Current Affairs in English – September 16 2022

September 16 , 2022

National Events:

DST:

• Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on 15 Sept 2022 launched Dashboard of Department of Science and Technology ( DST ). It has been launched to ensure effective implementation of projects , schemes , scholarships and fellowships funded by DST.
• Through this dashboard , details of each of the schemes and programmes for any group in every State can be accessed on a real time basis.

National Highway projects:

• In Madhya Pradesh , Union Minister of Road transport and Highways , Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of seven National Highway projects costing over 1128 crore rupees in Gwalior.
• The total length of these projects are 222 kilometers .A 6 – lane Agra – Gwalior Greenfield Expressway would be connected to Yamuna Expressway.

CSB Bank Limited:

• CSB Bank Limited has announced the appointment of Pralay Mondal as the MD and CEO of the bank for a period of three years starting 15 Sept 2022. Prior to joining CSB Bank , Mondal was Executive Director and Head , Retail Banking at Axis Bank.
• Mondal joined CSB Bank as president , retail , SME , operations and IT on 23 September , 2020 and was appointed as the deputy MD with effect from 17 February.

‘ Ambedkar and Modi : Reformer’s Ideas Performer’s Implementation ‘:

• A book titled ‘ Ambedkar and Modi : Reformer’s Ideas Performer’s Implementation ‘ was released by former President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi in September 2022. The book illustrates life , works and achievements of Dr. B.R Ambedkar.
• The book has been compiled by Bluekraft Digital Foundation. A foreword written by Rajya Sabha MP Ilaiyaraaja offers a valuable insight of the works of Dr. Ambedkar.

Indian Navy & AUUP:

• On 15 Sep 2022 , an MoU was exchanged between the Indian Navy and Amity University Uttar Pradesh ( AUUP ).
• As per provisions of the MoU , Amity University will conduct customised courses for the Indian Navy in niche domains , such as , 5G Technology , Control System Integration , Al , etc.
• In addition , these courses will ensure better placements of Naval personnel upon superannuation from service.

Oil Import:

• India is set to sign long – term contracts to procure at least 2 million tonnes ( mt ) of crude from Brazil’s Petroleo Brasileiro SA ( Petrobras ) and 1 mt from Colombia’s state – run Ecopetrol SA.
• India is the world’s third – largest oil importer. For the first time , New Delhi will be inking a long – term supply deal with Petrobras , one of the few global oil majors increasing production.

ANGAN 2022:

• A three – day international conference ANGAN 2022 ( Augmenting Nature by Green Affordable New – habitat ) , titled ” Making the Zero – Carbon Transition in Buildings ” began on 14th September 2022.
• ANGAN 2.0 is being organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency ( BEE ) in collaboration with Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation ( SDC ). It was held under the Indo – Swiss Building Energy Efficiency Project.

Hybrid solar – wind energy power plant:

• Agro – chemical firm UPL Ltd. has announced a joint venture with CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions ( CleanMax ) , to set up a hybrid solar – wind energy power plant in Gujarat.
• CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions will develop and maintain a hybrid 28.05 MW solar and 33 MW wind power project under captive model as envisaged under the electricity laws.

SBI:

• State Bank of India on 14 Sept 2022 became the third lender and seventh Indian company to cross the Rs 5 – trillion market cap. The SBI is the only third bank , along with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank , to have a market cap of more than Rs 5 trillion.
• HDFC Bank , India’s largest private bank has a market cap of Rs 8.38 trillion , followed by ICICI Bank , which has a market cap of Rs 6.33 trillion.

Ramakrishna Mission’s ‘ Awakening ‘ programme:

• Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on 15 Sept 2022 inaugurated Ramakrishna Mission’s ‘ Awakening ‘ programme for students of classes 1 to 5.
• It is an initiative towards ensuring overall personality development of a child in line with the philosophy of National Education Policy ( NEP ) , 2020.
• Ramakrishna Mission Founder : Swami Vivekananda. Founded : 1897. HQ : Belur Math , West Bengal.

Agreement with tribal outfits:

• The Centre and Assam government on 15 Sept 2022 signed a tripartite peace accord with 8 tribal outfits of Assam in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah.
• Around 1100 people have shunned the path of violence with the signing of this agreement. In January 2020 , the Centre had also signed a historic agreement with Assam government and Bodo representatives to end the over 50 – year – old Bodo crisis.

NCC:

• The Indian Navy has revived the Naval training area at Manasbal Lake in Kashmir’s Ganderbal district after 33 years to provide training to National Cadet Corps ( NCC ) Cadets.
• Around 100 NCC Cadets from J & K will participate in the training camp. The training in the area was suspended in the early 1990s due to the deterioration of the security situation. NCC Founded : 1948.

First female riding squad:

• BSF’s first female camel riding squad will be deployed along the India – Pakistan border in Rajasthan & Gujarat.
• This Squad will be the first of its kind in the world. It will participate for the first time in the BSF Raising Day Parade on 1 December 2022. The BSF is India’s primary border – guarding force . Founded : 1965.

Indore city:

• Indore city of Madhya Pradesh has signed an MoU with the firm Pataa Navigations to implement a fully digital addressing system , making it the first city in India to do so.
• As per the MoU , Pataa app will be used by all government agencies and emergency services in Indore. Pataa is a brief and distinctive code that helps the user find the specific geotagged location.

Qutb Shahi tombs:

• Municipal administration and urban development minister KT Rama Rao announced restoring Qutb Shahi tombs. Aim : To get a UNESCO World Heritage tag for Hyderabad.
• The Qutub Shahi Tombs are located in the Ibrahim Bagh ( garden precinct ) , close to the famous Golconda Fort in Hyderabad , India. They contain the tombs and mosques built by the various kings of the Qutub Shahi dynasty.

77% reservation:

• Jharkhand government has given its nod to a proposal for granting 77 % reservation in State government jobs for the members of the SC , ST , backward classes , OBC & economically weaker sections.
• The State cabinet hiked the OBC reservation to 27 % from the present 14 %. The State government on 15 Sept 2022 also gave its nod to a proposal to use the 1932 land records to determine those who are local inhabitants.

Amrit Sarovar Project:

• Having constructed 8,462 Amrit Sarovars , Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the top state with the best implementation of ‘ Mission Amrit Sarovar ‘. Within UP , the Lakhimpur Kheri district has emerged on the top with 256 Amrit Sarovars.
• The Amrit Sarovar project ( launched on 24 April 2022 ) is aimed at conserving water through the construction of new water bodies and the rejuvenation of old ones.

Tamil Nadu Events:

CM’s breakfast scheme:

• The Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme rolled out for students of Class I to V in government schools of Tamil Nadu , costs of 33.56 crore. He launched ‘ Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme ‘ at the Corporation Primary School Aathimoolam II in Simmakal , Madurai.
• This Scheme will be launched in the 1,545 government primary schools to benefit 1.14 lakh children. Tamil Nadu CM : M. K. Stalin.

International Events:

Arms package:

• US President Joe Biden has announced a new 600 million dollar arms package to Ukraine.
• The package includes the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems , night vision goggles , claymore mines , mine clearing equipment , 105 mm artillery rounds and 155mm precision – guided artillery rounds.
• Washington has sent about 15.1 billion dollars in security assistance to the Kyiv government.

World Ozone Day : 16 September:

• World Ozone Day is observed every year on September 16 to spread awareness among people concerning the depletion of the ozone layer and find possible solutions to preserve it.
• The ozone layer serves as a kind of shield for the earth & is crucial for preserving its ecology. This day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1994. 2022 Theme : ‘ Global cooperation . protecting life on earth’.