National News

CPCB Introduces Strict EC Guidelines for Battery Waste Management Violations

• On September 10, 2024, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) introduced stringent Environmental Compensation (EC) guidelines to penalize violations of the Battery Waste Management (BWM) Rules, 2022.
• The guidelines aim to promote proper battery waste management practices and enhance environmental sustainability across India.
• Penalties will be imposed not only for failing to comply with battery waste disposal regulations but also for failing to meet metal-specific Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) targets.
• The government has set EPR credit costs ranging from Rs 18 per kilogram for lead batteries to Rs 2,400 per kilogram for lithium batteries.
• Financial penalties for non-compliance will increase with repeated violations, and stricter sanctions, including unit closure and legal action, will be imposed for delays in payments beyond three months.

Sports News

Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Chairs Joint Meeting on Anti-Doping

• On September 17, 2024, Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chaired the 2nd Formal Meeting of the COP9 Bureau and the 3rd Formal Meeting of the Fund’s Approval Committee under the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport in New Delhi.
• The meetings aimed to promote international collaboration in the fight against doping, emphasizing integrity, fairness, and inclusivity in sports.
• Key dignitaries, including Minister of State Raksha Nikhil Khadse and high-level representatives from various countries, attended the inaugural session.
• A significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and National Law University, Delhi (NLU Delhi) to enhance cooperation in anti-doping law, policy, and education.
• The MoU aims to develop joint certificate courses, academic research, and organize seminars, workshops, and conferences to raise awareness and foster a more inclusive approach to anti-doping practices.

International News

EAM Jaishankar Releases India-Romania Joint Commemorative Stamps

• On September 17, 2024, Union Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, along with Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Romanian Ambassador Daniela-Mariana Sezonov, released India-Romania joint commemorative stamps in New Delhi.
• The event marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Romania and the 10th anniversary of their extensive partnership.
• India and Romania established diplomatic relations in 1948 and raised it to the Ambassadorial level in 1968.
• Recent agreements between the two countries include an MoU on tourism cooperation, an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic passport holders, and a cultural exchange program for 2022-2027.
• Indian investments in Romania are estimated at USD 1.5 billion, while Romanian investments in India are under USD 50 million.

Rank and Reports News

Indira Gandhi International Airport Ranked 24th Among Top ‘Megahub’ Airports Globally

• According to the ‘2024 Megahubs report’ by the UK-based air consultancy firm Official Airline Guide (OAG), Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi has been ranked 24th among the top 25 Megahub airports globally.
• Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is also featured among the top 50 Megahubs, ranking 44th, down from 34th in 2023.
• London Heathrow Airport (LHR) secured the 1st spot, followed by Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) in Malaysia and Tokyo-Haneda International Airport (HND) in Japan.
• The rankings highlight the connectivity and operational efficiency of these airports on a global scale.
• The report underscores the importance of these airports in facilitating international travel and trade.

Rank and Reports News

India Achieves Tier 1 Status in 5th Global Cybersecurity Index 2024

• India has achieved Tier 1 status in the 5th edition of the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024, released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• With an overall score of 98.49, India is featured in the Tier I category along with 46 other countries.
• The assessment covers five pillars: Legal Measures, Technical Measures, Organizational Measures, Capacity Development, and Cooperation.
• India excelled in legal, technical, capacity development, and cooperation, marking them as areas of strength, while organizational measures were identified as an area for potential growth.
• The majority of countries are in Tier 3 or Tier 4, needing to better integrate cybersecurity into their digital services.

Banking and Finance News

SEBI Reduces Bonus Shares Allotment Time to ‘T+2’ Effective from 1st October 2024

• On September 16, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced a new framework to streamline bonus share trading, reducing the time taken for credit of bonus shares from about two weeks to 2 days (T+2 days) from the record date.
• Issuers proposing a bonus issue must apply for in-principle approval within 5 working days from the board meeting approving the bonus issue.
• The record date (T day) and the deemed date of allotment (T+1 day) must be fixed and informed to the stock exchange.
• Stock exchanges will issue confirmation notices, and issuers must ensure submission of requisite documents to Depositories by 12 P.M. of the next working day of the record date.
• The new framework eliminates the previous condition requiring bonus shares to be credited in a temporary ISIN, allowing direct credit into the permanent ISIN.

Banking and Finance News

Paisabazaar Partners with Yes Bank to Launch ‘PaisaSave Credit Card’

• Paisabazaar, India’s largest marketplace for consumer credit, has partnered with Yes Bank Limited to launch the co-branded ‘YES BANK Paisabazaar PaisaSave Credit Card’.
• The card is designed to reward frequent customers with significant cashback on everyday purchases, both online and offline.
• Customers can earn 3% cashback on online purchases across platforms like Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, and more, and 1.5% cashback on offline purchases.
• The card also offers a 1% fuel surcharge waiver at all fuel stations and has no joining fee, with the annual fee waived off on annual spending of Rs 1.2 lakh from the second year.
• The virtual Yes Bank Rupay Credit Card allows for seamless UPI payments, expanding the card’s utility.

Science and Technology News

EaseMyTrip Launches ‘ScanMyTrip.com’ on ONDC Network

• EaseMyTrip, an online travel platform, has introduced ScanMyTrip.com, India’s first travel services marketplace on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) Network.
• EaseMyTrip is the first Online Travel Agency (OTA) to sell and purchase travel services through the ONDC platform.
• ScanMyTrip.com aims to empower OTAs, MSMEs, travel agents, and homestays by allowing them to list their services on the ONDC network.
• The platform will make the onboarding process easier for travel businesses, enabling them to engage with potential travelers and compete in the online marketplace.
• In May 2024, EaseMyTrip signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with ONDC, demonstrating their commitment to digital changes in e-commerce.

International News

Airtel Business Inks Pact with Sparkle to Enhance Connectivity with Europe

• Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Bharti Airtel, has signed an agreement with Italy-based Telecom Italia Sparkle S.p.A. to enhance connectivity between Asia and Europe.
• Airtel will acquire capacity from Sparkle on the Blue-Raman Submarine Cable Systems, connecting India and Italy.
• Sparkle’s Blue-Raman cable system links Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Oman, and India, while Blue connects Italy, France, Greece, and Israel.
• This agreement aims to expand Airtel’s global network to provide data services in India and neighboring countries.
• The enhanced connectivity will support Airtel’s efforts to offer robust and reliable data services.

International News

Korean Ambassador Sang Wook Ham Elected as President of IAEA’s 68th General Conference

• Sang Wook Ham, South Korea’s ambassador to Austria, has been elected as the President of the 68th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• He held the office during the IAEA conference from September 16 to 20, 2024, at the Vienna International Centre in Austria.
• This is the second time South Korea is holding the presidency of the General Conference, the first being in 1989.
• The General Conference elects a president at the beginning of each annual session, who holds office for the duration of the conference.
• In 2023, the President of the Conference was Vilawan Mangklatanakul of Thailand.

Appointments and Resignations News

Amrit Mohan Prasad Assumes Charge as DG of Sashastra Seema Bal

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Amrit Mohan Prasad as the Director General (DG) of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
• Prasad will serve as DG until his superannuation on August 31, 2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• He succeeded Daljit Singh Chawdhary, who handed over the customary baton to Prasad at the SSB Headquarters in New Delhi.
• Prasad, a 1989 batch IPS officer of the Odisha cadre, previously served as SDG of the CRPF and DG of Prisons and Director of Correctional Services in Odisha.
• The SSB, established in 1963, is an Armed Force of the Union of India, guarding the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders.

Science and Technology News

NASA’s DART Mission May Create First Human-Made Meteor Shower

• A study from Cornell University suggests that the debris generated from NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission may result in the first human-made meteor shower.
• In 2022, NASA’s DART spacecraft intentionally collided with asteroid Dimorphos, generating around 2 million pounds of rocks and dust.
• The fragments from the collision could potentially reach Earth and Mars within the next 10 to 30 years, producing visible meteors as they penetrate the Martian atmosphere.
• These meteor showers could last for up to a century, marking a significant event in space exploration.
• The study has been accepted for publication in The Planetary Science Journal.

Sports News

Hockey: Asian Champions Trophy 2024 - India Wins Title for the 5th Time

• The Indian men’s hockey team won the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 by defeating China with a 1-0 score in the finals held in Inner Mongolia, China.
• This victory marks India’s 5th Asian Championship title, with China finishing as runners-up and Pakistan securing third place.
• India previously won the title in 2011, 2016, 2018 (joint winners with Pakistan), and 2023.
• Awards and honors included Yang Jihun as the Top Goal Scorer, Kim Jaehan as the Promising Goalkeeper, and Harmanpreet Singh as the Player of the Tournament.
• The total prize pot for the competition was set at USD 14.8 million, with the winners receiving USD 5 million.

Sports News

Neeraj Chopra Finishes 2nd in Diamond League Final; Anderson Peters Wins Title

• Indian Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra finished second with a throw of 87.86 meters at the 2024 Wanda Diamond League Finals in Brussels, Belgium.
• Anderson Peters of Grenada won his first Diamond League title with a throw of 87.87 meters, while Julian Weber of Germany finished third with a throw of 85.97 meters.
• This was Neeraj Chopra’s 5th appearance in the Diamond League final; he previously won the title in 2022 with an 88.44m throw.
• Neeraj has gained 14 points across two Diamond League meets in 2024 to qualify for the final.
• Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and recently won silver in the 2024 Paris Olympics with a throw of 89.45 meters.

Obituary News

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury Passes Away

• Sitaram Yechury, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M), passed away at the age of 72 in New Delhi.
• Born on August 12, 1952, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Yechury served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal from 2005 to 2017.
• He played a significant role as a CPI(M) interlocutor in the United Front and United Progressive Alliance governments.
• Yechury was also the Head of the International Department of the Central Committee and Editor of the CPI(M) Central Weekly, Peoples’ Democracy.
• His contributions to Indian politics and the CPI(M) were widely recognized and respected.

Important Days News

World Bamboo Day 2024 – September 18

• World Bamboo Day is annually observed on September 18 to raise awareness about the benefits of bamboo and its role as a sustainable resource.
• The observance is led by the World Bamboo Organisation (WBO), an international coordinating body for bamboo practitioners.
• The day was first celebrated on September 18, 2009, during the 8th World Bamboo Congress in Bangkok, Thailand.
• The initiative was started by Kamesh Salam from Assam, who served as the President of the WBO from 2007-2009.
• The day coincides with the Royal Thai Forestry Day of Thailand, emphasizing the importance of bamboo in sustainable development.

Important Days News

World Water Monitoring Day 2024 – September 18

• World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is observed annually on September 18 to raise awareness about water quality issues and promote public involvement in protecting water resources.
• The 2024 theme for World Water Monitoring is “Water For Peace.”
• WWMD was established in 2003 by the American Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) as a global educational program.
• The program was later named the EarthEcho Water Challenge to build public awareness and engagement in water conservation.
• The day honors the US Clean Water Act, enacted in 1972, to restore and protect America’s water resources.