Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 28th September 2024

1. U.K. backs permanent seat in UNSC for India 

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined the leaders of the U.S. and France in backing India's bid for a permanent seat on the UNSC to make it a more representative body that is not "paralysed by politics". 
• During his speech at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday, Mr. Starmer called for reforms to ensure the global multilateral system is "more representative and more responsive". Besides permanent representation for India, Africa, Brazil, Japan and Germany, the U.K. also made a pitch for more seats for elected members of the Security Council. 
• "So we will make the case not just for fairer out-comes, but fairer representation in how we reach them; and this also applies to the Security Council. It has to change to become a more representative body, willing to act not para- lysed by politics. We want to see permanent African representation on the Council, Brazil, India, Japan and Germany as permanent members, and more seats for elected members as well," he said. 

2. Telangana government launched the ‘Telangana Darshini’ scheme for student tours. 

• Telangana Darshini's aim is to provide students immersive learning experience outside the classroom. 
• This scheme has been launched under the Youth Advancement, Tourism, and Culture (T&PMU) Department. 
• It has been designed to take school and college students on educational tours across the State. 
• This scheme will help students in knowing about the state heritage sites, historical monuments, dynamic urban landscapes and scientific institutions. 
• The programme has been structured to fulfil the educational needs of different age groups, from class 2 up to graduation. 
• Students of classes 5 to 8 could also participate in day trips within a 20-30 kilometre radius of their schools. 
• Students of Class 9 to intermediate level tours will be more extensive and will cover distances of 50-70 kilometres and lasting for two days. 

3. India joined the Minerals Security Finance Network. 

• India has become a part of the Minerals Security Finance Network. 
• It is a US-led Network to strengthen cooperation among members to secure supply chains for critical minerals. 
• It is a new initiative that originated from the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP). It is a pact of 14 countries and the European Union. 
• Earlier, in June 2023, India had been inducted into the MSP. 
• Its main aim is to catalyze public and private investment in critical mineral supply chains globally. 
• The MSP grouping is focused on the supply chains of minerals such as cobalt, nickel, lithium and also the 17 “rare earth” minerals. 
• Rare earth elements is classified as light RE elements (LREE) and heavy RE elements (HREE). 

4. Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu in Telangana. 

• President Droupadi Murmu graced the 21st convocation of NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad. 
• She also inaugurated the Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav at Rashtrapati Nilayam in Secunderabad. 
• The art, culture, crafts, and culinary diversity of the North Eastern states will be showcased at the eight day-long Kala Mahotsav. 
• At the Bharatiya Kala Mahotsav, artisans and artists from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura will bring alive the vibrancy of the North-East region. 
• The event will be attended by the union ministers and state governors of all eight participating states. 

5. Liberal Democratic Party leader, Shigeru Ishiba, will become Japan’s next prime minister. 

• Mr. Ishiba has won in the run-off against hardline nationalist Sanae Takaichi. 
• Mr. Ishiba secured 215 votes compared to Mr. Takaichi’s 194. 
• Mr. Ishiba will take office as the next Prime Minister (PM) once parliament convenes in October. 
• Former Defence Minister Ishiba has become the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. 
• Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has ruled the country for the past seven decades. 

6. Government declared Eco-Sensitive Zone around Gir protected areas. 

• The central government has declared 1.84 lakh hectares near the Gir Protected Area as an Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ). 
• The area under 10 km of the outer boundary of the Gir Protected Area is considered ESZ. 
• As per the notification, the Eco-Sensitive Zone distance from the sanctuary will range from 2.78 kilometres to 9.50 kilometres.
• This ESZ has 196 villages in three districts and 17 rivers. 
• The new ESZ will include more than 24 thousand hectares of forest area and 1.59 lakh hectares of non-forest area. 
• Gir Protected Area is home to Asiatic lions. 
• Gujarat has set aside 1,468.16 square kilometres for lions and wildlife, which includes the Gir National Park, Gir, Paniya, and Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuaries. 

7. Indian Army celebrated 198th Gunners Day. 

• Indian Army celebrated 198th Gunners Day on 28th September. 
• It is celebrated to commemorate the raising of the first Indian Artillery Unit, namely, 5 (Bombay) Mountain Battery, in 1827. 
• The Regiment of Artillery, one of the largest arms of the Indian Army, played an important role in the wars of 1947-48, 1962, 1965, 1971, and 1999. 
• The standardisation of the 155mm artillery gun and the integration of advanced systems such as Ultra-Light Howitzers, K9 Vajra, and Sharang guns are important steps towards the modernization of the artillery regiment. 
• In the 14th century, Artillery was first used in India by the Bahmani Kings during the Deccan War against Vijaynagar Kingdom. 

8. Central government will collect ₹20,000 crore by issuing ‘Sovereign Green Bonds’ in the second half (October-March) of the financial year 2024-25. 

• The green bonds will be issued in four tranches. Each tranche will be valued at ₹5,000 crore. 
• The first tranche will consist of a 10-year Sovereign Green Bond. 
• It is scheduled for issuance between November 25 and November 29. 
• A 30-year bond worth ₹5,000 crore will be issued from December 9 to December 13. 
• The third tranche is set for January 27 to January 31. It is again a 10-year bond. 
• The final tranche will consist of a 30-year green bond. It will be issued between February 17 and February 21. 
• Sovereign Green Bonds are a form of government debt. 
• Their purpose is to provide funding for initiatives that aid India's shift to a low-carbon economy. 
• The money raised will specifically go towards supporting environmentally friendly projects in the public sector and other environmentally sustainable initiatives. 

9. Government will borrow ₹6.61 lakh crore during October-March. 

• Bonds worth ₹6.61 lakh crore will be sold by the government during October-March period of current fiscal. 
• Overall borrowing for fiscal is likely to be less than ₹ 14.01 lakh crore (total budget estimates). 
• ₹7.4 lakh crore were borrowed by the government during April-September period. 
• ₹6.61 lakh crore, or 47.2%, of the gross market borrowing of ₹14.01 lakh crore scheduled for FY 2024–2025 is expected to be borrowed in the second half. 
• In the second half, there will be 21 weekly auctions for borrowing. 
• The combined amount of the three-, five-, and seven-year bonds will be 23.5% of the entire amount borrowed. 
• The bonds with maturities of 10 and 15 years would account for 24.8% and 13.2% of the total, respectively. 
• Bonds with terms of 30 years, 40 years, and 50 years would have respective shares of 12.1%, 15.9%, and 10.6%. 
• With the maximum duration of 364 days, the government will grossly borrow ₹2.47 lakh crore using treasury bills. 
• Every week, the government plans to sell treasury bills worth ₹19,000 crore. 
• These bills are interest-free. These are redeemed at face value after being issued at a discount. 
• The Ways and Mean Advances for the October–March period have been set by the RBI at ₹50,000 crore. 

10. India and Uzbekistan signed an Investment Treaty. 

• To boost investor confidence, India and Uzbekistan signed a Bilateral Investment Treaty. 
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Khodjayev Jamshid Abdukhakimovich signed this treaty. 
• The Bilateral Investment Treaty will ensure appropriate protection for Uzbekistan investors in India and Indian investors in Uzbekistan. 
• It will boost the confidence of investors by providing a minimum standard of treatment and non-discrimination. 
• It will also ensure transparency, transfers and compensation for losses. 
• This will pave the way to increase bilateral investments.