1. Supreme Court orders to stop all commercial activities within 500-metre of iconic Taj Mahal
Tags: National State News
The Supreme Court has directed the Agra Development Authority,Uttar Pradesh to immediately stop all commercial activities within a 500-metre radius from the peripheral wall of the Taj Mahal.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and AS Oka told the Agra Development Authority to ensure the compliance with its order delivered on 27 September 2022.
The Apex Court was hearing an application seeking direction to the authorities to prohibit commercial activities within the 500-metre radius of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The 500m-radius of the 17th-century white marble mausoleum is a no-construction zone. Besides, there are also strict regulations on vehicular movement around the monument. There is also a ban on burning of wood near the monument, and municipal solid waste and agriculture waste in the entire area.
The top court is hearing the matter since it was filed in 1984 related to the protection and preservation of the Taj Mahal and its surroundings.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631.
2. Supreme Court starts live streaming of its proceedings
Tags: National
The Supreme Court has started the live proceedings of its proceedings on YouTube from 27 September 2022. At present only the proceedings of the constitutional bench are being live streamed.
However this was not the first live streaming of Supreme Court proceedings. On 26 August 2022 the proceedings of the ceremonial bench headed by the then Chief Justice N.V, Ramana with the present Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit and Justice Hima Kohli was live streamed on the National Informatics Centre (NIC) webcast portal.
This was a customary bench which was constituted to give a farewell to CJI Ramana who retired on that day.
Instances of Live Proceedings of Court
In the Swapnil Tripathi Vs Supreme Court of India 2018 case the Supreme Court had authorized live streaming of court proceedings.
The Supreme Court set up an e-committee headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud to work out the modalities for live streaming of the Supreme Court proceedings.
Gujarat High Court the first Court to allow live streaming
The Gujarat High Court became the first court in India to allow live streaming of its proceedings. It started streaming on YouTube on 26 October 2020.
Since then, high courts of Orissa, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Patna, and Madhya Pradesh have also set up their own YouTube channels to live stream proceedings.
3. Colombia and Venezuela reopen border crossing after 7 years
Tags: International News
Colombia and Venezuela on 26 September 2022 reopened their border after years of impasse and also re-established diplomatic relations.
The reopening was a key campaign promise of the left-wing Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who assumed office last month.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro and the Venezuelan delegation accompanied the first cargo truck to cross the Simon Bolivar bridge that connects both the countries.
Why were the Border crossing closed ?
The Simon Bolivar Bridge had officially been closed to trade for nearly seven years. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered border crossings closed in 2015 as a crackdown on smuggling.
In 2019, tensions between the two countries rose after the right wing government in Colombia attempted to deliver aid to the right wing Venezuelan opposition who are opposed to the left wing President Maduro.
Colombia
It is located in North West South America.
Colombia is the world’s largest producer of emeralds and one of South America’s largest producers of gold.
Capital: Bogota
Currency: Colombian peso
President: Gustavo Petro
Venezuela
It is located at the northern end of South America.
World’s highest waterfall, Angel Fall (979 meters) is in Venezuela.
Capital: Caracas
Currency: bolívar soberano
President: Nicolás Maduro
4. ICAO sign agreement with International Solar Alliance to promote solar use in Aviation sector
Tags: International News
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with International Solar Alliance (ISA) to reduce the growth of carbon dioxide emissions in the international aviation sector. The agreement was signed in Montreal, Canada on 27 September 2022.
With the headquarter of ISA being in Gurugram, the agreement was received by the Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia as a host country of ISA.
Under the MoU the ICAO and ISA will scale up the deployment of solar energy solutions for aircraft, airports, and other aviation-related applications.
ICAO has become the latest International organisation to Join ISA. In September 2022, Bhutan became the 86th country to ratify the ISA agreement .
The International Solar Alliance was launched by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the French President Emmanuel Macron in 2015 to implement the Paris agreement on climate change.
It promotes the use of sun energy so as to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
It is a specialised agency of the United Nations which was set up on 4 April 1947.
The ICAO is dedicated to developing safe and efficient international air transport for peaceful purposes and ensuring a reasonable opportunity for every state to operate international airlines.
Headquarters; Montreal, Canada
Members: 193 countries
ICAO Secretary General: Juan Carlos Salazar
5. President Murmu unveils foundation stone for ICMR-National Institute of Virology, South Zone at Bengaluru
Tags: place in news National Science and Technology State News
President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the foundation stone for ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune, South Zone at Bengaluru in virtual mode, in presence of Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharti Pravin Pawar on 27 September 2022.
The setting up of the zonal campus of the National Institute of Virology, Pune is part of the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM)) of the central government.
Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM))
- The Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission
- was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on 25 October 2021.
- The total outlay on the scheme is Rs 64,180 Crore and the duration of the scheme is from 2021-22 to 25-26.
- The Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission is one of the largest pan-India schemes for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country.
- Its objective is to fill gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both urban and rural areas.
- It will provide support for 17,788 rural health and wellness centers in 10 high-focus states.
- Further, 11,024 urban health and wellness centers will be established in all the States.
- Under the scheme, a national institution for one health(set up in Nagpur), four new regional centers of the national institutes for virology, a regional research platform for WHO South East Asia Region, nine biosafety level-III laboratories, and five new regional national centre for disease control will be set up.
- For the first time in Asia, two container-based hospitals with comprehensive medical facilities will be kept ready at all times, which can be rapidly deployed via rail or air to deal with any disaster or calamity in the country.
National Institute of Virology (NIV)
The National Institute of Virology is one of the major Institutes of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
It was established at Pune, Maharashtra State in 1952 as Virus Research Centre (VRC) under the auspices of the ICMR and the Rockefeller Foundation (RF), USA. Now it is fully funded by ICMR.
NIV is also the National Centre for Hepatitis and Influenza.
NIV has been designated as one of the collaborating laboratories of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Chairman: Dr Priya Abraham
6. Sahar Al Rumaih becomes the first women deputy governor of Kuwait’s Central Bank
Tags: Economy/Finance Person in news International News
Kuwait has appointed Sahar Al Rumaih as the deputy governor of its central bank, Central Bank of Kuwait.
It is for the first time that a woman has been appointed to this post in the country.
The first woman deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India was KJ Udeshi . She was appointed for this post in 2003.
Basel A. Al-Haroon is the governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait.
Kingdom of Kuwait
It is an Arab country situated in the Arabian Peninsula along the Persian Gulf in West Asia.
It is a small Kingdom/Emirate, situated between Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Capital: Kuwait city
Currency: Kuwaiti Dinar
King/Emir: Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Prime Minister: Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Sabah
7. S Jaishankar meets US Secretary of Defense LIoyd J Austin in Washington
Tags: International Relations International News
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar met US Secretary of Defense LIoyd J Austin in Washington on 26 September.
Important facts
Jaishankar said defence and security cooperation is a key pillar of the contemporary India-US partnership.
The two leaders noted continued progress in policy exchange, interoperability, defence trade, services and military-industrial cooperation.
They also exchanged their perspectives on the Ukraine conflict, Indo-Pacific development, maritime challenges and regional issues.
Jaishankar also met US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
The main topics of interaction were - Resilient Supply Chain, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, High Technology Cooperation, Semiconductors and Trade Promotion.
The External Affairs Minister began his Washington DC program with a round table organized by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The session covered technical security, credible research and talent development.
S Jaishankar is in the US on a 10-day visit to hold bilateral consultations with several US cabinet ministers.
8. S Jaishankar meets US Secretary of Defense LIoyd J Austin in Washington
Tags: International Relations International News
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar met US Secretary of Defense LIoyd J Austin in Washington on 26 September.
Important facts
Jaishankar said defence and security cooperation is a key pillar of the contemporary India-US partnership.
The two leaders noted continued progress in policy exchange, interoperability, defence trade, services and military-industrial cooperation.
They also exchanged their perspectives on the Ukraine conflict, Indo-Pacific development, maritime challenges and regional issues.
Jaishankar also met US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
The main topics of interaction were - Resilient Supply Chain, Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, High Technology Cooperation, Semiconductors and Trade Promotion.
The External Affairs Minister began his Washington DC program with a round table organized by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The session covered technical security, credible research and talent development.
S Jaishankar is in the US on a 10-day visit to hold bilateral consultations with several US cabinet ministers.
9. 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
10. 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
