Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 17th September 2024

National news 

1. President Murmu inaugurates 8th India Water Week 

• President Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated 8th India Water Week 2024. 
• The 8th India Water Week 2024 will start from 17 Sep to 20 Sep in New Delhi. 
• During the four-day event, around four thousand delegates including two hundred foreign delegates from 40 countries will participate. More than one hundred exhibitors and startups will showcase their ideas in the water sector during the exhibition. 
• The event will serve as a global platform to elicit ideas and opinions from global-level decision-makers, researchers, experts, innovators and stakeholders in the field of water resources from across the world 
• Theme 2024–Partnership and cooperation for inclusive water development and management. 

2. PM Modi launches India’s first ‘Namo Bharat Rapid Rail’ connecting Ahmedabad and Bhuj 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off country’s first Vande Metro, now renamed as Namo Bharat Rapid Rail service, between Bhuj and Ahmedabad. 
• The Ahmedabad-Bhuj Vande Metro service will stop at nine stations and cover the 360-kilometre distance in 5 hours and 45 minutes at a top speed of 110 kilometres per hour.
• Developed on the same platform as the Vande Bharat Express, the Vande Metro train is a self-propelled train set designed for short-distance inter-city travel. However, unlike Vande Bharat which is a semi-high speed 160 kmph train set, the Vande Metro trains will have a maximum speed limit of 130 kmph. 

International news 

3. India to host high-level international meetings on anti-doping in sports 

• India is set to host the 2nd Formal Meeting of the COP9 Bureau and the 3rd Formal Meeting of the Fund Approval Committee under the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport on in New Delhi. 
• As Vice-Chairperson of the COP9 Bureau, India has taken the lead in organizing these high-level gatherings, which will bring together key decision-makers and dignitaries from across the world. 
• Hosted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the meetings will see participation from distinguished delegates representing countries such as Azerbaijan, Barbados, Estonia, France, Italy, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, The Netherlands, Türkiye, UAE, and Zambia. 
• Senior officials from the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport will also be present, contributing to the discussions in a hybrid format. 
• The meetings will serve as a vital platform for countries and international organizations to deliberate on key issues concerning anti-doping, the development of fair sports practices, and global collaboration in upholding the principles of integrity in sport. 
• These deliberations will be instrumental in strengthening the ongoing fight against doping, ensuring that athletes around the world can compete in a clean and fair environment. 

4. Jordan’s king appoints Jafar Hassan to serve as PM 

• Jordan’s King Abdullah II tapped a longtime aide to serve as the kingdom’s new prime minister. 
• Hassanhas a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Geneva and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University. 
• He will replace the outgoing prime minister, Bisher Al-Khasawneh, whose Cabinet resigned on Sunday in the wake of a parliamentary election. Al-Khasawneh has served since October 2020. 

 About Jordan 

• Capital- Amman 
• King- Abdullah 
• PMofJordan–Jafar Hassan 
• Currency- Jordanian Dinar 
• Official language- Arabic
• Continent- Asia 

Newly Appointed Prime Minister & President

• President of Algeria– Abdelmadjid Tebboune 
• 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 State news 

5. Kerala to launch Progressive Filmmakers' Association

• Revealing fundamental disagreements in the way the Malayalam film industry is being run, a group of filmmakers are set to form a new organisation titled Progressive Filmmakers' 
• Association. A vision note of the proposed organisation, signed by filmmakers Anjali Menon, Lijo Jose Pellissery, Aashiq Abu, and Rajeev Ravi, actor Rima Kallingal and producer Bineesh Chandra has begun circulating within the industry. 
• It proclaims that the new organisation will be rooted in principles that prioritise equality, cooperation, and social justice and will work towards safeguarding the rights of everyone in the filmmaking community. 
• Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Ravi said the formation of such an association has been under discussion for a while. "The industry is still being run in a feudal way with a few people monopolising the control. Discussions are ongoing and it is yet to be registered," he said. 

Business news 

6. InCred Financial Services received the first ESG rating from ICRA ESG. 

• InCred received an “Impact 57, Moderate” rating for improvement in adopting comprehensive sustainability practices. ICRA ESG Ratings Ltd has assigned its first Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) rating from InCred Financial Services Ltd. 
• An ESGImpact rating between 40 and 59 indicates that the entity has a moderate commitment to ESG principles. The ESG-assigned ratings help investors to assess the non-financial risks and opportunities associated with entities. These ratings also help the rated entity gain a better understanding and diagnostics of its ESG impact. 

Science and technology news 

7. Human-Made Meteor Shower 

• Debris from a two-year-old Nasa mission could be the cause of first man-made meteor shower. 
• Nasa's Double Asteroids Redirect Test (DART) mission intentionally collided with the moonlet Dimorphos in September 2022. 
• It may result in this unique phenomenon. 
• The mission is aimed to test asteroid deflection technology. 
• Scientists now believe the impact produced over 2 million pounds of debris that could create meteor showers around Earth and Mars within 10 to 30 years. 
• Due to the collision, fragments from Dimorphos could intermittently and periodically arrive at Earth and Mars for at least 100 years. 
• The debris is traveling at 1,118 miles per hour could reach Mars. 
• Thesmaller and faster particles moving at 3,579 miles per hour could reach Earth in under 10 years. 

8. New Wetland Virus 

• A new virus, dubbed wetland virus (WELV), has been discovered in China. 
• It can spread to humans through tick bites, causing neurological disease in some cases. 
• It was discovered in a man in 2019 after visiting a park in a large wetland in Mongolia. 
• Ticks in the species Haemaphysalis concinna had more potential to harbour the virus. 
• Tick-borne diseases are widespread. Common diseases like Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis. 

9. Mysterious tremors on Moon 

• Chandrayaan-3 became the first lunar mission to have detected more than 250 seismic signatures from the south pole of the Moon. 
• These250seismic signals included 50 unique signals that are likely to have links with moonquakes. 
• Moonquakes refer to the earthquake on the lunar soil. 
• Out of the 250 seismic events, about 200 correlates with Pragyan’s movements or other instrument operations. 
• This is the first time seismic data has been collected from the South Pole of the lunar surface. 
• It is also the first time such an activity has been recorded since the Apollo missions. 

10. Chamran-1satellite launched by Iran amid western concerns over missile technology. 

• On September 14, Chamran-1 research satellite successfully launched into orbit by Iran using a QAIM-100 rocket developed by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The launch is a milestone in Iran's aerospace programme. 
• The 60-kg Chamran-1 satellite was placed in a 550-km orbit and is designed to test "hardware and software systems for orbital maneuvering technology." The Qaem-100 rocket, a solid-fuel, three-stage vehicle, was earlier used for another successful satellite launch in January. 
• The satellite launch comes against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly over the Israel-Hamas conflict. 
• The launch has faced scrutiny and criticism from Western countries over concerns that the technology could be used for ballistic missile development. 
• The launch is also significant because it is the first under Iran's new reformist President Massoud Pezeshkian, after his predecessor Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash earlier this year. 

Infrastructure and energy news 

11. PM Modi virtually flagged off India’s first Namo Bharat Rapid Rail. 

• He inaugurated developmental projects worth more than 8,000 crore rupees at GMDC ground in Ahmedabad. Along with flagging off India’s first Namo Bharat Rapid Rail between Ahmedabad and Bhuj, he also flagged off six other Vande Bharat Trains. 
• These trains include Nagpur to Secunderabad, Kolhapur to Pune, Agra Cantt to Banaras, Durg to Visakhapatnam, Pune to Hubballi, and the first 20-coach Vande Bharat train from Varanasi to Delhi. PMalso released the plans for launch of Namo Bharat Rapid Rail in other parts of the country in future. 
• Middle-class households will benefit from Namo Bharat Rapid Rail's convenient intercity rail connectivity. The Prime Minister praised Gujarat's infrastructure development. He stated that Gujarat will give India the first Made in India transport aircraft in the near future. 
• Mr Modi also approved over 30,000 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin and released the first installment for these homes. 
• He virtually laid the foundation stone for the quadrupling of the railway lines Samakhiali-Gandhidham and Gandhidham-Adipur. 

Miscellaneous news 

12. Films to be accessible to persons with disabilities 

• The' Accessibility Standards' module in E-Cinepramaan website has been successfully deployed, enabling applicants to submit their films with the required accessibility features for persons with hearing and visual disabilities, as specified in the guidelines. 
• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had set September 15 as the effective date for implementation of these guidelines. "...Through an Office Memorandum March 15, 2024, the Ministry had issued new guidelines aimed at enhancing accessibility standards for the public exhibition of feature films in cinema theatres for persons with hearing and visual impairment," the Ministry stated. 
• These guidelines apply to those feature films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification for public exhibition in cinema halls/movie theatres for commercial purposes. All films that are to be certified in more than one language should have at least one accessibility feature each for persons with hearing or visual disabilities. 

13. Global Bio-India 2024 fourth edition was successfully concluded. 

• The fourth edition of Global Bio-India 2024 was organized by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology. Global Bio-India 2024 was organized under the theme: Biotech Innovation’ and ‘Bio-manufacturing’ and its impact on the Bioeconomy. 
• It was organized from 12th– 14th September, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi in collaboration with Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). This was the largest representation of biotechnology stakeholders of India and international biotech community. 
• On this occasion, contributions to the biotech industry were recognized with awards, namely:BIRAC Innovators Awards Best Startup Exhibitor Awards Best Incubator Exhibitor Awards BioE3 Competition Awards 

Appointment news 

14. Arvind Kejriwal resigns as Chief Minister, Atishi stakes claim to top post 

• Aam Aadmi Party legislators in New Delhi have elected State Minister Atishi as the new Chief Minister-designate in place of Arvind Kejriwal. 
• Atishi’s name was proposed by Kejriwal at the meeting of the legislature party, and it was unanimously accepted by the AAP MLAs. 
• Ms Atishi now holds key portfolios in the Delhi government such as Education and Public Works Department. WHOISATISHI? 
• AnOxford University alumna and a Rhodes scholar, Atishi is considered close to Kejriwal and former deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, under whom she worked as an advisor till 2018. 
• Apart from being the only woman minister in the Delhi Cabinet, she is also in charge of 14 portfolios, including education, finance, public works department, revenue and services. 
• Her electoral career got off to an unsuccessful start as she was defeated by cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir from East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. 
• However, she was elected from the Kalkaji seat in the 2020 Delhi Assembly polls, defeating BJP’s Dharambir Singh by over 11,000 

Important Days news 

14. 17 September– World Patient Safety Day 

• World Patient Safety Day is an annual observance on September 17th, established by the World Health Organisation (WHO). 
• Objective– To raise global awareness about patient safety, promote actions to enhance safety in healthcare, and encourage stakeholders to unite for safer healthcare practices. 
• Theme 2024–Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety 
• In2019, the 72nd World Health Assembly passed a resolution to establish World Patient Safety Day as a global health priority. The WHO began global campaigns each year, focusing on various themes within patient safety, such as safe childbirth, medication safety, and the empowerment of patients and caregivers. 

Sports news 

15. 4th South Asian Junior Athletics Championship: India at topped the medal tally 

• The 4th South Asian Junior Athletics Championships was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. 
• India led the Medal tally by winning 48 medals- 21 gold,22 silver and 5 bronze. 
• TheSri Lanka team, which gave a tough fight to the Indians, came second with 35 medals—9 gold, 9 silver, and 17 bronze. Bangladesh came third with three bronze medals. Pakistan and Bhutan failed to win a single medal at the event. 
• Thefirst South Asian Junior Athletics Championships was held in Sri Lanka in November 2007. The second edition was held in Ranchi in November 2013, and the third was held in May 2018 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 
• All seven countries of the South Asian Athletics Federation (SAFF)-India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal—participated in the 4th South Asian Junior Athletics Championships. 
• India competed with the largest contingent of 62 athletes, followed by Sri Lanka with 54, Bangladesh with 16, Maldives with 15, Pakistan with 12, Nepal with 9 and Bhutan with 5 athletes. 

Indian polity 

16. 'One Nation, One Election' will be implemented during the tenure of this government. 

• The concept of holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, dubbed "One Nation, One Election", will be implemented during the current term of the Narendra Modi government. 
• The government hopes to get support from all political parties, especially the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies. The census exercise, which was not done since 2011, will also start soon. The issue of holding simultaneous elections was raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi within a few months of coming to power in 2014. 
• A committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind had also considered the issue during the previous tenure of the Modi government. It recommended holding simultaneous elections to Parliament and Assemblies followed by local body elections within 100 days.