National News

Union Minister Jitendra Singh Launches Web Portal To Monitor Special Swachhata Campaign 4.0 Progress

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh launched a web portal to monitor the progress of Special Campaign 4.0 for Swachhata and reducing pendency.
• The launch event was attended by Nodal Officers for Special Campaign 4.0, Public Grievances, and Appellate Authorities from all 84 Ministries/Departments of the Government of India.
• Special Campaign 4.0 is scheduled from 2nd to 31st October 2024, with a preliminary phase from 16th to 30th September 2024, aiming to institutionalize cleanliness in all central government offices.
• Previous campaigns in 2021, 2022, and 2023 covered 4,04,776 Cleanliness Campaign Sites, freed up 355 lakh square feet of area, and earned Rs. 1162 crore in revenue from scrap disposal.
• The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances will coordinate the campaign, with best practices presented during Good Governance Week 2024 from 19th to 24th December 2024.

Science and Technology News

Union Minister Piyush Goyal Launches ‘BHASKAR Portal’ To Boost India’s Startup Ecosystem

• Union Minister Piyush Goyal launched the Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry (BHASKAR – Rising Sun) Portal in New Delhi to enhance India’s startup ecosystem.
• The BHASKAR Portal is a one-stop digital platform for data dissemination, exchange, and interaction within the startup ecosystem.
• The portal aims to build the world’s largest digital registry for stakeholders in the startup ecosystem, providing unique BHASKAR IDs for personalized interactions.
• It will act as a catalyst for innovation, particularly in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, ensuring inclusive opportunities and regional collaboration.
• The portal will help startups expand and contribute to India’s economic growth.

National News

Highlights of the 54th GST Council Meeting

• The 54th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting, chaired by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, was held on 9th September 2024 in New Delhi.
• The Council recommended reducing the GST rate on cancer drugs Trastuzumab Deruxtecan, Osimertinib, and Durvalumab from 12% to 5%.
• The GST rate for extruded or expanded products, savory or salted food products under HS 1905 9030, was reduced from 18% to 12%.
• A 13-member Group of Ministers (GoM) was constituted to suggest GST rates on various health and life insurance products, with a report due by 30th October 2024.
• The GST Council is a constitutional body introduced through the 101st Amendment Act, 2016, and chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Summit and Conference News

MoPSW Conducted 20th Meeting of MSDC in Goa to Boost India’s Maritime Sector

• The 20th Meeting of the Maritime States Development Council (MSDC) was chaired by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal from 12th to 13th September 2024 in Benaulim, Goa.
• The meeting addressed key maritime initiatives, including port infrastructure modernization, connectivity, maritime tourism, and port security.
• Resolutions were made on over 80 critical issues between the Central Government, States, and Union Territories.
• The meeting included the keel-laying ceremony of India’s largest dredger, a 12,000 Cubic Meter Trailer Suction Hopper Dredger, at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi, Kerala.
• The dredger is being built in collaboration with IHC Holland.

National News

Union Minister Amit Shah Announced Renaming of Port Blair as ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’

• Union Minister Amit Shah announced that Port Blair, the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, will be renamed ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’.
• The renaming is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to remove colonial imprints and represents India’s victory in the freedom struggle.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a significant place in India’s freedom struggle, including the inaugural unveiling of Tiranga by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• The islands are known for their natural beauty, marine life, and historical significance, including the cellular jail where freedom fighters were imprisoned.
• Previous renamings include Ross Island to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep in 2023 and Neil Island and Havelock Island to Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep in 2018.

Science and Technology News

CSTT Launches Website with Technical Terms in 22 Official Indian languages

• The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT) launched a website serving as a central repository for technical terms in all 22 official Indian languages.
• The portal currently hosts 322 glossaries with around 2,200,000 words, aiming to eventually make 450 glossaries available.
• Users can search for equivalent terms of scientific and technical terminology in Indian languages and provide feedback on existing translations.
• The search can be customized based on languages, subjects, dictionary type, or language pairs.
• This initiative aims to provide technical education, including medicine and engineering, in Indian languages.

Summit and Conference News

India Participated in BRICS Literature Forum 2024 in Russia

• India participated in the BRICS Literature Forum 2024, which commenced on 11th September 2024 in Kazan, Russia.
• The forum was inaugurated by Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan, and provided a platform for writers, poets, philosophers, artists, and scholars from BRICS countries.
• The theme of the 2024 BRICS Literature Forum was “World literature in the new reality. Dialogue of traditions, national values, and cultures”.
• India was represented by Madhav Kaushik, President of the Sahitya Akademi, and Dr. K. Sreenivasarao, Secretary of the Sahitya Akademi.
• The forum emphasized the importance of literature in promoting unity and cooperation among various societies across the world.

Rank and Reports News

World Bank Report: Healthy Longevity Could Save 150 Million Lives by 2050, transform developing countries

• The World Bank’s report titled “Unlocking the Power of Healthy Longevity” highlights that investing in healthy longevity could save 150 million lives in Low-and-Middle Income Countries (LMICs) by 2050.
• The report cautions about the rapid increase in the aging population, impacting labor, immigration, healthcare, social protection systems, and economies.
• Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for over 70% of all deaths and a significant portion of disease and disability in LMICs.
• The report suggests alternative care options like community-based care to help countries contain costs and support gender equity.
• Key recommendations include integrating cost-effective clinical services into primary healthcare and imposing excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages.

Summit and Conference News

India Participates in G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting held in Brazil & Held Bilateral Meetings with 7 Countries

• The Indian delegation, led by Minister of State Ram Nath Thakur, attended the G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting (AMM) held in Cuiabá, Brazil, from 12-14 September 2024.
• On the sidelines of the G20 AMM, Ram Nath Thakur held bilateral meetings with the USA, Brazil, Japan, Germany, the UK, Spain, and the UAE.
• These meetings aimed to strengthen India’s agricultural ties globally.
• Brazil holds the presidency of the G20 until 30th November 2024, bringing together the world’s largest economies.
• The G20 includes 19 countries, the African Union, and the European Union.

Summit and Conference News

UNDP and ISO Launch World’s 1st Guidelines to Accelerate SDG Contributions

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) launched ‘ISO/UNDP PAS 53002’, the world’s first international guidelines to accelerate contributions toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The guidelines were introduced at the ISO Annual Meeting 2024 held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
• They provide a structured framework to maximize positive impacts and minimize negative ones, particularly benefiting vulnerable groups.
• The guidelines are applicable to organizations of all types and sizes, globally, across both public and private sectors.
• They align organizational strategies with SDGs, enhance stakeholder engagement, improve sustainability reporting, and support risk management related to sustainability issues.

International News

US International Development Finance Corporation Invests USD 70 Million in India

• The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced an investment of USD 70 million in India’s private sector to enhance health systems, affordable housing, and support small businesses.
• The investment was announced by Nisha Biswal, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of DFC, during her visit to India from September 10-14, 2024.
• A USD 20 million loan was signed with Panacea Biotec Limited to expand production of its hexavalent vaccine, protecting children against six diseases.
• A USD 50 million loan agreement was signed with Vastu Housing Finance Corporation Limited to expand mortgage and home lending in India.
• India is DFC’s largest market, with approximately USD 3.8 billion invested as of FY2023, including USD 820 million in new investments made last year.

Banking and Finance News

RBI Imposes Monetary Penalty of Rs 2.91 Crore on Axis Bank & HDFC Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty totaling Rs 2.91 Crore on Axis Bank Limited and HDFC Bank Limited for deficiencies in statutory and regulatory compliance.
• Axis Bank was fined Rs 1.91 crore for violating provisions of the Banking Regulation Act and failing to comply with directions on Interest Rate on Deposits, KYC, and Credit Flow to Agriculture.
• HDFC Bank was fined Rs 1 crore for failing to comply with directions on Interest rates on deposits, recovery agents engaged by banks, and customer service in banks.
• The fines are related to regulatory and compliance issues and will not impact the legitimacy of transactions or agreements between the banks and their customers.

Banking and Finance News

Moneyview Became India’s 6th Unicorn Startup by Raising Funding at USD 1.2 Billion

• Moneyview, a Bengaluru-based fintech lending platform, became a unicorn after securing Rs 38.6 crore (USD 4.6 million) in equity funding from Accel India and Nexus Venture Partners.
• Moneyview is the 6th Indian startup to achieve unicorn status in 2024, following Krutrim, Perfios, Porter, Rapido, and Ather.
• The company was valued at around Rs 10,086 crore (approximately USD 1.2 billion) through the deal.
• Moneyview has also acquired Jify, an employee benefits startup, to enhance its financial services by expanding into employee-focused solutions.
• Accel India and Nexus Venture, existing investors of Jify, invested Rs 29 crore and Rs 19 crore respectively.

Awards and Recognitions News

MoR Awarded NSG-1 Status To Vijayawada Railway Station in AP

• The Ministry of Railways awarded the Non-Suburban Group-1 (NSG-1) status to Vijayawada Junction Railway Station in Andhra Pradesh.
• Vijayawada railway station is the second station in South Central Railway to achieve NSG-1 status after Secunderabad Junction Railway station.
• The station had a revenue of Rs 528 crore and handled over 16.84 million passengers in 2023-24.
• It has also joined the list of the top 28 elite stations of the Indian Railways.
• Vijayawada railway station has been given the Platinum rating by the Indian Green Building Council and awarded the Best tourist-friendly station by the AP state government.

Awards and Recognitions News

Prasanthi Ram Won Singapore Literature Prize 2024 for ‘Nine Yard Sarees’

• Prasanthi Ram, an Indian-origin lecturer at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, won the Singapore Literature Prize 2024 for her English fiction debut short story ‘Nine Yard Sarees’.
• The short story cycle is about the generations of a Tamil Brahmin family spread over Singapore, Sydney, New York, and Connecticut.
• A total of 17 writers, translators, and comic artists were awarded the Singapore Literature Prize for the year 2024.
• Shubigi Rao won the award for best English creative nonfiction for ‘Pulp III: An Intimate Inventory Of The Banished Book’.
• The best English debut prize went to Peter Ellinger for ‘Down Memory Lane: Peter Ellinger’s Memoirs’.

Appointments and Resignations News

Jordan’s King Abdullah names Jafar Hassan as new Prime Minister

• On 15th September 2024, Jordan’s King Abdullah II appointed Jafar Hassan as the new Prime Minister, replacing Bisher Khasawneh.
• Jafar Hassan is a seasoned diplomat and politician with significant experience in high-ranking roles, including director of His Majesty’s Office and Deputy Prime Minister.
• He served as planning minister of Jordan before becoming King Abdullah II’s chief of staff.
• Hassan was awarded Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun in 2020 for strengthening bilateral relations.
• Jordan’s Parliament is bicameral, with members of the House of Representatives elected every four years, while the king appoints all 65 members of the Senate.

Important Days News

International Day for Interventional Cardiology 2024 – September 16

• The United Nations’ International Day for Interventional Cardiology is observed annually on 16th September to raise public awareness about Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) and interventional cardiology procedures.
• 16th September 2024 marks the 2nd International Day for Interventional Cardiology.
• The day commemorates the first coronary angioplasty performed by Dr. Andreas Roland Grüntzig in 1977 at the University Hospital Zürich in Switzerland.
• The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution proclaiming 16th September as International Day for Interventional Cardiology on 2nd September 2022.
• The first-ever International Day for Interventional Cardiology was observed on 16th September 2023.