central Depository Services (India) Limited Nehal Vora 
• MD & CEO of Federal Bank– Krishnan Venkat Subramanian 
• MD of State Bank of India– Rama Mohan Rao Amara (replace C S Setty)
• MD of NABCONS (NABARD Consultancy Services)– Y Haragopal 
• MD & CEO of Shriram Capital Pvt Ltd.– Subhasri 

13. AI city will be developed on 200 acres near Hyderabad. 

• Telangana government unveiled its vision of an Artificial Intelligence city near Hyderabad. This city will be spread over 200 acres. The state-of-the-art AI City will serve as a vibrant hub for the AI ecosystem. It will host an AI Advisory Council supported by an AI research and collaboration network, leading universities, global corporations, and innovative startups. 
• The AI City logo was released by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at Global AI Summit 2024. AI City will provide the ideal environment for collaboration, driving the development of next-generation AI technologies. This facility will also give citizens direct access to the world of artificial intelligence to citizens. 

14. PayGlocal as an online payment aggregator has been approved by the RBI. 

• The RBI has granted PayGlocal final permission to function as an online payment aggregator. It will provide a wide range of enterprises with a full suite of payment solutions. 
• PayGlocal is a prominent provider of cross-border payment solutions. Former Visa senior directors Prachi Dharani, Rohit Sukhija, and Yogesh Lokhande founded PayGlocal in 2021.

15. Saturn’s rings 

• In March 2025, Saturn's rings will no longer be visible from Earth due to the planet’s axis tilt, which will align the rings from the Earth’s perspective. 
• This rare occurrence is expected to significantly change how Saturn is viewed from our planet. 
• Saturn has an axis tilted similarly to Earth’s. During one half of its year (1 Saturn year equals 29.4 Earth years), the planet tilts in the Sun’s direction. 
• That’s why the upper part of its ring shines. 
• They temporarily disappear every 29.5 years as the planet completes its orbit around the Sun. 
• After March 2025, they'll become visible again due to Saturn's axial tilt. 
• But it will disappear again in November of the same year. 
• Its rings will come back into full view by 2032. 
• Saturn's ring system is not a single, solid entity but rather a collection of distinct sections. 
• It includes the prominent A, B, and C rings, accompanied by the fainter D, E, F, and Grings. 
• These sections are separated by gaps, such as the notable Cassini Division, which stretches approximately 4,800 Km wide. 

16. Syria wins the 4th Intercontinental Cup Men’s Football Tournament 

• Syria defeated India 3-0 in the last round-robin match to win the 4th Intercontinental Cup men’s football championship. India, the defending champions, could not score a single goal in the match. 
• Mahmoud Al-Mawas, Syrian captain, received the winners’ trophy and was named the Syed Abdul Rahim Player of the Tournament. 
• The All India Football Federation organised the 4th Intercontinental Cup football championship at the GMC Balayogi Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad, Telangana. 

17. 10 September– World Suicide Prevention Day 

• World Suicide Prevention Day is observed every year on 10 September. 
• The day gives a reminder that suicide prevention is a public health priority and urgent action is required to make sure suicide mortality rates are reduced. 
• Theme 2024– ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide– Start the Conversation 
• The World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO). The day gives a clear message that suicides are preventable. 
• Suicide is a major public problem with far-reaching social, emotional and economic consequences. Suicide remains a critical global issue, affecting individuals and communities worldwide. 

18. 11 September– National Forest Martyrs Day 

• National Forest Martyrs Day is celebrated every year on September 11 in India to pay tribute to those who died for the protection of the forest and wildlife of the country. 
• The day honours protective environmentalists and personnel of the forest who have experienced certain risks in the process of conservation of natural resources.
• Theme 2024– Honoring the Guardians of Our Forest 
• The day goes back to the memory of the Khejarli Massacre, which took place in 1730 in the Marwar Kingdom. The then Maharaja Abhai Singh demanded Khejri trees from the Bishnoi village of Khejarli to be cut down to provide timber for his new palace. 
• However, his action was resisted by the Bishnoi community, which has always been very sensitive towards the natural community.