MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS September 2021

POSHAN Maah

• Women and Child Development Ministry will celebrate the POSHAN Maah across the nation throughout this September under the essential POSHAN Abhiyan.
• Launched on 8 March 2018, POSHAN Abhiyaan, or National Nutrition Mission is the Government’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
• Further Mission Poshan 2.0 (Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0) was announced in the Budget 2021-2022.
• The thematic approach being followed this year is divided into four parts:
• Theme 1 (September 1-7) Plantation Activity as “PoshanVatika”.
• Theme 2 (September 8-15) Yoga and AYUSH for Nutrition.
• Theme 3 (16-23 September) Distribution of the ‘Regional Nutrition Kit’ to Anganwadi beneficiaries of High Burdened Districts.
• Theme 4 (24-30 September) will be about the Identification of Severe Acute Malnutrition children and the distribution of nutritious food.

Shikshak Parv 2021

• International Labour Organization report titled ‘World Social Protection Report 2020–22’ has revealed that, globally 4.1 billion people are living without any social safety net of any kind.
• The report highlighted that the pandemic response was uneven and insufficient.
• Thereby, Covid-19 has further underscored the critical importance of achieving universal social protection.
• ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
• It is the only tripartite UN agency.
• It brings together governments, employers, and workers of 187 member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise Programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.

India finished inside the top 25 in the medal table at the Tokyo Paralympics

• India’s tally of 19 is also the country’s best at a multi-spot world event, going past the tally of 13 registered at the Summer Youth Olympics in 2018.
• India Stood at 24^th Rank in top 25 country list of winning Paralympic medals.
•  From its first-ever Paralympics in 1968 to 2016, only 12 Paralympic medals were won. A lot was expected of India’s largest contingent at the Paralympics – a 54 strong unit.

IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020

• ‘IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020’ (postponed from June 2020 to September 2021) is being held in Marseille, France.
• The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conducts the World Conservation Congress which is held every four years in a different location around the globe. The first was conducted in the United States in 1948.
• Issues taken up were Global Indigenous Agenda, Update of Red List, Sustainable Tourism Initiative etc.

E-Shram Portal Crosses 27 Lakh Registrations

• A National database of all unorganized workers will help the Government in focusing on targeted and last mile delivery of the welfare schemes for the unorganized workers.
• If a worker is registered on the eSHRAM portal and meets with an accident, he will be eligible for Rs 2.0 Lakh on death or permanent disability and Rs 1.0 lakh on partial disability and upon registration the workers are provided a Universal Account Number, which would make it easy for the portability of social security schemes, Ration Cards etc especially for the migrant workers.

NIRF Rankings 2021

• The sixth edition of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of the Education Ministry were released.
• In the NIRF India 2021, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras retained first position in the Overall Category are as well as in Engineering for the third consecutive year.
• Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru topped the University as well as Research Institution category introduced for the first time in India Rankings 2021.

India, Australia hold 2+2 dialogue

• India and Australia held the high-level 2+2 foreign and Defence ministerial dialogue in New Delhi.
• External affairs minister S Jaishankar and Defence minister Rajnath Singh held the closed-door talks with their Australian counterparts Marisa Payne and Peter Dutton.
• The dialogue is aimed at further ramping up the overall Defence and strategic cooperation between the two countries, including in the Indo-Pacific amid China’s increasing military assertiveness in the region.
• ‘NATO is Past, QUAD is Way Forward’: Jaishankar After 2+2 Dialogue with Australia.
• The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the Quad) is a strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia, and India that is maintained by talks between member countries.

Swachh Sarvekshan Grameen 2021

• The Jal Shakti Ministry launched Swachh Sarvekshan Grameen 2021 or rural cleanliness survey 2021 under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II. Earlier carried out by the Ministry in 2018 and 2019.
• The Swachh Sarvekshan Urban 2021 is to be announced. It was introduced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in 2016.
• Assesses the state of hygiene, cleanliness, and sanitation in rural India as a part of the Centre’s initiative to award Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus status to villages.

‘Shoonya’ Campaign

• NITI Aayog, with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and RMI India’s support, launched Shoonya—an initiative to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles by working with consumers and industry.
• The campaign aims to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the urban deliveries segment and create consumer awareness about the benefits of zero-pollution delivery.
• Over 30 e-commerce, fleet aggregators, charging infrastructure companies join hands to deliver green as part of the campaign to clean up final-mile deliveries.

World Ozone Day

• Every year, 16th September is observed as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone layer (World Ozone Day).
• After the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the ozone layer signed by almost every country in 1987, the United Nation General Assembly, in 1994, proclaimed this day as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.
• 2021 Theme: Montreal Protocol -Keeping us, our food, and vaccines cool.

Crime in India Report 2020

• National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released the Crime in India Report 2020.
• While 2020, a year marked by months of a national lockdown due to the pandemic saw fewer traditional crimes such as those committed against women and children, among others, it witnessed a big spike in civil conflicts.
• Communal riots registered an increase of 96% in 2020 over the previous year.
• The number of cases registered for crimes against women, children and senior citizens, theft, burglary, robbery and dacoity, among others, dropped by about 2 lakh.
• The rate of cybercrime (incidents per lakh population) also increased from 3.3% in 2019 to 3.7% in 2020.

SPIN (Strengthening the Potential of India) scheme

• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched the SPIN (Strengthening the Potential of India) scheme to make potters self-sustainable.
• Under SPIN, KVIC will facilitate potters to get easy loans from banks that will help the potters to diversify their activities and enhance their income.
• It is aimed at sustainable development by creating local self-employment which is aligned with the Prime Minister’s commitment of “Job to Every Hand” (Har Hath Me Kaam).

World’s Longest Expressway

• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari announced that the Government is constructing the world’s longest highway, the Delhi-Mumbai Express highway.
• The work on the eight-lane Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, a 1,380 km road will be completed by March 2023.
• The expressway is 1,380 km long and is being constructed for Rs 98,000 crores. The expressway passes through the six states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

India’s First E-Highway

• Increasing the resilience in gearing towards Sustainable Development, India’s proposed electric highway project is expected to be a substantial step.
• Recently, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has said that India will get its first electric highway which is likely to come up between Delhi and Jaipur soon.
• E-highways not only help to reduce fuel consumption and pollution, but they will also greatly assist in increasing the number of people turning to e-vehicles and purchasing them since the lack of charging stations and ports is one of the primary barriers to people acquiring them.

Global Innovation Index 2021

• India has climbed 2 spots and has been ranked 46th by the World Intellectual Property Organization in the Global Innovation Index 2021 rankings.
• A better growth from a rank of 81 in 2015 to 46 in 2021.
• NITI Aayog, in partnership with the CII and WIPO to host India Launch of the Global Innovation Index 2021 and the CII Global Innovation Conclave during September 21-22, 2021

Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

• Ministry of Railways launched Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY) under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
• This is a skill development programme, where training will be provided to youth with a special focus on jobs that are relevant to the Railways.
• The training will be provided in four trades viz. Electrician, Welder, Machinist and Fitter and other trades will be added by zonal railways and Production units based on regional demands and needs assessment.
• Training will be provided to apprentices under the Apprentice Act 1961.

Exercise Samudra Shakti

• The third edition of maritime exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ between India and Indonesia will be conducted from 20th-22nd September 2021 in the Sunda Strait.
• In pursuance of India’s Act East Policy, Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ was conceived in 2018 as a bilateral IN-IDN exercise.
• The exercise aims to strengthen the bilateral relationship, enhance mutual understanding and interoperability in maritime operations between the two navies.

National Florence Nightingale Award 2020

• President Ram Nath Kovind today conferred the National Florence Nightingale Award 2020 to Deputy Director General of Military Nursing Service Brig S V Saraswati.
• Brig Saraswati as a renowned operation theatre nurse, has assisted in more than 3,000 lifesaving and emergency surgeries and has trained residents, operation room nursing trainees and auxiliary staff in her career. 
• National Florence Nightingale Award is the highest national distinction a nurse can achieve for selfless devotion and exceptional professionalism.

GeM Bags Prestigious CIPS Award

• Government e Marketplace (GeM) was announced as the winner in the “Best Use of Digital Technology” category at the CIPS Excellence in Procurement Awards 2021 (CIPS Awards).
• The CIPS Awards are one of the leading recognitions around procurement globally, which is conducted under the aegis of The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), London. CIPS is a global not-for-profit organisation and professional body dedicated to promoting good practices in procurement and supply management, with a community across 150 countries.

Surya Kiran XV

• The armies of India and Nepal have started the 15th edition of joint military exercise ‘Surya Kiran’ at Pithoragarh in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
• The main objective of this biannual exercise is to:
• Establish military relations in inaccessible mountainous areas by the soldiers of both countries,
• Provide humanitarian assistance under disaster management etc.
• Get training in anti-terrorist operations,
• Build interoperability and sharing expertise between the two countries.

Blue Planet Prize

• National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd (India) 510 MW Teesta-V Power Station located in the Himalayan State of Sikkim has been conferred with the prestigious Blue Planet Prize @ World Hydropower Congress, 2021 by International Hydropower Association (IHA), a London based non-profit membership association operating in 120 countries.
• The award had been conferred to Teesta-V Power Station based on its sustainability assessment undertaken by a team of accredited lead assessors of IHA in 2019 using the Operation Stage tool of the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) of IHA.

QS Graduate Employability Rankings – 2022

• Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay stands among top 22 per cent in the 2022 QS Graduate Employability Rankings.
• As per the release, in last one year, IIT Bombay has moved up in the range from 111-120 to 101-110 rankings in QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022.  On employer reputation indicator, with a score of 73.9, IIT, Bombay ranked at 70th place globally.
• QS World University Rankings is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records (FASTER) System

• The Supreme Court has given the go-ahead to implement a system for electronic transmission of its orders.
• The system proposes transmission of e-authenticated copies of interim orders, stay orders, bail orders and record of proceedings to the duty-holders for compliance and due execution, through a secured electronic communication channel.
• It will ensure effective implementation of Article 21 (right to life).
• Earlier, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based portal ‘SUPACE’ (Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency) in the judicial system aimed at assisting judges with legal research.
• It is a tool that collects relevant facts and laws and makes them available to a judge.
• It is not designed to take decisions, but only to process facts and to make them available to judges looking for an input for a decision.

Swachh Sarvekshan 2022 Launched

• Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched the 7^th  consecutive edition of Swachh Sarvekshan (SS), the world’s largest urban cleanliness survey conducted by Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U).
• Designed with ‘People First’ as its driving philosophy, Swachh Sarvekshan 2022 is curated towards capturing the initiatives of cities for the overall welfare and well-being of frontline sanitation workers.
• The survey, flavored with the Azaadi@75 spirit, will also give priority to the voices of senior citizens and young adults alike and reinforce their participation towards upholding the cleanliness of urban India.

PM launches Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission

• Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will now help connect digital health solutions across the country.  All Indians will now get a digital health ID under this scheme.
• Every citizen’s health record will now be digitally secure.
• The Health ID of every citizen will also work as their health account, to which personal health records can be linked and viewed with the help of a mobile application.
• It Will play a big role in eliminating problems in medical treatment of poor and middle class.

GI Tag to Assam’s Judima Rice Wine

• A home-made rice wine of Assam’s Dimasa tribe has become the first traditional brew in all of northeast to bag a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• Judima is a rice wine made from sticky rice (glutinous rice called Bora), which is steamed and mixed with traditional herbs called Thembra (Acacia pennata).
• The wine is a specialty of the Dimasa tribe of the state (Assam) and has a distinct sweet taste and takes around one week to prepare and it can be stored for years.

India beats Germany, UK, Russia to bag prestigious IAEA Auditor

• Adding another feather in its cap, India has been elected as the ‘External Auditor to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’ for a period of six years from 2022 to 2027 after beating countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey among other nations.
• India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) GC Murmu has been selected as the external auditor of IAEA – a prestigious institution that promotes peaceful use of nuclear energy.

44^th World Maritime Day

• World Maritime Day was first celebrated on 17th March 1978 to mark the occasion of enforcing first convention of IMO in 1958 and since then every year, during last week of September, the World Maritime Day is observed globally.
• To emphasize the importance of International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the maritime sector and to highlight its contribution towards Maritime Safety, Maritime Security and Marine Environment.

Udyam Registration crosses 50 lakh mark

• New online system of MSME/Udyam Registration launched by Union MSME Ministry, w.e.f. 1st July 2020, has stood the test of Time and Technology as more than 50 lakh MSMEs have successfully registered themselves by now.
• These include over 47 lakh Micro organisations and 2.7 lakh Small Units.
• The portal is seamlessly integrated with CBDT and GST networks as also with the GeM. It may be noted that through this integration, now MSME registration is a totally paperless exercise.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Hathei chilli which recently got GI tag belongs to
2. Assam
3. Manipur
4. Sikkim
5. Arunachal

ANSWER: B

• HQ of International Atomic Energy Agency
• The Hauge
• Geneva
• Vienna
• Paris

ANSWER: C

• Which institution has ranked 1^st in QS World University Rankings 2022
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Stanford University

ANSWER: A

• World Hydropower Congress 2021 is taking place at
• West Indies
• Costa Rica
• Cuba
• Colombia

ANSWER: B

• International Hydropower Association was established in
• 1991
• 1995
• 1998
• 1999

ANSWER: B

• HQ of International Hydropower Association
• Paris
• London
• Geneva
• New York

ANSWER: B

• HQ of The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) is located at
• Bristol
• Edinburg
• Northamptonshire
• Nottingham

ANSWER: C

• It is a comprehensive training programme launched by Indian Railways.
• SRESTHA
• SUTRA
• Sampark
• Saksham

ANSWER: D

• It aims to improve procurement and consumption practices to improve the quality of goods and services.
• Mission Railway
• VIKALP
• Mission PACE
• Avataran

ANSWER: C

1. In 2016 World’s First E-Highway was inaugurated in
2. UK
3. Sweden
4. Norway
5. Finland

ANSWER: B

1. National Crime Records Bureau was set up in
2. 1972
3. 1984
4. 1986
5. 1995

ANSWER: C

1. NCRB was set up on the recommendations of the
2. First Administrative Reforms Commission
3. National Police Commission
4. Kothari Commission
5. D R Gadgil Committee

ANSWER: B

1. The following country is not member of  Shanghai Cooperation Organization
2. Kyrgyzstan
3. Afghanistan
4. Tajikistan
5. Uzbekistan

ANSWER: B

1. Montreal Protocol was singed in
2. 1985
3. 1987
4. 1990
5. 1992

ANSWER: B

1. Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer was singed in
2. 1985
3. 1987
4. 1990
5. 1992

ANSWER: A

1. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in
2. 1992
3. 1997
4. 1999
5. 2001

ANSWER: B

1. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was Established in
2. 1950
3. 1955
4. 1965
5. 1975

ANSWER: A

1. International Day of Democracy
2. 18 June
3. 15 September
4. 19 January
5. 26 August

ANSWER: B

1. Maharashtra and Gujarat were divided, and Maharashtra became a separate state through
2. Bombay Reorganization Act
3. State Reorganization Act
4. Fazal Ali Recommendation
5. 7^th Constitutional Amendment Act

ANSWER: A

• The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue was initiated in 2007 by
• Dr. Manmohan Singh
• Shinzo Abe
• Barak Obama
• Justin Trudeau

ANSWER: B

• COMCASA (Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement) is signed between
• India & Australia
• India & USA
• India & Japan
• India & Canada

ANSWER: B

• LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement) was signed between India & USA in
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019

ANSWER: A

• In 1936, the first National Park in India was created
• Saddle Peak National Park
• Hailey National Park
• Panna National Park
• Papikonda National Park

ANSWER: B

• “Harmonious development based on a comprehensive appraisal of environmental issues” was first given in
• 4^th Five Year Plan
• 5^th Five Year Plan
• 6^th Five Year Plan
• 7^th Five Year Plan

ANSWER: A

• International Labour Organization was awarded Noble Peace Prize in
• 1954
• 1969
• 1977
• 1989

ANSWER: B

• Salt-water Crocodile, gharial and mugger are found in _____ of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
• Schedule I
• Appendix I
• Category I
• List I

ANSWER: A

• Founder of National Dairy Development Board
• Narendra Modi
• Amit Shah
• Dr. Verghese Kurien
• Dr. Jitendra Singh

ANSWER: C

• International Astronomical Union was established in
• 1900
• 1909
• 1919
• 1935

ANSWER: C

• Current President and CEO of The World Resources Institute (WRI)
• Ani Dasgupta
• James Harmon
• Knurl  MacArthur
• James Gustave

ANSWER: A

• International Maritime Organization was established in
• 1945
• 1948
• 1950
• 1952

ANSWER: B

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