National News

Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu Inaugurated Digi Yatra Facility for 9 Airports

• On 6th September 2024, Union Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu inaugurated the Digi Yatra facility at Visakhapatnam International Airport, Andhra Pradesh.
• The facility was virtually extended to eight other airports: Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Dabolim (Goa), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Bagdogra (West Bengal), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Patna (Bihar), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), and Bhubaneshwar (Odisha).
• During the event, the Minister announced the expansion of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), introduced in 2016 to enhance regional airport connectivity.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation is led by Union Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Minister of State Murlidhar Kisan Mohol.

Science and Technology News

MoHFW Approves ‘BPaLM’, New Treatment Regimen For Multidrug-Resistant TB

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has approved the BPaLM regimen for treating Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) under the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP).
• The BPaLM regimen includes four drugs: Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin, offering a safer, more effective, and quicker treatment option.
• Traditional MDR-TB treatments can last up to 20 months with severe side effects, while the BPaLM regimen can cure drug-resistant TB in just six months.
• The NTEP aims to eliminate TB in India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Banking and Finance News

Union Bank of India Becomes 1st Major Bank to Join the PCAF

• On September 9, 2024, Union Bank of India (UBI) became the first major Indian bank to join the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF).
• This initiative aligns with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) new draft disclosure framework on climate-related financial risks.
• UBI aims to disclose its portfolio’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by FY2027-28 using PCAF’s methodology.
• PCAF helps financial institutions harmonize GHG reporting globally and supports India’s Nationally Determined Contributions and the Paris Agreement.

International News

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune Re-elected For 2nd Term

• Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been re-elected as the President of Algeria for a second term (2024-2029).
• He secured 94.7% of the votes as an Independent candidate, with a voter turnout of 48%.
• Tebboune has been serving as the President of Algeria since 2019 and was previously the Prime Minister in 2017.
• He has also served as the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning and was associated with the National Liberation Front (FLN) from 1991 to 2018.

Appointments and Resignations News

Subrata Mondal Appointed as MD & CEO of IFFCO Tokio General Insurance

• Subrata Mondal has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company Limited (ITGI).
• He replaces H O Suri, who served as MD & CEO since October 2021.
• Mondal has been with ITGI since 2001 and previously held key positions at National Insurance Company Limited (NICL).
• He also worked as a Shift Engineer at the Durgapur Steel Plant in West Bengal before joining the insurance sector.

Appointments and Resignations News

ACC Approves Appointment of IAS Officer Tuhin Kanta Pandey Named as Finance Secretary

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Tuhin Kanta Pandey as the Finance Secretary, Ministry of Finance (MoF).
• Pandey, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, replaces T V Somanathan, who was appointed as the new cabinet secretary.
• He is currently serving as Secretary of the Departments of Public Enterprises (DPE) and Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).
• Pandey has also held significant positions in the Odisha state government, including Principal Secretary of the Finance Department.

Appointments and Resignations News

Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty Assumed Charge as Controller of Personnel Services in IN

• Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty has assumed charge as the Controller of Personnel Services (CPS) in the Indian Navy (IN).
• Previously, he served as the Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy (INA) and was commissioned into the IN on 1st July 1989.
• McCarty has held various roles, including Training Commander at the Naval Academy and Command Plans Officer at the Eastern Naval Command.
• He has also served as India’s Defence Adviser to Singapore and was elevated to Flag Rank in February 2020.

Defence News

India Successfully Test Fires Agni-4 Ballistic Missile in Odisha’s Chandipur

• India successfully launched the Agni-4 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha.
• The launch was conducted under the supervision of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and validated all operational and technical parameters.
• Agni-4, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has a range of 4,000 kilometers and can carry nuclear warheads.
• The missile is equipped with an indigenous-built ring laser gyroscope with a Micro Inertial Navigation System (MINGS), achieving 100 meters accuracy.

Defence News

CSL Launched INS Malpe & INS Mulki, the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water-Crafts, for Indian Navy

• On 10th September 2024, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) launched two Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water-Crafts (ASW-SWCs) named INS Malpe and INS Mulki for the Indian Navy.
• These are the 4th and 5th ships of the 8 ASW-SWC project being built by CSL for the Indian Navy.
• The vessels are 78.0 meters long, 11.36 meters wide, and have a displacement of about 900 tonnes.
• They are designed to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters and are equipped with state-of-the-art Sound Navigation and Ranging (SONARs) for underwater surveillance.

Science and Technology News

China’s Geespace Launched 10 LEO Satellites, Equivalent to SpaceX’s Starlink

• On 6th September 2024, Geespace, a satellite technology company backed by Geely Technology Group, launched 10 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
• This marks the first time a Chinese commercial aerospace company has offered LEO satellite communication on an international level.
• The constellation now comprises 30 satellites covering 90% of the globe with 24-hour communication services.
• Geespace aims to build a network of 6,000 satellites to provide global broadband services similar to SpaceX’s Starlink.

Sports News

Tennis: Italy’s Jannik Sinner won Men’s Singles Title at US Open 2024; Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka won Women’s Singles Title

• The US Open 2024 was held from 19th August to 8th September 2024 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, USA.
• Jannik Sinner of Italy won the Men’s Singles title by defeating Taylor Fritz of the USA in the finals.
• Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus won the Women’s Singles title by defeating Jessica Pegula of the USA.
• The tournament featured outdoor hard courts and showcased top tennis talent from around the world.

Obituary News

Sahitya Akademi Award Winning English Prof K. Chellappan Passed Away

• Renowned English teacher and translator K. Chellappan passed away at the age of 88 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• He was honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2020 for his translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s novel ‘Gora’ from Bengali to Tamil.
• Chellappan was a former Professor and Head of the Department of English at Bharathidasan University, Trichy.
• He has translated many Tamil books into English and received several literary awards, including the Poet Bharathidasan Award and the Tamil Chemmal Award.

Important Days News

International Literacy Day 2024 – September 8

• International Literacy Day (ILD) is observed annually on 8th September to highlight the importance of literacy for individuals, communities, and societies.
• The 2024 theme is “Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace.”
• During ILD 2024 events, UNESCO awarded the International Literacy Prizes to six exceptional literacy programs from Austria, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Panama.
• In India, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar presided over the ILD 2024 celebrations in New Delhi.

Important Days News

International Vulture Awareness Day 2024 – September 7

• International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) is observed annually on the first Saturday of September to raise awareness about vulture conservation.
• IVAD 2024 was observed on 7th September 2024.
• WWF-India, in collaboration with Bird Count India and eBird, launched Vulture Count 2024, a vulture estimating program across India.
• The count runs from 7th September to 6th October 2024, aligning with IVAD 2024.

Important Days News

World Physiotherapy Day 2024 – September 8

• World Physiotherapy Day is observed annually on 8th September to raise awareness about the importance of physical therapy.
• The 2024 theme is “Low Back Pain and the Role of Physiotherapy in its Management and Prevention.”
• The day honors the work of physiotherapists and promotes the importance of physiotherapy in healthcare.
• World Physiotherapy represents over 600,000 physiotherapists from member organizations in 128 countries/territories.

State News

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi Launches CM-KISAN Yojana

• On September 8, 2024, Odisha’s Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the ‘CM-KISAN Yojana’ during the Nuakhai festival in Sambalpur.
• The scheme replaces the ‘Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA)’ scheme and focuses on supporting small, marginal, and landless farmers.
• For FY2024-25, the Odisha government has allocated Rs 1,935 crore for the CM-KISAN Yojana.
• Small and marginal farmers will receive Rs 4,000 annually in two installments, while landless agricultural households will receive Rs 12,500 annually in three installments.

State News

Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu Launches HRTC’s National Common Mobility Card for Cashless Travel Across India

• Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu launched the Himachal Road Transport Corporation’s (HRTC) National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) for cashless travel across India.
• The card allows users to access public transportation nationwide without cash and is the first of its kind in India.
• Developed in collaboration with the State Bank of India (SBI), the card is a contactless, dual-interface, EMV-chip-based prepaid card.
• The card can be used in transit networks like the Delhi Metro and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and offers multiple payment options to passengers.