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By admin: Sept. 7, 2022

PM to inaugurate Kartavya Path and unveil the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at India Gate on 8 September

Tags: National

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kartavya Path 0n 8 September 2022 in New Delhi. It was earlier called Rajpath.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• He will also unveil the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at India Gate on the occasion.The jet black granite statue of Netaji, measuring a total of 28 feet will be placed under the Canopy near India Gate.
• The statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, which will be unveiled by the Prime Minister, is being installed in the same place where a hologram statue of Netaji was unveiled earlier this year on Parakram Diwas 23rd January by him.
• Every year 23 January is observed as Parakram Diwas to mark the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
• These steps are in line with Prime Minister’s second Panch Pran for New India in Amrit Kaal: remove any trace of colonial mindset.
• 
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

During the 15 August 2022 speech the Prime Minister asked the Indians to take five pledges or Panch Pran. They are :

• To make India a developed country by 2047  
• Remove Traces of Colonialism  
• Take pride in Legacy  
• Strength of Unity 
• Fulfill duties as a  Citizens 

India donates 5000 tonnes of rice to Madagascar

Tags: International News

Indian Ambassador to Madagascar Abhay Kumar presented 5000 tonnes of rice to President Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar at a donation ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Antananarivo. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Earlier, India donated 15 thousand bicycles to Madagascar on the occasion of World Bicycle Day.  World Bicycle day is observed on 3 June every year.
• President Rajoelina thanked the Government and people of India for the generous donation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Madagascar : 

• It is an island country off the South-East coast of Africa.
• It is the fourth largest island in the world after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo.
•  Capital: Antananarivo
• Currency: Ariary
• President: Andry Rajoelina

CRPF claims operation ‘Octopus’ at ‘Burha Pahar’ naxal bastion as Success

Tags: place in news State News

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been conducting a major Naxal operation named ‘Octopus’ at the heavily mined ‘Burha Pahar’ hilly range in Garhwa district bordering Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The CRPF gave this information on 7 September 2022.
• According to the CRPF, the operation has been continuing since September 4 and claimed major successes in establishing control in ‘Burha Pahar’, an area known as a Naxal corridor.
• The ‘Burha Pahar’ hilly range lies in Jharkhand’s Garhwa district bordering Chhattisgarh.
• CRPF’s CoBRA unit, and state police forces like Jharkhand Jaguar are engaged in the operation.
• CRPF is the largest Central Armed Police Force under the Union Home Ministry. It was set up in 1939 as Crown Representative Police. 

Naxals or Left wing Extremism Left Wing Extremism (LWE) :

• Groups which are influenced by the ideology of Mao are called as Maoist /Naxal or left wing extremists in India. Mao was the leader of the Chinese communist party who set up the Modern People's Republic of China in 1949 after an armed revolution. It is based on communist ideology.
• Similarly people or groups like Communist Party of India (Maoist) want to overthrow the government set up in India after 1950 through an armed insurgency just like Mao did in China and set up a communist government in India.

Red Corridor :

• The area where the left wing extremists are active is also called the Red Corridor.
• It is mainly active in the States of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Specialised Anti Left Wing Extremist (Naxal/Maoist) Forces in the country :

• Special units have been raised in India to combat the threat of the left wing extremist in India.
• Some of the important ones are:

COBRA of CRPF :-

• Central Reserve Police Force has raised a specialised unit COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) for jungle warfare.

Greyhound :-

• It is a specialised unit of both the Andhra Pradesh Police and Telangana Police to fight against the Left Wing Extremist active in their respective states.

Black Panther :-

• It is a special unit of the Chhattisgarh Police to fight against the left wing extremist.

Special Operation Group (SOG) :-

• It is the special force set up by the Odisha police to deal with Left wing extremist problems.

Jaguars :-

• It is a special unit of the Jharkhand police force.

Healthcare sector in India is expected to reach $50 billion by 2025: Dr Jitendra Singh

Tags: place in news Science and Technology Summits Person in news

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Healthcare sector in India is expected to grow to reach a size of $50 billion by 2025.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• He was addressing the 14th CII Global MedTech Summit titled “Seizing the Global Opportunity”.
• The 14th CII Global MedTech Summit was organised by CII National Medical Technology Forum at New Delhi on 7 September 2022.
• Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Telemedicine sector is expected to reach $5.5 billion by 2025.
• He said, the prime objective of the government is to reduce import dependence from 80% to below 30% in next 10 years and ensure self-reliance quotient of 80% in Med-Tech through Make in India.
• The Minister added that India aims to achieve 10-12% of the global market share of the medical devices sector to arrive at a $100-300 billion industry,

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) :

• It is a business lobby group of top business houses in India.
• It was set up in 1895.
•  It works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the growth of industry in India, partnering industry and government alike through advisory and consultative processes.
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• President : Sanjiv Bajaj

Important Full Form for Exam :

• CII : Confederation of Indian Industries

President Droupadi Murmu to virtually launch Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan on 9 September

Tags: National Government Schemes Person in news

President Droupadi Murmu will virtually launch the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan on 9th September 2022 to reinvigorate the mission of TB elimination from the country by 2025.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given the call to end TB in the country five years ahead of the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) target of 2030 at the Delhi End TB Summit in March 2018.
• During the event, President Murmu will also launch the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative, a portal to provide a platform for donors to provide various forms of support to those undergoing TB treatment. 
• India has the largest population of TB patients in the world. According to the World Health Organisation 26% of TB cases in the world in 2020 was reported from India.
• Every year March 24 is observed as World Tuberculosis Day in the world. 

Number of demat accounts in India crosses 10 crore mark

Tags: National Economy/Finance

According to data released by depository firms National Securities Depository Limited (NDSL) and Central Depository Services (CDSL), over 22 Lakh new accounts were opened in August, taking the figure to 10 crore and five lakh. In March 2020, the total number of demat account holders in India was four crore and nine lakh.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• CDSL is currently the largest depository in the country in terms of active demat accounts.

What is the need for a Demat account ?

• If a person wants to buy and sell securities (shares, bonds etc.) on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) or other exchanges, he or she needs a trading account, demat account. Both the account has to be linked with the person's bank accounts.
• Trading accounts are needed for the purpose of buying and selling securities.

Then what is a Demat account ?

• Demat is an abbreviation of dematerialised. Dematerialised means which is not in physical form but in an electronic form.
• Market regulator securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has made it compulsory for the companies to issue securities in electronic forms only. Earlier they were issued in physical or paper forms. 
• So a person who buys the securities needs a place where to deposit the securities. 
• Here the facility is offered by Depository Participants (DP).
• The investor opens Demat accounts with a SEBI registered Depository Participants (DP) to keep their shares, bonds, debentures etc. in electronic form. 
• The Demat account is linked with the trading account so that the investor can smoothly buy and sell the securities.  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Depositories Participants :

• They are financial institutions which are a member of Depositories and they offer the Demat account facilities to the investor. They could be banks, share broking companies etc.

Depositories :

• hey are set up in India after the enactment of the Depositories Act 1996. They are licensed and regulated by SEBI.
• There are two Depositories in India and both are based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. 
• They are National Securities and Depositories Limited (NDSL) and Central Depositories Services India Ltd (CDSL).
• NSDL was the first depository to be set up in India in August 1996.
• CDSL was set up in 1999.

What do they do ?

• They convert the securities (shares, bonds, etc) issued by companies into electronic form, enabling their buying and selling in the capital market (popularly known as share market). SEBI has made the dematerialisation of securities compulsory in India.  

All Approvals to Industry to be given by though NSWS by March 2023: DPIIT

Tags: National Economy/Finance

The Government of India intends to bring all the states and the Union Territories on board all states that are not a part of the National Single Window System (NSWS) by March 2023.

This was stated by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India on 6 September 2022.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

What is NSWS ?

• NSWS was launched in September 2021 by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) along with Invest India.

•  It is a digital platform that serves as a guide for investors to identify and to apply for approvals as per their business requirements.
• At present 15 States/UTs are integrated with the NSWS. They are Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand and Nagaland.

Objective of the National Single Window System ?

• The main objectives of the NSWS are as follows:
• 1) To establish a single-window mechanism by integrating the services provided by various Central Ministries, Departments, and State Governments
• 2) To provide a one-stop-shop for procuring pre-establishment and pre-operation approvals and permits required to establish a business in India
• 3) To provide efficient, convenient, transparent, and integrated electronic service to investors, industries, and businesses
•  DPIIT
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) was established in the year 1995 and was reconstituted in the year 2000 with the merger of the Department of Industrial Development. 
• The department was earlier called Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion; and was renamed as DPIIT in January, 2019.
• It comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry :

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Important Function of the DPIIT  :

• It helps in making the Industrial policy of the Government of India 
• It is the nodal body for matters related to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
• It undertakes promotion of investment for industrial development of the country. 
• It is the nodal body for matters relating to Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and administers law related to IPR.

vest India :

• Invest India is a National Investment and Promotion Agency to promote India as an investment destination and encourage Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India.

• It was set up as a company in 2009 and started its operation in 2010.
• It is a joint venture of the government and the private sector.
• The Central and State Government holds 49% of the shares in Invest India and the rest 51% is with Industrial bodies (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), National Association of Software Services Companies of India (NASSCOM), Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).

Government set up Kirit Parikh committee to review the gas pricing formula to tame inflation

Tags: committee Economy/Finance Person in news

The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on 6 September 2022, has set up a committee to review the pricing formula for locally produced gas to ensure a "fair price to the end consumer".

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Chairman of the committee :

• The committee will be headed by former planning commission member Kirit Parikh. 
• It will include members from the fertiliser ministry, as well as gas producers and buyers.

Reason for setting up of the committee :

• The committee will suggest pricing of locally produced natural gas so as to lower inflation in the country and boost the use of cleaner fuel.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to raise the share of gas in India's energy mix to 15% by 2030 from 6.2%, helping it progress towards meeting a 2070 net zero carbon-emission goal.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Fixing of natural gas price in India :

• In 2014 the government linked the local gas price to a formula tied to global benchmarks, including Henry Hub, Alberta gas, NBP and Russian gas.
• In 2016 the government began fixing the maximum prices of gas produced from deep water and allowed marketing freedom to the producer of these gasses.
• ONGC and Reliance are the major producers of deep water natural gas in India.
• The prices of natural gases are now at a record high in India and abroad, and are expected to rise further due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This is expected to increase inflation further in India.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas : Hardeep Singh Puri.

Piyush Goyal launches India US Startup SETU - Supporting Entrepreneurs in Transformation and Upskilling programme in San Francisco

Tags: National Economy/Finance Government Schemes International News

The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goel launched the India US Startup SETU - Supporting Entrepreneurs in Transformation and Upskilling programme in San Francisco, United States on 6 September 2022.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

Aim of the Startup:

• Piyush Goyal said it will act as a bridge between Indian and American companies and will support entrepreneurs in transforming, upskilling and leveraging on the success stories of the Indian Diaspora in the US.
• The minister observed that some good ideas of startups don't take off for lack of mentorship, guidance, funds. 
• The initiative would connect start-ups in India to US-based investors and start-up ecosystem leaders with mentorship and assistance in various areas including funding, market access and commercialization.
• The interaction will be supported through the mentorship portal under the Startup India initiative MAARG, or the Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and Growth program, which is a single-stop solution finder for startups in India.

What is MAARG ?

• It is a portal which has been launched by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the startups India initiative. 
• The portal has been developed with the idea that a mentor shall be accessible to the startups, anywhere in the country. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Points to remember : 

• January 16 is observed as Startup day as on this day in 2016 the government of India launched its flagship Startup India initiative. The first Startup day was observed in 2022.
• India has become the third-largest Startup ecosystem in the world after the US and China.
• Bengaluru based Neobank Open is the 100th Unicorn Startup in India.

Pragya Kapoor’s ‘Maali’ film selected for Chicago South Asian Film Festival

Tags: Awards

Film Producer Pragya Kapoor's film 'Maali' has been selected for the Chicago South Asian Film Festival.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Film producer Pragya Kapoor has a great inclination toward the environment. 

• His environment-based film 'Maali' was screened at the Indian Film Festival - Melbourne on August 18 and is now officially a part of the Chicago South Asian Film Festival.

• The film 'Maali' is based on the journey of a 16-year-old girl, Tulsi, from the serene mountains to the concrete jungle.

• Seeing the life of the city, she falls into a state of depression and struggles feeling alone.

• The film also portrays the state of mental health deprivation due to increasing urbanisation and endless destruction of nature.

• The film, directed by Shiva C Shetty, was highly praised at IFFM for its realistic portrayal of ever-increasing deforestation.

Harmanpreet Singh nominated for FIH Player of the Year Award -2021-22

Tags: Sports Awards Person in news Sports News

Indian hockey player Harmanpreet Singh has been selected among the five players nominated for the Men's Player of the Year award for the 'FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2021-22' on 6 September.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• PR Sreejesh and Savita Poonia were nominated for the best men's and women's goalkeepers respectively.

• Indian team vice-captain Harmanpreet was named along with Arthur de Sloover and Tom Boon (Belgium), Niklas Wellen (Germany) and Thierry Brinkman (Netherlands) for the FIH Men's Player of the Year award. 

• There is no Indian in the list of players nominated for the FIH Women's Player of the Year award.

• Harmanpreet had won the award last year as well when Indian players and coaches won all the awards after a historic performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

List of Awards :

FIH Player of the Year Award :-

• Women - Felice Albers (Netherland), María José Granatto (Argentina), Frédérique Matla (Netherland), Agustina Gorzelany (Argentina), Georgina Oliva (Spain).

• Men - Arthur de Sloover (Belgium), Harmanpreet Singh (India), Niklas Wellen (Germany), Thierry Brinkman (Netherland), Tom Boon (Belgium).

FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Award :

• Women - Savita (India), Josine Koning (Netherland), Belén Succi (Argentina), Jocelyn Bartram (Australia), Phumelela Mbande (South Africa).

• Men - Loïc van Doren (Belgium), PR Sreejesh (India), Pirmin Blaak (Netherland), Arthur Thieffry (France), Alexander Stadler (Germany).

FIH Rising Star of the Year Award :

• Women - Charlotte Englebert (Belgium), Luna Fokke (Netherland), Mumtaz Khan (India), Jip Dicke (Netherland), Amy Lawton (Australia).

• Men - Miles Bukkens (Netherland), Timothée Clément (France), Sanjay (India), Pau Cunill (Spain), Rizwan Ali (Pakistan)

FIH Coach of the Year Award :

• Women - Janneke Schopman (India), Jamilon Mülders (Netherlands), Katrina Powell (Australia), Raoul Ehren (Belgium), Adrian Lock (Spain).

• Men - Jeroen Delmee (Netherlands), Michel van den Heuvel (Belgium), Graham Reid (India), Garreth Ewing (South Africa), Frederic Soyez (France).

Indian-origin Suella Braverman appointed Britain's new Home Secretary

Tags: Person in news International News

Indian-origin barrister Suella Braverman was appointed as Britain's new Home Secretary( Home Minster in Britain is known as Home Secretary) on 6 September.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Suella Braverman has been an aide to former Indian-origin Home Secretary Priti Patel.

• She has served as the Attorney General in the Boris Johnson-led government.

• She is the daughter of Tamil origin  mother Uma  and Goan origin father Christy Fernandes.

• Her mother immigrated to the Britain from  Mauritius, while her father immigrated to the Britain from Kenya in the 1960s.

• After the resignation of Indian-origin Priti Patel, the newly appointed Prime Minister of Britain, Liz Truss, announced her appointment to this post.

PM Modi addresses plenary session of Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia

Tags: International News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a video address on 7 September at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) 2022 being held in Russia's Vladivostok. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Prime Minister Modi was the chief guest at the EEF in 2019.

• The Seventh Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) was held in the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok from 5 September.

• It was attended by participants from more than 60 countries and regions.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the EEF's plenary session on global processes and the development of Russia's Far East on 7 September.

• Theme of  Eastern Economic Forum 2022 - "The Path to a Multipolar World".

• This year's forum aims to shed light on global transformation led by the new economic model and provide a dialogue platform for all stakeholders.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

About Eastern Economic Forum :

• It is a key international platform for establishing and strengthening ties within the Russian and global investment communities.

• It was established by Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin in 2015 to promote the economic development of Russia's Far East and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

India and UK conducts Counter Ransomware Exercise for 26 Nations

Tags: Defence Science and Technology

India’s National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and the UK Government in collaboration with BAE Systems successfully designed and  conducted the Cyber Security Exercise for 26 Countries on 6 September. 

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The exercise has been designed as a part of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative - Resilience Working Group.

• This is being led by India under the leadership of National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC).

• BAE Systems is a leading global manufacturer in the defence, security and aerospace sector. 

• The exercise is designed to support the mission of CRI.

• The exercise gives opportunities for CRI countries to share their perspectives on combating ransomware.

• It was facilitated by BAE Systems through the Immersive Labs platform.

• The exercise explored the complexity of decision-making around the ransomware response to critical national infrastructure.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Aim of the Exercise :

• The objective of conducting this virtual cyber exercise on Ransomware Resilience is to simulate a large, widespread cyber security incident affecting organisations within a country.

• Allowing CRI members participating in the exercise to test their ability to respond to a major ransomware incident.

Theme of the exercise :

• The theme of the exercise is based on the energy sector in which the respective national cyber crisis management teams of CRI partner nations will have to deal with ransomware attacks on several power distribution companies.

International day of Clean Air for Blue Skies

Tags: Important Days

The International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is observed globally on 7 September to improve air quality.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• It is a day recognized by the United Nations that aims to raise public awareness at all levels (individual, community, corporate and government) that clean air is important for health, productivity, the economy and the environment.

• Air pollution is a global problem with far-reaching effects due to its trans-boundry nature.

• It is one of the greatest environmental risks to human health and one of the main causes of death and disease globally, causing an estimated 7 million premature deaths each year.

• To address air pollution, the United Nations General Assembly designated 7 September as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

• This year's theme is 'The air we Share'.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Background of the day :

• From the year 2020, this day is celebrated every year.

• In December 2019, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to celebrate International Clean Air Day for blue skies.

• The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was called upon to celebrate the International Day in collaboration with other relevant organizations.

Signing of MoU between India and UAE on Cooperation in the field of Education approved

Tags: National National News

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Education, Government of India and the Ministry of Education, Government of the United Arab Emirates, on cooperation in the field of education.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• An MoU was signed with UAE in 2015 in the field of education which expired in 2018.

• In 2019, at a meeting between the education ministers of the two countries, the UAE side proposed the signing of a new MoU.

• The new 2022 MoU covers the changes brought in by the National Education Policy 2020 in India's education ecosystem.

• The MoU will be valid for a period of five years from the date of signing and will be automatically renewable with the consent of both countries.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

Objective of MoU :

• To further strengthen the ongoing educational cooperation between India and UAE and widen the scope of mutual engagement.

• Promote Exchange of Information Education, 

• Capacity Development of Technical and vocational Education and Training (TVET) teaching staff, 

• Facilitation of academic collaboration between Higher Education Institutions in both the countries for offering Twinning, 

• Joint Degree and Dual Degree Programmes

Union cabinet approves launch of centrally sponsored scheme of PM SHRI Schools

Tags: National Government Schemes National News

The Union cabinet on 7 September approved the launch of a new centrally sponsored scheme of setting up PM Schools for Rising India, PM - SHRI Schools.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• Under this scheme, more than 14,000 schools including Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas as well as schools run by State Governments and local bodies will be strengthened to emerge as PM-Shri Schools.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this scheme for the up-gradation and modernization of existing schools managed by the central and state governments as well as local bodies on Teachers' Day on 5 September.

• The total project cost for five years would be Rs 27,360 crore, of which the Centre's share would be Rs 18,128 crore.

• 187 lakh students will be benefited under this scheme.