1. INS Tarkash at Port Gentil, first-ever visit by an Indian Navy ship to Gabon
Tags: Defence International News
The Defence Ministry said on 26 September that INS Tarkash has visited a port in Gabon as part of an ongoing deployment in the Gulf of Guinea for anti-piracy patrols.
Important facts
This marks the first visit by any Indian Naval Ship to Gabon.
During its stay in port, the ship and its crew will participate in official and professional interactions as well as sport fixtures.
Their professional interactions will include discussions and exercises on firefighting and damage control, medical and casualty evacuation issues, and dive operations.
Apart from this, yoga sessions and social interactions are also planned.
About INS Tarkash
INS Tarkash is a state-of-the-art stealth frigate of the Indian Navy.
It is built by Yantar Shipyard at Kaliningrad, Russia.
It is equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors capable of addressing threats in all three dimensions.
The ship incorporates the latest stealth features such as low radar, infra-red, acoustic and magnetic signatures, making it difficult to detect at sea.
The ship is part of the Western Fleet of the Indian Navy based at Mumbai under the Western Naval Command.
About Gabon
It is a country on the west coast of Central Africa.
Prime Minister - Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda
President - Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba
Capital - Libreville
Official Language - French
2. President inaugurated ₹208-crore rocket engine manufacturing facility in Bengaluru
Tags: Defence Science and Technology National News
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Integrated Cryogenic Engines Manufacturing Facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru on 27 September.
Important facts
The facility will promote self-reliance in manufacturing high-thrust rocket engines and will fulfil ISRO's desire to manufacture rocket engines.
It has been constructed over a 4,500 square metre space and houses over 70 high-tech tools and testing facilities for the production of cryogenic (CE20) and semi-cryogenic (SE2000) engines for Indian rockets.
This facility (ICMF) will complete the entire rocket engine manufacturing for ISRO under one roof.
An MoU was signed with ISRO in 2013 for setting up a Cryogenic Engine Module production facility in the Aerospace Division of HAL.
It was later amended to set up ICEMF in 2016 with an investment of Rs 208 crore.
This was later updated in 2016 to allow setting up of ICMF with an investment of ₹208 crore.
HAL has said that it will start production of the module by March 2023.
Manufactured by HAL Aerospace Division
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV),
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV MK-II),
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk-III),
Stage integration for GSLV Mk-II
Cryogenic engines
Cryogenic engines are the most commonly used engines in launch vehicles worldwide.
Only France, China, Japan, Russia and the United States have mastered cryogenic technology because of the complexity of the cryogenic engine.
India became the sixth country to develop a cryogenic engine in 2014, when GSLV-D5 was successfully flown using a cryogenic engine.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
It was set up as Hindustan Aircraft Limited by Walchand Hirachand in 1940 at Bangalore (now Bengaluru), Karnataka.
It was taken over by the government of India and merged with Aeronautics India limited and was renamed as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on 1 October 1964.
Its main business is to design, develop, manufacture, repair and overhaul of aircraft, helicopters, engines and related systems like avionics, instruments and accessories.
It comes under the Ministry of Defence.
Headquarters: Bengaluru
3. Giorgia Meloni to become the first female Prime Minister of Italy
Tags: Person in news International News
A coalition of the right wing alliance has won a majority in the recently held Italian parliamentary election on 25 September 2022.
The coalition has won 235 seats in the 400 member Italian Parliament's lower house, Chamber of Deputies.
The Brother of Italy party led by Giorgia Meloni emerged the largest single party with 118 seats.
She is likely to be the first female Prime minister of Italy after the foundation of the Italian Republic in 1946.
She will be the 31st Prime Minister of Italy.
The Italian parliament has two houses. The upper house called the Senate has 200 members and the lower house called the Chamber of deputies has 400 members.
President of Italy: Sergio Mattarella
Currency of Italy: Euro
Capital of Italy: Rome
4. Union Minister of Rural Development Giriraj Singh will launch the ‘Jaldoot app’ on 27 September
Tags: National Science and Technology
The Union Minister for Rural Development Giriraj Singh will launch the ministry’s developed “Jaldoot App” in New Delhi on 27 September 2022.
The App will be used to capture the water level of selected wells in a village.
The Jaldoot app will enable Gram Rojgar Sahayak (GRS) to measure the water level of selected wells twice a year (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon). These will be representative of the ground water level in that village.
The app will facilitate panchayats with robust data, which can be further used for better planning of works. The ground water data could be utilised as part of the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) and Mahatma Gandhi NREGA planning exercises.
Depletion in Groundwater Levels
Ground water levels in various parts of the Country are declining because of continuous withdrawal due to reasons such as increased demand of fresh water for various uses, vagaries of rainfall, increase in population, industrialization and urbanization etc.
As per the assessment of Dynamic Ground Water Resources (2017) carried out by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in collaboration with States/UTs, out of the total 6,881 assessment units (Block/ Taluks/ Mandals/ watersheds/ Firkas) in the country, 1,186 units in 17 States/UTs have been categorized as ‘over-exploited’ where ‘Annual Ground Water Extraction’ is more than ‘Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource’.
Government scheme for rejuvenation of Groundwater
Water is a state subject in India. However the central government has launched a few schemes to recharge the groundwater in India.
Atal Bhujal Yojana
The Government of India has launched a Rs. 6000 crore Central sector scheme, Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal) with the assistance of with World Bank assistance.
The programme was launched on 1 April 2020 for a period of five years.
It aims for sustainable management of ground water resources with community participation in 8562 water stressed Gram Panchayats (GPs) of seven States, viz. Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Jal Shakti Abhiyan
Government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan in 2019 in 256 water stressed districts in the country which continued during 2021 also to improve water availability including ground water conditions in these areas.
Further, the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” campaign for the year 2022 have been launched by the President of India.
The JSA-2022 shall continue till 30 Nov 2022.
The campaign has given special emphasis on creation of recharge structures, rejuvenation of traditional water bodies, intensive afforestation etc.
5. Prime Minister Modi arrives in Japan to attend the state funeral of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe
Tags: Person in news International News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Tokyo on 26 September 2022 to participate in the state funeral of the former Japanese Prime minister Shinzo Abe to be held on 27 September 2022.
Shinzo Abe was shot dead on 8 July 2022 while campaigning for a parliamentary election.
The state funeral to be held in Budokan will be attended by representatives of over 100 countries including 20 heads of state or head of government.
Pm Modi would meet separately with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and Shinzo Abe's wife in Japan.
Indian and Japan relationship during Shinzo Abe leadership
- PM Modi and Shinzo Abe shared very close ties and the latter had gone on record to call PM Modi his most dependable friend. The close ties between the two leaders helped bolster Indo-Japan ties to a special strategic and global partnership.
- In 2017, he visited Ahmedabad to lay the foundation of India's first bullet train (from Ahmedabad to Mumbai).
- He was also the chief guest at the Republic Day parade in 2014 during the UPA government.
- He addressed the joint session of the Indian Parliament in 2007.
- He was given India's second-highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan in 2021.
Japan
- Japan is also called as Nihon or Nippon
- It is an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean in East Asia.
- It is composed of four main islands Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Honshu is the largest island of Japan.
- It is separated from the Asian mainland by the Sea of Japan.
- Its highest mountain is Mount Fuji.
- It is the third largest economy in the world after the United States and China.
- It is the only country in the world where atom bomb was dropped. In 1945 the U.S. dropped atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August (bomb name Little Boy) and Nagasaki on 9 August (Bomb name Fat Man).
Prime Minister: Fumio Kishida
Capital of Japan: Tokyo
Currency of Japan: Yen
6. National conference on alternative to single use plastic held in Chennai
Tags: place in news National Summits
To promote an environment friendly alternative to the now banned single use plastic in the country, an National Expo on alternatives to banned single use plastics items and Conference of Startups -2022 was inaugurated in Chennai , Tamilnadu on 26 September 2022.
The conference has been jointly organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, and Government of Tamil Nadu.
The government of India banned single use plastics from 1 July 2022.
The conference is an attempt to encourage the Startups to innovate and develop an environment friendly alternatives like items made from natural fibers such as coir, bagasse, rice and wheat bran, plant and agricultural residue, banana and areca leaves, jute and cloth.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change: Bhupendra Yadav
7. A red alert issued in the Philippines due to Super Typhoon Noru
Tags: International News
Officials issued a red alert on September 25 as Super Typhoon Noru advanced in the Philippines.
Important facts
As the cyclone devastated the country's eastern islands, citizens have been asked to evacuate high-risk areas immediately.
Due to the Typhoon, winds gusting up to 240 kilometers per hour have increased the risk of landslides, floods and cyclones in the capital Manila.
The intensity of the cyclone has increased by 90 kmph in 24 hours.
A warning has also been issued for the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
Fishermen in Quezon province have been advised not to venture into the sea due to Typhoon Noru.
In December 2021, Cyclone Rai caused widespread destruction in the Philippines and killed around 400 people.
Cyclone 'Noru' is believed to be the most powerful cyclone to hit the Southeast Asian country this year.
About the Philippines
It is a country located in Southeast Asia.
The official name of this country, made up of a group of islands located in the western Pacific Ocean, is 'Republic of the Philippines'.
Its capital is Manila.
The Philippines is bounded on the east by the Philippines Ocean, on the west by the South China Sea, and on the south by the Celebes Sea.
8. India’s first ‘flex fuel’ car, Toyota sedan
Tags: National National News
India's first 'flex fuel' car, the Toyota sedan is all set to be unveiled later this month. India will join the club of countries (Germany, France and Brazil) that are already using flex-fuel engines for their cars.
What is a Flex Fuel Vehicle?
Currently, flex-fuel is being seen as an alternative to petrol-diesel.
It is an internal combustion fuel prepared by combining gasoline and methanol or ethanol.
Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) are capable of running on 100% petrol or 100% bio-ethanol or a combination of both.
Both fuels are stored in the same common tank.
The most prominent commercially available FFV in the world market is the ethanol flexible-fuel vehicle.
Benefits of Flex Fuel
Made using ethanol blending, this fuel rapidly reduces harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur and carbon and nitrogen oxides.
India is dependent on imports for 80 percent of petrol and diesel. With the introduction of flex fuel, dependence on other countries will end.
Ethanol production can also increase in our country because we have better production rates of sugarcane and maize. These are the major sources of ethanol production.
This will also benefit the farmers financially.
Its cost will also be less because it will cost less to prepare it.
9. India’s first ‘flex fuel’ car, Toyota sedan
Tags: National National News
India's first 'flex fuel' car, the Toyota sedan is all set to be unveiled later this month. India will join the club of countries (Germany, France and Brazil) that are already using flex-fuel engines for their cars.
What is a Flex Fuel Vehicle?
Currently, flex-fuel is being seen as an alternative to petrol-diesel.
It is an internal combustion fuel prepared by combining gasoline and methanol or ethanol.
Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) are capable of running on 100% petrol or 100% bio-ethanol or a combination of both.
Both fuels are stored in the same common tank.
The most prominent commercially available FFV in the world market is the ethanol flexible-fuel vehicle.
Benefits of Flex Fuel
Made using ethanol blending, this fuel rapidly reduces harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur and carbon and nitrogen oxides.
India is dependent on imports for 80 percent of petrol and diesel. With the introduction of flex fuel, dependence on other countries will end.
Ethanol production can also increase in our country because we have better production rates of sugarcane and maize. These are the major sources of ethanol production.
This will also benefit the farmers financially.
Its cost will also be less because it will cost less to prepare it.
10. Union Agriculture Minister lays foundation stone of NSC organic seed farm in Morena, MP
Tags: National State News National News
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, on 25 September laid the foundation stone of an organic seed farm of the National Seed Corporation (NSC) at Morena.
Important facts
The Central Government has decided to set up a farm at Morena (MP) for the production of organic seeds by reclamation of the land in the rough area.
For this, the Government of Madhya Pradesh has allotted 885.34 hectares of land in 4 villages of Morena (Gadora, Jakhauna, Rithora Khurd and Gorkha) to the Union Agriculture Ministry.
This land is a rough area of Chambal and farming was not possible due to the ravines in the area.
On completion of this, new organic seeds of oilseeds will be available to the farmers of Madhya Pradesh.
With this farm farmers will be introduced to modern technology, they will get high yielding seeds and their socio-economic status will improve.
De-notification of 207 hectares of land
He said that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has taken a major decision to recommend de-notification of 207 hectares of land in the National Wildlife Sanctuary of Chambal.
Due to de-notification, this area will be outside the sanctuary area, due to which sand will be available at cheap prices for construction/development works at the local level and this will also create new employment opportunities.
National Seed Corporation (NSC)
NSC is a Schedule ‘B’-Miniratna Category-I company.
It is wholly owned by the Government of India under the administrative control of Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
It was established in March-1963 to undertake production of foundation and certified seeds.
Presently, it is producing certified seeds of about 621 varieties of 80 crops.
