September 1st Week 2021 Current Affairs Online Test English

Explanation

• China has recently submitted a “zero draft” of the ‘Kunming Declaration’ to the United Nations. The declaration includes the key Chinese Communist Party concept of “ecological civilisation”. The document also calls on parties to focus biodiversity protection in decision–making and recognise the importance of conservation in protecting human health. The COP 15 biodiversity talks are due to take place in October 2021.

Explanation

• BRICS Nations namely Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa, have joined India in opposing the Carbon border tax, proposed by the European Union’s (EU). The 27–member EU recently decided to levy a border tax on the import of carbon–intensive goods, which will be enforced from 2026 onwards. India along with other BRICS participants have objected to the proposal in the New Delhi statement of the five–nation group.

Explanation

• The union minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar launched the National Food and Nutrition Campaign for the farmers. The Campaign is organized by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The Budget for Agriculture has been increased to ₹1.23 lakh crore, this year. 2023 will be celebrated as the International Year of Millets under the leadership of India.

Explanation

• Anamalai Tiger Reserve located at Pollachi near Coimbatore, one of the largest landscapes in the south of Palghat Gap with 4000 sq km of protected area, and the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris, a bio–diversity hotspot of the Western Ghats has now earned a global elite tag in tiger conservation. They are located in Tamil Nadu. It is the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS) status, a conservation tool for best practices and standards to manage tigers.
• Only 14 reserves made the cut including Parambikulam in Kerala, Bandipur in Karnataka, and Manas, Kaziranga and Orang in Assam, for the accreditation exercise by India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority under CATS. Well–known reserves like Corbett, Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh did not get the tag.

Explanation

• Harish Parvathaneni, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1990 batch, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Germany. He is presently serving as an additional secretary in the MEA’s headquarters in Delhi.

Explanation

• United States is commemorating the 101st year of Women’s Equality Day. On August 26, the day is largely commemorated in the United States to honour American women gaining the constitutional right to vote. The United States Congress established August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day” in 1971, and it was approved in 1973.
• Women’s Equality Day draws attention to women’s ongoing struggles towards gaining full equality.

Explanation

• India has won 3 gold medals in Archery Championships. The Indian contingent won 15 medals at the World Archery Youth Championships. The 2021 World Archery Youth Championships was held in Wroclaw in Poland. Out of the 15 medals, India has won three gold medals in the compound cadet women’s and men’s and mixed team events.
• The women’s team defeated Turkey 228–216 in the final match to win a gold medal.

Explanation

• India fell six spots to the 32nd place in the global coronavirus innovation rankings for countries, as per a report prepared by StartupBlink in association with Health Innovation Exchange, UNAIDS. The report features the top–ranked 40 countries and 100 cities in the world based on innovative solutions developed to face the pandemic.

Explanation

• Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal announced the setting up of a Skill Institute on Marine Studies at Guwahati in Assam under Indian Maritime University, Chennai. An MoU was earlier signed between Inland Water Authority of India & Hooghly Cochin Shipyard Ltd. for setting up a new ‘Ship Repair Facility’ at Pandu in Guwahati.
• The technical support is to be provided by IIT Madras and is expected to be completed by August 2023. The facility, known as Slipway, is to be developed on a land of 3.67 acres provided by Government of Assam.

Explanation

• The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi under the aegis of Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, is undertaking a survey of ‘India SIZE’. It is an extensive anthropometric research study to develop a comprehensive body size chart for the Indian population.
• The data can produce ergonomically designed products which are well suited for the Indian population.

Explanation

• The state–owned PSU and oil major IOCL is set to build the country’s first green hydrogen plant at Mathura. Due to the proximity of Mathura to Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), the place has been selected for this purpose. This project is set to introduce Green Hydrogen in the oil and gas sector in the country.

Explanation

• The naval forces of India, USA, Japan and Australia (QUAD) would be participating in the Malabar 21 naval exercises. These four countries have been a part of the Malabar exercise since 2020. This year’s Malabar exercise is held at Pacific Island Guam. This year’s exercise aims to enhance the interoperability amongst navies and develop common understanding and SOPs in maritime security.

Explanation

• Algeria’s Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra announced that his country has severed diplomatic relations with Morocco due to hostile actions. This decision has been taken following months of resurgent tensions between the North African rival. The border between Algeria and Morocco has been closed since 1994. Algeria backs the Polisario movement, which seeks independence for Western Sahara, which Morocco considers as a part of its own territory.

Explanation

• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship Vigraha, is the seventh in the series of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs). It is set to be commissioned by the union defence minister Rajnath Singh in Chennai on August 28, 2021. 
• The ship will be based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and operate on the eastern seaboard under the Operational and Administrative Control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (East). The vessel has been designed and built indigenously by Larsen & Toubro Ship Building Limited.

Explanation

• Former Rajya Sabha member La Ganesan was sworn in as the 17th Governor of Manipur in Imphal. Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court, PV Sanjay Kumar, administered the oath of office and secrecy to La Ganesan. 

Explanation

• Rajasthan has undertaken a biodiversity conservation project in eastern districts of the state, with the support of the French development agency Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD). The Rajasthan Forestry and Bio development Project planned had already received the approval of the state government.
• It aims to promote eco–tourism and other sustainable income generation activities in the target villages with assistance to nearly 1200 self–help groups. A biodiversity park is also proposed to be developed in Bharatpur as part of the project.

Explanation

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the ‘My Pad My Right’ (MPMR) project in Tripura. The project is an initiative of NABARD and NAB Foundation, to provide better livelihood and menstrual hygiene to women in rural areas through grants–in–aid, wage support and equipment. Under the initiative, one sanitary pad making machine, raw materials for two months, wages for 50 days, packaging material with accessories and a five–day training in three phases are provided. The project aims to help rural women improve menstrual hygiene.

Explanation

• Ministry of Minority Affairs has organised ‘Mera Watan Mera Chaman’ Mushaira in New Delhi as part of Amrit Mahotsav of 75th Year of India’s Independence. During the programme renowned poets from the country recited their poetry and couplets.
• In all those programmes, renowned as well as emerging poets will give patriotic message of “Ek Bharat– Shrestha Bharat”.

Explanation

• Bank accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) have increased to 43 crores, as of August 2021. As per the Finance Ministry Data, the total deposits under the accounts amount to over ₹1.46 lakh crore. The government’s flagship ‘Financial inclusion’ scheme has also completed seven years of implementation. PMJDY was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address on August 15, 2014 and was launched on August 28.

Explanation

• The proposed portal named ‘SACRED’ is an acronym for ‘Senior Able Citizens for Re–Employment in Dignity’. The Union Ministry of Social justice and empowerment is drawing plans to implement the portal. 
• Through this exchange, the Senior citizens looking for jobs will soon have a platform to reach out to potential employers. The inter–ministerial committee formed to set up the exchange has approved Rs 10 crores, for implementing the exchange.

Explanation

• Iraq has recently hosted a middle east regional conference, which is aimed to ease the tension in the region. Iraq, Saudi Arabia have been invited in the meeting, which is co–organized by France. During the meeting, regional water crisis, war in Yemen and economic conditions of Lebanon are discussed. This meeting has assumed significance since Iraq has been playing a neutral mediating role in the region.

Explanation

• The government–owned Miniratna PSU Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) has announced to launch a skill development project amounting Rs. 3.5 crore. It is a subsidiary of the Coal India Limited (CIL) and the company is headquartered at Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh.
• The aim of the programme is to impart training to 500 youth living in and around the company’s areas of operation.  Under this programme, youth would be trained in the field of Plastic engineering trade, at a cost of Rs 70,000 per trainee.

Explanation

• Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana (RGKNY) is a flagship scheme of the state of Chhattisgarh.
• Under the RGKNY, the state government provides input assistance to farmers for crop production. If the crops sown during the ongoing kharif season get destroyed due to drought–like conditions, a financial assistance of Rs 9,000 per acre would be provided.

Explanation

• Noted Bengali writer Buddhadeb Guha, who authored several popular books including Madhukari, recently passed away. The writer passed away at the age of 85. He had won several awards including the Ananda Purashkar and Sharat Puraskar.
• He is also the creator of two popular fictional characters in Bengali literature named ‘Rivu and Rijuda’.

Explanation

• National Small Industry Day is an annual celebration to recognises the value of small industries in our society. Every year on August 30, the country celebrates National Small Industry Day. On August 30, 2000, a comprehensive policy package for the SSI sector was launched in India, to provide support to small firms in India. The UN General Assembly has declared June 27 as the MSME Day to enhance public awareness of the contribution of MSMEs in the global economy

Explanation

• Shanti Lal Jain has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Indian Bank. He was earlier serving as the Executive Director of the Bank of Baroda. His tenure of three years would start from September 1.

Explanation

• The ‘International Day against Nuclear Tests’ is observed on August 29 every year, across the world. The day aims to bring awareness regarding the harmful effects of testing nuclear weapons and calls for an end to such tests.
• The International Day against Nuclear Tests was established on December 2, 2009, by the United Nations General Assembly in its 64th session. The first nuclear test called Trinity was conducted by the United States Army in a desert site in New Mexico, on July 16 1945.

Explanation

• ‘International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances’ is marked every year on August 30, across the world.
• The day is observed to honour and pay tribute to people who have faced enforced disappearances. On December 21, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly officially proclaimed August 30 as the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. The Assembly also welcomed the adoption of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Explanation

• Russia warned of a possible increase in West Nile Virus (WNV) infections, as mild temperatures and heavy precipitation create favourable conditions for the mosquitos that carry it. WNV is an infectious disease spread by infected mosquitoes.
• It spreads from birds to humans with the bite of an infected Culex mosquito. It can lead to a fatal neurological disease in humans. It is related to the Zika, dengue and yellow fever viruses.

Explanation

• Deepar Beel is one of the permanent and largest freshwater lakes in Assam, located in Guwahati. It is the State’s only Ramsar site and an Important Bird Area.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the eco–sensitive zone of the Deepar Beel Wildlife Sanctuary on the south–western edge of Guwahati. The wetland expands up to 30 sq. km in summer and reduces to about 10 sq. km in the winter.

Explanation

• The Reserve Bank releases a quarterly house price index (HPI) based on transaction–level data received from housing registration authorities in ten major cities. The cities are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Mumbai. 
• According to RBI data, the growth in all–India House Price Index (HPI) slowed to 2 per cent in the first quarter this fiscal against 2.8 per cent in the last year. The HPI growth ranged from an expansion of 8.8 per cent (Ahmedabad) to a contraction of (–) 5.1 percent (Chennai).

Explanation

• The Supreme Court ordered the demolition of the twin towers that had come up in violation of building bye–laws in Supertech’s Emerald Court housing project in Noida. The Court also ordered that the towers be razed within three months for violation of building norms in agreement with district officials.
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has called for an inquiry and strict action against guilty officers in Noida in the illegal twin tower case. The Chief Minister also directed officers to register a criminal case against guilty persons.

Explanation

• South Korean lawmakers passed the world’s first law to force tech giants such as Google and Apple to offer alternative payment systems on their app stores. The country is set to amend the ‘Telecommunications Business Act’, the nation’s primary telecommunications law.

Explanation

• Mariyappan Thangavelu and Sharad Kumar won the silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the high jump event in the Tokyo Paralympics. Mariyappan Thangavelu had also won a gold medal at the Rio Paralympics. India had won a total of 12 medals from the 1968 edition until 2016.

Explanation

• Legendary South African fast bowler Dale Steyn announced his retirement from cricket, after a career spanning nearly 16 years. Steyn had retired from the Test Cricket last year as South Africa’s highest wicket–taker with 439 wickets. Steyn played 93 Tests, 125 ODIs and 47 T20 internationals for South Africa since making his debut for the Proteas on December 17, 2004.

Explanation

• Nine new judges, including three women, were administered oath of office as judges of the Supreme Court. This appointment has taken its strength to 33, including the Chief Justice of India, out of the sanctioned strength of 34. This is the first time in the history of the Supreme Court that nine judges took oath of office, all at the same time. Justice Nagarathna, one among the nine judges, is in line to become the first woman Chief Justice of India in September 2027.

Explanation

• Indian Naval vessel – INS Airavat has recently reached Ho Chi Minh City Port in Vietnam, as a part of Mission SAGAR. The vessel has shipped 100 Metric Tons of Liquid Medical Oxygen and 300 Oxygen Concentrators of 10 LPM capacity, to fight against the COVID 19 pandemic. SAGAR stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region, under which India has been helping its neighbors at times of stress.

Explanation

• The island nation of Sri Lanka has declared food emergency and an economic emergency, under an ordinance. The declaration of this, empowers authorities to impose restrictions on stocking and pricing of food articles. The country was affected with a foreign exchange crisis, due to which it had undertaken a steep devaluation of its currency, resulting in inflation.

Explanation

• The Indian Institution of Technology Madras (IIT–M) is developing an online platform named e–Source. This platform aims to tackle e–waste by linking various participants in formal and informal sector. It would act as a market place between buyers and generators of e waste, in electrical and electronic equipment segment. This is expected to pave a great way for recycle and reuse of electronic wastes, thus achieve the objectives of circular economy.

Explanation

• Navies of India and Germany carried out a joint exercise, in Gulf of Aden near Yemen. The exercise included helicopter landings and search and seizure operations. The Indian Navy’s frigate ‘INS Trikand’ exercised with German frigate ‘Bayern’ in the Gulf of Aden. INS Trikand is currently deployed in the Gulf of Aden region for anti–piracy patrol.

Explanation

• Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu appointed Dr. Parasaram Pattabhi Kesava Ramacharyulu as the new Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha. Ramacharyulu has been working as Secretary in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat since 2018. He succeeds Desh Dipak Verma, who demitted office after serving for four years in the post. As per the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Ramacharyulu is the first ever Upper House employee to have reached the Secretary General’s post.

Explanation

• Indian Army is participating in Exercise ZAPAD 2021, a multination exercise at Nizhniy, Russia from 3 to 16 September. The two–week military exercise named ‘ZAPAD 2021’ aimed at boosting anti–terror cooperation. More than a dozen countries from Eurasia and South Asia will also participate in the same exercise.  China and Pakistan are also expected to take part in the exercise as observers. A contingent of 200 personnel of the Indian Army will participate in an exercise.

Explanation

• Senior bureaucrat J B Mohapatra has been appointed the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Mohapatra, is a 1985–batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer, is currently the member in the board that frames the policy for the Income Tax department. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of J B Mohapatra, as the Chairman of CBDT.

Explanation

• Chief Minister Amarinder Singh launched ‘Innovation Mission Punjab’ (IMPunjab), a public–private partnership, to boost start–up sector. The Mission aims to bring in global investors and experts to promote start–ups. The mission will be accelerated by the private sector with strong government backing.

Explanation

• As per the recent data from the Finance Ministry, GST revenue touched Rs 1,12,020 crore. The revenue remained above Rs 1 trillion–mark for the second straight month in August.
• This is 30 percent higher than the collection in the year–ago period, but lower than Rs 1.16 trillion collected in July 2021. During August, the revenues from domestic transactions were 27 percent higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year.

Explanation

• A start–up company of IIT Ropar has claimed that it has developed the world’s first ‘Plant based’ smart air–purifier. Named the “Ubreathe Life”, has been developed by Urban Air Laboratory. The living–plant–based air purifier amplifies the air purification process in indoor spaces. The technology used in this product is ‘Urban Munnar Effect’. Phytoremediation is a process by which plants effectively remove pollutants from the air.

Explanation

• Himachal Pradesh has become the first State in the country where everyone above 18 years has been administered with at least one dose of the Covid–19 vaccine.
• As of August 31, India has also crossed the mark of 50 crore first doses and 15 crore second doses, with total vaccinations crossing 65 crores. India also set a record by providing more than 1 Crore vaccinations on a single day, for two days in the month of August.

Explanation

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has recently declared that the use of leaded petrol has been eradicated from the globe. This is seen as a major milestone in safeguarding human lives and environment, since this is expected to prevent 1.2 million premature deaths globally. Lead is added to low quality petrol to increase its octane number and hence enhance engine performance.

Explanation

• The Telangana government has recently launched a drone–based afforestation project, named ‘Hara Bhara’. The state has partnered with Marut Drones, a Hyderabad–based drone technology start–up, to launch the project.
• Under the initiative, the state government will plant 50 lakh trees across 12,000 hectares of land in forests in all the 33 districts of Telangana. Named the ‘Seedcopter’, it involves the preparation of the seed balls by the local women and welfare communities, which are dispersed via drones in the targeted areas.

Explanation

• ‘Eat Right Station’ certification is awarded by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), to Railway Stations. FSSAI empanelled third–party audit agency concludes the certification, with ratings from 1 to 5. The 5–star rating indicates excellent efforts by stations to ensure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers. Chandigarh Railway Station was awarded a 5– star ‘Eat Right Station’ certification for providing high–quality, nutritious food to passengers. The certification is part of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement of FSSAI.