Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 22nd September 2024

Defense news 

1. Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh to be next Air Force chief 

• Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh has been appointed the next Chief of the Air Staff. 
• He is currently the Vice-Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF). He will take over the top post on September 30, when the incumbent Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari retires. 
• "The Government has appointed Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh presently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, as the next Chief of the Air Staff, in the rank of Air Chief Marshal, with effect from the afternoon of September 30, 2024," the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Saturday. 
• An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College, and the National Defence College, Air Marshal Singh was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 21, 1984. 
• He is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience on a variety of fixed and rotary wing aircraft 
• Air Marshal A.P. Singh will take over the top post on September 30. 
• Air Marshal Singh has commanded an operational fighter squadron and a frontline air base. As a test pilot, he led the MiG-29 upgrade project management team in Moscow, Russia. 
• He was also the project director (flight test) at the National Flight Test Centre looking after the flight testing of the light combat aircraft (Tejas). 
• He served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at the Central Air Command before taking over as the Vice-Chief on February 1, 2023. 
• The Air Marshal is a recipient of the Param Vashisht Save Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. 

Science And Technology news 

2. Temporary ‘Mini-Moon’ 2024 

• An asteroid that cannot escape Earth’s gravitation is called a mini-moon. 
• Earth is going to witness a new mini-moon for a short period, starting from September 29 until November 25. 
• That asteroid, named 2024 PT5, is just 33 feet long and is travelling in cosmic space. 
• It will soon be captured by Earth’s gravity for a singular orbit.
• This 2024 PT5 is not a mini-moon technically, as it will not complete one full revolution around Earth. 
• It will remain in the planet’s orbit for over 56 days only. 
• It will follow paths known as "horseshoe orbiters" due to their shape around Earth and the Sun. 
• The 2024 PT5 asteroid was first discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in August. 
• Earlier in 2006, an asteroid orbited Earth for nearly a year, and another did so for several years before leaving in 2020. 

3. Partial lunar Eclipse 2024 

• The partial lunar eclipse coincided with the September full moon, known as the Harvest Moon. 
• This full moon was also a supermoon, appearing slightly larger and brighter than usual due to its closer proximity to Earth. 
• The eclipse was observed from western Asia, North and South America, Europe, Africa, and parts of Antarctica. 
• The next total lunar eclipse visible from India will occur on September 7, 2025, followed by a partial lunar eclipse on March 3, 2026. 

Award news 

4. 76th Primetime Emmy Awards 2024 

• 76th Primetime Emmy Awards held in Los Angeles, California. 
• Jeremy Allen White claimed the title of Best Actor in a Leading Role (Comedy) for his portrayal in The Bear. 
• His co-star, Liza Colon, also made a mark by winning Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Comedy) for the same show. 
• “Shogun” set a single season record for most wins with 18. 
• “Baby Reindeer" and "The Bear'' won four awards apiece. 

Other Winners are: 

• Best Reality Competition Program: The Traitors (Peacock) 
• Best Talk Series: The Daily Show (Comedy Central) 
• Outstanding Drama Series: Shogun 
• Outstanding Comedy Series: Hacks. 

Appointment News 

5. RBI approves re-appointment of V Vaidyanathan as IDFC First Bank MD & CEO 

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of V Vaidyanathan as MD and CEO of IDFC First Bank for a period of three years effective from December 19, 2024, to December 18, 2027. 
• The bank’s board had initially approved the re-appointment on April 27, 2024, before Vaidyanathan’s current term expires in December 2024. 
• Previously, he worked with Citibank from 1990 to 2000 and joined ICICI Bank in 2000, where he set up its Retail Banking division. He also served as the MD and CEO of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance in 2009. 
• Vaidyanathan took over as MD and CEO of IDFC First Bank in December 2018, following the merger of IDFC Bank and Capital First. 

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector 

• CCO of Airtel Payments Bank – Amar Kumar Kakarlapudi 
• MD & CEO of Galaxy Health Insurance – G Srinivasan 
• MD & CEO of IFFCO Tokio General Insurance -Subrata Mondal 
• MD & CEO of Central Depository Services (India) Limited – Nehal Vora 
• MD & CEO of Federal Bank – Krishnan Venkat Subramanian 

6. Muthuswamy Iyer appointed as Chief Compliance Officer of CIFDAQ 

• CIFDAQ, a leading blockchain ecosystem firm has appointed Muthuswamy Iyer as Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). 
• Muthuswamy brings extensive experience in regulatory compliance and adherence to PMLA guidelines to his new position at CIFDAQ, having worked primarily in the securities market and Web3/blockchain sectors for over 25 years, including pivotal roles at WazirX, Edelweiss Broking Ltd, Karvy Stock Broking Ltd, Angel Broking Ltd, and National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. 
• Muthuswamy has extensive experience in regulatory compliance, surveillance, and liaising with regulatory bodies. He is well-known for his crisis management abilities and ability to achieve outcomes under duress. 

7. Vincent Menachery Devassy appoints as Whole Time Director of TamilNad Mercantile Bank 

• Vincent Menachery Devassy has been appointed as the Whole Time Director (Executive Director) of Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank for a period of three years. 
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved this appointment under Section 35B of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. 
• Devassy began his career in State Bank of India and has over 39 years of experience in commercial banking. He has deep knowledge in retail banking, wealth management, and banking technology among others. 

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector 

• 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 
• Deutsche Bank Head of global corp coverage for India, Sri Lanka – Manik Chhabra

Important day 

8. 20 September – World Cleanup Day 

• World Cleanup Day is observed every year on 20 September. 
• Objective – To observe World Cleanup Day through activities aimed at raising awareness of the role clean-up efforts play in sustainable development. 
• The theme of the inaugural event, taking place on 20 September in the city of Tromsø, Norway, is “Arctic Cities and Marine Litter”. 
• The event, convened with support from UN-Habitat, GRID-Arendal, and the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the municipality of Tromsø. 
• On 8 December 2023, the United Nations General Assembly, in its seventy-eighth session, unanimously adopted resolution 78/122 “World Cleanup Day”, which proclaims 20 September as World Cleanup Day. 

9. 21 September – International Day of Peace 

• International Day of Peace is observed every year on 21 September. 
• The Day is observed by humanity to promote a culture of peace, advocate a halt to hostilities and conflict around the world and resolve disputes and differences through dialogue and peace education. 
• Theme 2024 – Cultivating a Culture of Peace 
• Established in 1981 by a unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace. 
• This year marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. 

Miscellaneous news 

10. ICGA Foundation launches country's first comprehensive cancer genomics repository 

• In a step towards improving the understanding of genetic variations of cancer in the Indian population, the Indian Cancer Genome Atlas (ICGA) Foundation has launched a portal that expects to be a repository of information on multiple aspects of cancer. 
• "The portal will be the first in India to offer data that includes DNA, RNA, and protein profiles of breast cancer patients, integrated with clinical outcomes, Suveera Dhup, Chief Operating Officer, GA Foundation, said. "Historically, cancer treatments in India have been based on Western data sets. However, cancers in Indian patients can differ significantly at the molecular level, Shekhar Mande, former Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and associated with the initiative, said. 
• "Creating a repository this sort and openly. of sharing this data, we are empowering researchers, clinicians, and innovators to collaborate, explore new frontiers, and drive transformative break-throughs in cancer treatment." 
• Currently, the platform consists of data from 50 breast cancer patients, with plans to expand to over 500 patients in the com 
• ICGA expects researchers to use the data to give India-centric insights into cancer. 
• During year, Dr. Dhup said. The data was freely accessible to global research. community, which promotes "ethical sharing and collaboration" in cancer. research. In the months ahead, the 10GA expects publications and analysis by independent researchers who use this data, which will provide insights into unique India-centric insight into breast cancer. 
• Inspiration from TCGA "This repository aims to have institutions break out of the approach of hoarding data. The inspiration for this is the U.S.-based Cancer Genome Atlas (TOGA)," Dr. Dhup said. 
• TCGA is a major cancer-genomics programme that has molecularly characterised over 20,000 primary cancers. It is funded by the U.S.-based National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute, and brings together researchers from diverse disciplines and multiple institutions. "The TCGA has been a remarkable repository of the genomics of cancer and of global importance. 
• However, for a similar Indian initiative to succeed, you not only have to create a system of incentives for institutions to share their data but also have an eco-system of diagnostic companies, hospitals, drug companies that are invested in asking specific research. questions to use the available data," a senior genomics researcher familiar with the inception of the ICGA told The Hindu. Breast cancer, in 2020, surpassed lung cancer as the leading cause of global cancer incidence.