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By admin: Sept. 20, 2022

Indian Presidency of ‘AIBD’ extended by one more year

Tags: Summits

India has been again chosen as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute of Broadcasting Development (AIBD) for the next one year.  Currently, Chief Executive Officer, Prasar Bharati and Director General, Doordarshan, Mayank Kumar Agrawal is the President of AIBD.  

The decision to extend India’s Presidency was taken at the two day (19-20 September) 47^th  Annual General Conference of the AIBD held in New Delhi on 20 September.

The Conference was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) :

• The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) was established in August 1977 under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
• The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) are the founding organisations of the Institute.
• At present 26 countries are its members.
• Headquarters : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Priyanka Chopra advocates children's rights in an address to the United Nation General Assembly

Tags: Person in news International News

Indian actress and the Global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 19 September 2022 in New York.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Priyanka Chopra who was appointed UNICEF Goodwill ambassador in 2016 talked about Children's rights at the 77th UNGA High Level Week.
• The 77th UNGA opened on 13 September 2022 and the High Level Weeks will be held from 19-23 September in New York.
• High Level weeks is a five day event where invited speakers, speaks on topics selected by the United Nations like Sustainable Development Goals, Transforming Education Summits etc.
• Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation at the 77th UNGA.

Gujarati Film ‘Chhello Show’ is India’s entry for Oscars Award 2023

Tags: National Awards

The Gujarati film Chhello Show (Last Film Show) has been chosen as India's entry for the ‘Best Feature Film Category’ at the 95th Academy awards (popularly known as Oscar awards).

The film has been directed by Pan Nalin and it features  Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena, Dipen Raval and Paresh Mehta as the  actors.

The film premiered in the Tribeca Film Festival, New York in 2021.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Last year, Tamil drama Koozhangal (Pebbles), directed by filmmaker Vinothraj PS, was selected as India’s official entry in the Best International Feature Film category.
• Till date no Indian film has won any Oscar awards .Only three films from India have made it to the final five in the International film category.
• These films are Mother India (1958), Salaam Bombay (1989) and Lagaan (2001).
• The first film from India to be nominated for an Oscar was Mother India in 1957.
• The 95th Academy Awards ceremony will be held  in Los Angeles, United States of America  on March 12, 2023.

Indian Coast Guard and the US Coast Guard conduct joint exercise 'Abhyas-01/22’ off Chennai coast

Tags: Defence

The Indian Coast Guard and American Coast Guard conducted a joint exercise 'Abhyas-01/22' off the coast of Chennai on 19 September 2022.

Joint exercise 'Abhyas-01/22' marked the culmination of the four-day goodwill visit of the US Coast Guard ship Midgett to Chennai.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Indian Coast Guard :

• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was officially established on 1st February 1977. 

• It comes under the Union Ministry of Defence.
• Its main role is to prevent seaborne smuggling of goods, to ensure the safety and protection of the islands, and to provide protection and assistance to the Indian fishermen and mariners at the high seas.
• Motto: “Vayam Rakshamah - We Protect”
• Headquarters: Ministry of Defence, New Delhi
• Director-General: Virender Singh Pathania

RBI mandates Chief Compliance Officer for Tier 3 and 4 Urban Cooperative Banks

Tags: Economy/Finance

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 19 September 2022 mandated the Tier 3 and 4 Urban Cooperative Banks (UCB) to appoint chief compliance officers to supervise compliance risk in the bank.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

What is a Compliance Risk ? 

• According to the RBI, Compliance risk is the risk of legal or regulatory sanctions, material financial loss or loss of reputation a UCB may suffer, as a result of its failure to comply with laws, regulations, rules, and codes of conduct, etc., applicable to its activities. 

Tenure of Compliance Officer :

• According to the RBI the minimum tenure of the chief compliance officer shall be 3 years.

Timeline for the Urban Cooperative banks to appoint compliance officer :

• ·The tier-4 Urban Cooperative Bank (UCBs) have to appoint a chief compliance officer by April 1, 2023. Tier-4 UCB are banks with a deposit of more than Rs 10,000 crores.
• The tier -3 UCB has to appoint chief compliance officer latest by October 1, 2023.Tier-3 UCB are banks with a deposit of more than Rs 1,000 crores and less than Rs 10,000 crores.
• The tier-1 and tier-2 UCB will continue to be governed under the existing guidelines.
• Tier-2 UCB are banks with a deposit of more than Rs 1, 00 crores and less than Rs 1,000 crores.
• ·Tier-1 UCB are banks with a deposit upto Rs 100 crores. 

What is a Primary Urban Co-operative Bank ? 

• Primary Co-operative Banks, popularly known as Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) are registered as cooperative societies under the provisions of, either the State Cooperative Societies Act of the State concerned under the provisions of the or the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002. 

Who regulates the UCB ? 

• There is a duality of control over the UCB. It is regulated by the Registrar of Cooperatives and also by the RBI. 
• One agency regulates them for being cooperatives and another regulates its banking function.

Cooperative functions Regulator :

• If they have been set up under the state cooperative law then they will be regulated and supervised by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS) of the concerned State.
• If the UCB has been registered under the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, then they are regulated by the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS), Government of India. 

Regulation of banking function :

• The Banking Regulation Act 1949 was made applicable on these banks from 1 March, 1966.
• The Reserve Bank regulates and supervises the banking functions of UCBs under the provisions of Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Dhar wind project commissioned by Adani Green Energy

Tags: place in news Economy/Finance State News

The Adani Green Energy Limited has commissioned a 325 megawatt wind energy plant in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. In a statement issued by the company on 19 September 2022 the total operational capacity of the company has now increased to 6.1 gigawatt (GW).

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Wind Energy in India :

• India has the fourth largest installed wind power capacity in the world after China, U.S and Germany.
• The Government of India has set a target of 140 GW of installed wind power capacity by 2030.
• According to the Government of India the current installed capacity in India was 40.13 GW (source PIB).
• Tamil Nadu has the largest installed wind power capacity in the country followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Tamil Nadu has the country’s biggest onshore wind farm in the form of the 1,500 MW Muppandal facility located in Kanyakumari district.

Nirmala Sitharaman urges IFC Managing Director Diop to increase Investment in India

Tags: Economy/Finance Person in news

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) Managing Director Makhtar Diop, who is on a visit to India met the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 19 September 2022 in New Delhi.

In a series of tweets by the finance ministry, Sitharaman said that India expects an increase in IFC lending in India.

She said that India expects IFC to increase its lending to USD 2-2.5 billion in the next 1-2 years and further to USD 3-3.5 billion in next 3-4 years.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

International Finance Corporation :

• It is a part of the World Bank Group and was set up in 1956.
• It does not provide loans to the government but invests in the private sector companies of the member countries. It invests in the shares and the debt instruments of private companies.
• Headquarters: Washington DC, United States of America.
• Director General: Makhtar Diop
• Member Countries: 186

Bangladesh win SAFF Women's Football Championship for the first time

Tags: Sports Sports News

Bangladesh registered a historic title win for the first time by defeating Nepal 3-1 in the final of the SAFF(South Asian Football Federation) Women's Football Championship at Rangshala Stadium in Kathmandu on 19 September.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• In the tournament, Bangladesh captain Sabina Khatun scored the most goals in five matches with eight goals.

• She was adjudged the best player of the tournament for her outstanding performance. The Bangladesh team was also given the Fair Play Award.

• Bangladesh goalkeeper Rupana Chakma was named the best goalkeeper. In the tournament, she blocked most of the goals scored against Bangladesh and allowed only one goal.

• 5-time champion India failed to play in the final of the sixth edition.

• Nepal knocked out India in the semifinals.

SAFF Women's football Championship :

• Currently the member countries of SAFF are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

• It is held every two years.

• India has won the first 5 editions so far, beating Nepal four times and Bangladesh once in the final.

• SAFF was founded in 2010.

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur inaugurates All India Police Judo Cluster in New Delhi

Tags: place in news Sports Person in news

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur inaugurated the 7th edition of the All India Police Judo Cluster 2022 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex in New Delhi on 19 September 2022.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The event is being organized by Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) and will be held from 19-24 September 2022.
• More than 1,500 players from 41 teams are participating in the competition. 

Raising Day of Railway Police Force (RPF)

Tags: Important Days

RPF Raising day is observed every year o­n the 20th of September, the day on which the Railway Protection Force (RPF) was elevated as an Armed Force of the Union.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The Railway Police Force was included in the Central Armed Forces in the year 1985.

• In 1965 it was renamed as "Railway Protection Special Force".

• In 1966, the RPF was given legal powers for better protection of railway property by enacting the Railway Property (Unlawful Rights) Act.

• It is the 37th Raising Day of RPF.

• RPF has been entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding railway property.

• Director General of RPF - Sanjay Chander

The entire MiG -21 squadron to be retired by 2025: IAF

Tags: Defence

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has announced that it is retiring its 51 Squadron consisting of MiG 21 Bison aircraft based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir by September 2022.

After this, only three squadrons of the MIG 21 Bison planes would be left in service and would be phased out by the year 2025.

The Indian Air Force plans to retire one squadron each of these planes per year and the last one will be phased out in 2025.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Squadron 51 :

• The squadron 51 which is also known as ‘Sword Arm’ became famous after it thwarted the Pakistan Air Force attack on India on 27, February 2019 after the IAF bombed terrorist site in Balakote, Pakistan.
• Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman, who was awarded Vir Chakra for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 during a dogfight over the Line of Control on February 27, 2019, was in the No. 51 squadron then. 
• It is the only instance in the world where a Mig-21 plane has shot down F-16 planes.

MiG 21 and its high crash rates :

• MiG stands for Mikoyan and Gurevich and i, is the Russian word for and.
• They were two Soviet engineers who designed the MiG series of fighter jets for the Soviet Union.
• India inducted MiG-21 fighters in 1963 and it inducted a total 874 planes.
•  More than 400 MiG-21s have been involved in accidents that have claimed the lives of around 200 pilots during the last six decades.
• One of the main reasons for the high rates of crashes is that it is the largest number of planes in the IAF.  
• The IAF has been forced to fly Mig-21 despite the fact that it has outlived its age. The government of India has failed to buy an adequate number of planes to replace existing MiG -21 planes.
• Now the government plans to replace the MiG-21 plane with the various versions of the indigenously developed Tejas fighter Aircraft.

52nd Arab Information Minister's Council session held in Egypt

Tags: National News

The Arab League announced the start of the 52nd round of meetings of the Council of Arab Information Ministers on 19 September, chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Egypt.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The three-day meeting includes the 15th regular round of the Executive Office and the 97th regular round of the Standing Committee of Arab Media.

• Ahmed Rashid Khattabi, Assistant Secretary-General and Observer for Media and Communications at the Arab League, attended the meeting on behalf of the Arab League's Secretary-General Ahmed Abul Gheit.

• The meeting will discuss a range of issues related to continuing media support for Arab Palestine and activating the Arab Media Strategic Goals 2022-2026.

• Arab Media Ministers will discuss a number of organizational and structural issues.

About Arab League :

• It is a union of Arabic-speaking African and Asian countries.

• It was formed in Cairo in 1945 to promote the independence, sovereignty and interests of its member states and observers.

• It currently consists of 22 different member states and four observer states.

SBI directs it branches to settle trade in local currency with Bangladesh

Tags: Economy/Finance

India’s largest bank, State Bank of India (SBI) has asked its branches to avoid settling trade deals with Bangladesh in foreign currencies as the country is facing a major economic crisis and shortage of foreign exchanges. The SBI has instead asked its branch to settle trade in Indian Rupees and Bangladeshi Taka.

SBI fears large-scale defaults by Bangladeshi importers, if the country’s foreign exchange situation exacerbates.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Economic crisis in Bangladesh :

• Bangladesh is the latest neighbouring country which is facing an economic crisis after Sri Lanka and Pakistan.  
• According to the Bangladesh Bank (the Central Bank of Bangladesh), the country's foreign exchange reserves declined to $37 billion on 16 September 2022 from $48 billion a year earlier. 
• It is barely enough to cover Bangladesh's five month import. 
• Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves started dwindling after a sharp increase in the global commodity prices, especially of oil and gas due to the Russia-Ukraine war. 
• Bangladesh has approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $4.5 billion loan to deal with its foreign exchange crisis.

Bangladesh an important Trade Partner of India : 

• Bangladesh was the 4th largest export market of India in 2021-22 after the USA, UAE and China.
• According to the government of India’s data, India’s export to Bangladesh in the April to July 2022 period increased to $$4.94 billion, a growth of 17% as compared to last year. The import in the same period from Bangladesh was $580.7 million. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

People’s Republic of Bangladesh :

• Capital: Dhaka 
• Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina Wazed 
• President: Abdul Hamid
• Currency: Taka 

Union Bank and Federal Bank starts RBI Digital KCC pilot Project in MP and Tamilnadu respectively

Tags: place in news Economy/Finance State News

The public sector bank Union Bank of India and the private banks Federal Bank have launched a pilot project to digitize Kisan credit Card (KCC) to transform rural credit delivery systems and to improve the quality of credit delivery in the rural areas .

Public sector lender Union Bank of India started the pilot from Harda district in Madhya Pradesh while private sector lender Federal Bank began the project from Chennai, Tamilnadu.

The pilot project of the banks is part of the RBI initiative for end-to-end digitalisation of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) lending, developed by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) Bengaluru.

Under the project the banks will issue KCC to the eligible farmers without insisting on physical records such as land documents and in person visits to the branch.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Union Bank of India :

• It is a public sector bank owned by the government of India 
• It was set up as a private bank in 1919 and was nationalized in 1969.
• Andhra Bank and Corporation bank was merged with Union Bank on 1 April 2020.
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra 
• MD and CEO: A. Manimekhalai
• Tagline of the Bank : Good people to Bank with 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Federal Bank :

• It is a private sector bank which was set up in 1931.
• Headquarters : Aluva, Kochi, Kerala 
• Chief Executive Officer : Shyam Srinivasan
• Tagline : Your Perfect Banking Partner 

INA Ajay decommissioned after 32 years of glorious service

Tags: Defence

INS Ajay was decommissioned on 19 September after rendering 32 years of glorious service to the nation.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The ceremony was traditionally held at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.

• The national flag, the ensign of the Navy and the ship's decommissioning pennant were lowered in its honour.

• The Chief Guest of the ceremony was Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Western Naval Command and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief.

• The first Commanding Officer of the ship, Vice Admiral AG Thapliyal AVSM Bar (Retd) was the Guest of Honour.

About INS Ajay :

• It was commissioned on 24 January 1990 at Poti, Georgia, then USSR.

• It was part of the 23rd Patrol Vessel Squadron under the operational control of Flag Officer Commanding, Maharashtra Naval Area.

• The ship was in active naval service for over 32 years.

• It participated in several naval operations including Operation Talwar during the Kargil War in 1999 and Operation Parakram in 2001.

Note :

• India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Cochin Shipyard in Kochi on September 2, 2022.

Rajnath Singh signs MoU with Egypt on Defence Cooperation

Tags: International Relations International News

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a three-day visit to Egypt, met the Egyptian Defence Minister, General Mohamed Zaki in Cairo on 20 September and signed a MoU on Defence Cooperation to further expand the bilateral defence ties between the two countries.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• During the meeting, both sides discussed steps to strengthen defense ties and a consensus was reached for joint military exercises and training, especially in the area of counter-terrorism.

• In addition, they also exchanged views on regional security and acknowledged the contribution of India and Egypt to peace and stability in the world.

• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi agreed to focus on enhancing bilateral cooperation and security aspects.

• Singh has also invited his Egyptian counterpart to the India-Africa Defence Dialogue and the IOR Defence Ministers' Conference, which is scheduled to be held in Gujarat from October 18-22 this year as part of the 12th DefExpo.

• Egypt is one of the largest investment destinations for India in the region with an existing Indian investment of USD 3.15 billion.

India - Egypt defence cooperation :

• To boost defence cooperation between the two countries, an Indian Air Force team arrived in Egypt on 22 June to participate in a bilateral 'Strategic Leadership Program' with the Egyptian Air Force.

• The year 2022 has special significance as it marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Egypt.

• There was close cooperation between the Air Forces of both countries, with efforts at jointly developing a fighter aircraft in the 1960s. 

• Indian Air Force pilots had also trained Egyptian pilots from the 1960s until 1984. 

• In recent times, since 2015, there have been a number of high-level exchanges of visits by defense delegations.

To curb use of chemical fertilizers, Govt to give nod to PM PRANAM Scheme

Tags: National National News

The central government is preparing to launch a scheme called PM PRANAM to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers by encouraging the states.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• This new scheme will not have a separate budget and will be funded through savings of existing fertilizer subsidies under schemes run by the Department of Fertilizers.

• 50 percent of subsidy savings will be passed on as a grant to the state that saves the money.

• The remaining 30 per cent grant money can be used to reward and encourage farmers, Panchayats, Farmer Producer Organizations and Self Help Groups who are involved in fertilizer use reduction and creating awareness in society.

What is in the proposed PM PRANAM  scheme ?

• The full name of PM PRANAM is Promotion of Alternative Nutrients for Agriculture Management Scheme.

Aim of the Scheme :

• to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers

• Reducing the subsidy burden on chemical fertilisers, which is projected to reach Rs 2.25 lakh crore in 2022-23 - 39 per cent more than last year's figure of Rs 1.62 lakh crore.

• 70 percent of the grant provided under the scheme can be used for asset creation related to technology adoption of alternative fertilizers and alternative fertilizer production units at village, block and district level.

Fertilizer Manufacturing Sectors :

• Fertilizer Manufacturing Companies (PSUs) - National Fertilizers Limited, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited

• Fertilizer Manufacturing Cooperatives - IFFCO, KRIBHCO

• Decision Making Body - Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Govt of India

• Position of india in the World - Third in terms of production and second in terms of consumption

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar hold first trilateral ministerial meeting with France and UAE

Tags: Summits

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar , who is on a 11 day (18-28 September) visit to the United States ,participated in the first trilateral Ministerial meeting of India-UAE-France in New York, United States.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The meeting was also attended by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the French foreign minister  Catherine Colonna.
• World leaders are gathering in New York to attend the 77 United Nation General Assembly meeting in New York.

Manipur CM launches ‘CM Da Haisi’ web portal to address public grievances

Tags: State News

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on 19 September launched a web portal to redress the grievances of the people and to resolve the issues related to corruption.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The name of the web portal is ‘CM Da Haisi’ (Inform to CM) and the public can raise their grievances in the web portal by logging on to www.cmdahaisi.mn.gov.in. 

• The complainants can also check the status of their complaints through this portal.

• Phone numbers for the Anti-Corruption Cell are also provided on the portal.

• The Public Grievance Redressal and Anti-Corruption Cell located in the Chief Minister's Secretariat will use the portal to establish liaison with the concerned department for redressal of public grievances within the stipulated time.

About Manipur :

• Manipur is also called the 'Orchid Basket' of the country. 500 species of orchid flowers are found here.

• This northeastern state is described as Swarna Bhoomi or   'Suvarnabhu'.

• The major population here is Manipuri people known as Meiti.

• Loktak Lake is an important lake here.

• The language of the people here is Manipuri, which was added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India in 1992.

• Capital- Imphal

• Governor- L A Ganesan

• Chief Minister- N Biren Singh

Lumpy skin disease virus different from 2019 version

Tags: National Science and Technology National News

The Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) virus that has killed nearly 50,000 cattle in India this year may be structurally different from the version of the virus prevalent in India in 2019.

A new vaccine is being developed to protect cattle from this disease.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

What is Lumpy Skin Disease ?

• It is caused by infection of cattle or  buffalo with the poxvirus Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV).

• The virus is one of three closely related species of the genus Capripoxavirus.

• The other two species are Sheeppox virus and Goatpox virus.

• Due to its infectious nature and its impact on the economy, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOIE) has declared it a notable disease.

Symptoms of disease :

• The main symptoms are fever in animals, discharge from eyes and nose, saliva from the mouth, lump-like soft blisters all over the body, decreased milk production, difficulty in eating, which sometimes leads to the death of the cattles.

Transmission of disease :

• The virus is easily transmitted through blood-sucking insects such as mosquitoes, flies and ticks, and through saliva and contaminated water and food.

• The virus was first reported in Asia and the Pacific region in 2019 in north west China, Bangladesh and India.

• There is no treatment available for the disease.

Vaccine for disease :

• The vaccine Lumpi-ProVacInd, jointly developed by ICAR’s National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE) and the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI).

• Experimental trials with the vaccine on animals afflicted by the ongoing 2022 outbreak have yielded encouraging results.

Jio Cinema OTT platform merger with Viacom 18 approved by CCI

Tags: Economy/Finance

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 19 September 2022 has approved the amalgamation of the Jio Cinema OTT (Over the Top) platform with Viacom18 Media, following an investment by BTS Investment and Reliance Projects & Property Management Services.

Over the Top (OTT) refers to a streaming device which delivers media content to consumers through the internet by passing cable, Direct to Home etc. services. For eg Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+ etc.

Under the partnership, Reliance's popular Jio Cinema OTT app will be transferred to Viacom18.

Viacom 18 Media is engaged in providing media and entertainment services through its portfolio of channels and streaming app 'Voot'.

In April, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Viacom18 announced a strategic partnership with Bodhi Tree Systems to create India’s largest TV and digital streaming company in India. 

Bodhi Tree Systems (BTS) is a joint investment venture firm of James Murdoch's Lupa Systems and ex-chairman of Star and Disney India Uday Shankar.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Competition Commission of India (CCI) :

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is the chief national competition regulator in India. 
• It was set up under the Competition Act, 2002
• It comes under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• It promotes healthy market competition and prevents activities that have an adverse effect on competition in India. 
• CCI also approves merger and acquisitions of companies in India so that the  two merging entities do not dominate the market unfairly

Headquarter - New Delhi

Current Chairman - Ashok Kumar Gupta

30 startups identified through 'Swachhata Startup Challenge'

Tags: National Economy/Finance National News

On 19 September, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organized a Startup Conclave at the Ambedkar International Center in New Delhi.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) will felicitate 30 startups identified through the Swachhta Startup Challenge to help strengthen the sanitation and waste management sector.

• The day-long conclave will provide a platform to startups to gain experience, knowledge and learning that will help them find their way into the sector to successfully scale up their solutions.

• Some Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will engage in a 'reverse pitch' to highlight specific grassroots challenges, to motivate startups to work towards finding innovative solutions to the challenges.

• Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban, implemented by MoHUA, focuses on innovation and encouragement for startups to adopt locally innovative, implementable solutions and business models and promote waste management.

About Swachhta Start-up Challenge ?

• It was launched to increase innovation in waste management.

• It was launched by the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) and the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, DPIIT. 

• The AFD is a French public financial institution that implements the policies of the French government.

• The objective of this challenge is to harness the entrepreneurial potential of the waste management sector in India and promote an enabling environment for enterprise development.

• The top ten winners of this challenge will be given a prize money of Rs 25 lakh.

• Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) - Hardeep Singh Puri 

President Droupadi Murmu clears the appointments of Directors to 8 IITs

Tags: National Person in news National News

President Droupadi Murmu has cleared the appointments of Directors to eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on 20 September.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• IIT Bhilai’s Director Rajat Moona has been appointed as director of IIT Gandhinagar.

• IIT Dharwad’s Director Pasumarthy Seshu has been appointed as director of IIT Goa.

• The two IIT directors who have been reappointed for a second term, they are - K N Satyanarayana (IIT Tirupati) and Manoj Singh Gaur (IIT Jammu).

• Seshadri Shekhar and Shripad Karmalkar, who are professors at IIT Madras, have been appointed as directors of IIT Palakkad and IIT Bhubaneswar respectively.

• Venkayappaya R Desai from IIT Kharagpur's Department of Civil Engineering has been appointed as the Director of IIT Dhardwad.

• Rajiv Prakash of IIT BHU's School of Material Science and Technology has been appointed as the Director of IIT Bhilai.