Defence News

20th India-US Joint Military Exercise ‘YUDH ABHYAS’ Commences in Rajasthan

• On September 9, 2024, the 20th edition of the India-United States Joint Military Exercise ‘YUDH ABHYAS’ began at the Foreign Training Node in Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.
• The exercise will run until September 22, 2024, and marks a significant increase in both scope and complexity.
• This year’s exercise involves increased troop strength and advanced equipment, with 600 personnel from the Indian Army’s RAJPUT Regiment and 600 personnel from the USA’s 1-24 Battalion of the Alaska-based 11th Airborne Division.
• The exercise aims to strengthen interoperability, camaraderie, and defense cooperation, focusing on joint counter-terrorism capabilities in a semi-desert environment under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

National News

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana Completes 5 Years of Successful Implementation

• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), a Central Sector Scheme providing social security to landholding Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs), has completed 5 years since its launch on September 12, 2019.
• Administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in partnership with the Life Insurance Corporation of India, the scheme offers a fixed monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to eligible SMFs after they reach the age of 60.
• PM-KMY is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme aimed at ensuring better income for farmers in their old age.
• The scheme has been instrumental in providing financial security to farmers across the country.

Defence News

Indian Army & IAF Signed MoU with GSV To Enhance Logistics Expertise

• The Indian Army (IA) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) to enhance logistics capabilities.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister Rajnath Singh, General Anil Chauhan, and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi.
• The agreement aims to strengthen logistics expertise by developing in-house knowledge and skills essential for modern logistics operations.
• It aligns with national development strategies like the National Logistics Policy 2022 and the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti National Master Plan 2021.

Defence News

MoD Signed Rs 26,000 Crore Contract with HAL for 240 AL-31FP Aero Engines

• On September 9, 2024, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a Rs 26,000 crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 240 AL-31FP Aero Engines for Su-30MKI aircraft.
• The contract aims to fulfill the Indian Air Force’s requirements to sustain the operational capability of the Su-30 fleet.
• These aero-engines will be manufactured at HAL’s Koraput division in Odisha, with an annual supply of 30 engines over the next 8 years.
• By the end of the delivery program, HAL aims to enhance the indigenization content up to 63%.

Important Days News

UNGA Declares July 6 as ‘World Rural Development Day’

• On September 6, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution proclaiming July 6 of every year as “World Rural Development Day” (WRDD).
• The first-ever WRDD will be observed on July 6, 2025, to accelerate actions on rural development to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
• The resolution was initiated by Bangladesh and supported by countries including India, Nepal, Peru, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
• WRDD aims to call for global attention and response to the importance of rural development.

International News

Nepal Becomes 101st Full Member of International Solar Alliance

• Nepal has become the 101st country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a full member.
• The Instrument of Ratification was exchanged between Nepal’s Charge d’Affaires Dr. Surendra Thapa and Abhishek Singh, Joint Secretary of Economic Diplomacy Multilateral Economic Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, India.
• The ISA was established in 2015 as a joint effort by India and France to mobilize efforts against climate change through solar energy solutions.
• ISA’s ‘Towards 1000’ strategy targets mobilizing USD 1 trillion investments in solar energy by 2030, providing clean energy access to 1 billion people, and installing 1 terawatt of solar energy capacity.

Summit and Conference News

IATA Announces Theme for 2024 World Safety and Operations Conference

• The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced the theme for its 2nd World Safety and Operations Conference (WSOC) 2024 as “Embracing Innovation and Technology for Safe and Efficient Operations.”
• WSOC 2024 will take place from October 1-3, 2024, in Marrakech, Morocco, hosted by Royal Air Maroc.
• The conference will feature over 45 hours of expert sessions across four tracks: Safety, Cabin, Flight Operations, and Crisis Management.
• It will provide over 15 hours of exclusive networking opportunities and highlight the latest innovative solutions from sponsors and exhibitors.

Banking and Finance News

SBI Launches 3 New Offerings To Ease Payments For Commuters

• The State Bank of India (SBI) has launched three new offerings: MTS RuPay NCMC prepaid card, the OneView mobile application, and an advanced design for the SBI FASTag.
• The MTS RuPay NCMC prepaid card provides a seamless, offline payment solution for transport systems, including metro rails, buses, ferries, tolls, and parking.
• The OneView mobile app allows customers to top-up, track, and manage their NCMC prepaid cards from a single platform.
• The advanced design for SBI FASTag aims to improve vehicle identification and toll collection efficiency, reducing travel time for commuters across India.

International News

US Government to Partner with IIT Madras Research Park for SE, GH, EVs, & Batteries, and GBs

• The US Government and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras Research Park (IITMRP) will partner to work in four broad areas: Solar Energy (SE), Green Hydrogen (GH), Electric Vehicles (EVs), and Batteries, and Green Buildings (GBs).
• The partnership aims to bring together researchers, academia, and industry from both countries to build an ecosystem in these areas.
• Dedicated working groups will be established to focus on each area, with one member from the American government and one from IITMRP.
• The USA will also assist Tamil Nadu in cleaning the Cooum River, leveraging expertise from San Antonio.

Appointments and Resignations News

Home Minister Amit Shah Unanimously Re-elected as Chairperson of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language

• Union Minister Amit Shah has been unanimously re-elected as the Chairperson of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language.
• Amit Shah has held the position from 2019 to 2024, and the committee was reconstituted during a meeting in New Delhi.
• The Department of Official Language is developing software for automatic translation of languages in the 8th Schedule on a technical basis.
• The Committee of Parliament on Official Language aims to increase Hindi’s acceptance without competing with other Indian languages.

Science and Technology News

NSPL, Subsidiary of Nibe Limited, is Set to Establish India’s 1st Earth Observation Satellite Constellation

• Nibe Space Private Limited (NSPL) announced plans to set up India’s 1st multi-sensor, all-weather, high-revisit Earth Observation Satellite Constellation (EOSC).
• The initiative aims to promote India’s defense and space capabilities while fostering self-reliance in the defense-space sector.
• NSPL has signed MoUs with leading Indian and global infrastructure and defense companies to collaborate as a consortium.
• The consortium aims to deploy a constellation of 40 Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites over the next 5 to 6 years, offering high-resolution imagery and enhanced revisit times for defense and strategic purposes.

Science and Technology News

Six New Ginger Species Discovered in West Bengal, Meghalaya & Mizoram

• Two scientists from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Bhopal have discovered six new ginger species in West Bengal, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.
• The species are Globba corniculata, Globba paschimbengalensis, Globba polymorpha, Globba tyrnaensis, Globba janakiae, and Globba yadaviana.
• Researchers have also discovered a new species of Curcuma named ‘Curcuma ungmensis’ in Nagaland.
• The detailed research findings were published in the international journal Phytotaxa.

Obituary News

Renowned Film Scholar Aruna Vasudev, ‘Mother of Asian Cinema’ Passed Away

• Aruna Vasudev, a renowned Indian film scholar, critic, festival curator, and painter, has passed away at the age of 88 in New Delhi.
• She was known as the ‘Mother of Asian Cinema’ for her contributions to raising interest and knowledge about Asian film cultures globally.
• In 1988, she launched ‘Cinemaya: The Asian Film Quarterly,’ a pioneering film magazine specialized in Asian cinema.
• She established the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) in 1991 and directed around 20 documentaries, among other achievements.

Important Days News

15th Himalaya Diwas – 9 September 2024

• Himalaya Diwas, also known as Himalaya Day, is observed annually on September 9 to raise awareness about the importance of the Himalayan mountain range and its ecosystem.
• The 15th edition of Himalaya Diwas was observed on September 9, 2024.
• The day was first observed in Uttarakhand in 2010 and was officially declared by the then Chief Minister Harish Rawat in 2014.
• The Uttarakhand government began celebrating Himalaya Diwas officially in 2015.

Important Days News

International Day to Protect Education from Attack – 9 September 2024

• The United Nations’ International Day to Protect Education from Attack is observed annually on September 9 to raise awareness about the need to preserve education and protect it from attacks.
• The 5th International Day to Protect Education from Attack was observed on September 9, 2024.
• The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on May 28, 2020.
• The first-ever International Day to Protect Education from Attack was observed on September 9, 2020.

Important Days News

World Suicide Prevention Day 2024 – September 10

• World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is observed annually on September 10 to spread awareness about suicide prevention and reduce stigma.
• The triennial theme for World Suicide Prevention Day for 2024-2026 is ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’ with the call to action ‘Start the Conversation.’
• The theme aims to promote awareness about the significance of reducing stigma and encouraging open discussion to prevent suicides.
• The day highlights the importance of mental health awareness, intervention, and support for people with suicidal thoughts.

Appointments and Resignations News

IAS Officer Manish Kumar Gupta Appointed Chief Secretary of AR

• The Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed Manish Kumar Gupta, a 1991 batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, as the new Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh.
• He replaced CS Dharmendra, who has been appointed as Chief Secretary of Delhi.
• Manish Kumar Gupta has served as the Principal Secretary of MHA and as the Additional CS in the Delhi administration.
• His appointment is effective immediately.