Current affair of 3rd September, 2019

World Coconut Day observed on september 2nd

World Coconut Day observed on September 2. Coconut Development Board (CDB) distribute its National Awards in various categories on the season of World Coconut Day celebration at Bhubaneswar, India. Coconut, the tree of life Sustains family well being is a theme by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community for the World Coconut Day.

Key highlights:

1. The Coconut Development Board celebrated the World Coconut Day at NEDFI Convention Centre, Guwahati, Assam. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi awards 15 people have exceeded in coconut farming, industry, and other coconut related activities.
2. Assam is the next major coconut producing state in India; the CDB decided to hold the national-level function on occasion there this year. About 33,493 hectares in all seven NE states are under coconut cultivation, Assam alone is cultivating 20,368 hectares.
3. Coconuts are members of the drupe family, and it is a fleshy fruit that has been planting in tropical regions for millions of years. On this day, Entire globe celebrates one of nature’s healthiest foods.

ECI hosts 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies

Election Commission of India (ECI) is hosting the 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies (AWEB) for the term 2019-21 at Bengaluru on 3rd September 2019. On 4 September, an International Conference on Initiatives and Challenges of Social Media and Information Technology in Elections will also be held during the AWEB meeting.

Key highlights:

1. At this conference, India announced that it is to set up an AWEB Centre at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, New Delhi. This centre will be used for documentation, research, and training
2. It will facilitate to share the best practices and capacity building among the members EMBs of the Association.
3. Around 50 countries across the globe will be participating in the meeting at Bengaluru. The from 2nd to 4th September 2019.
4. In the conference EMBs from Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Bosnia, and Herzegovina were added to the Executive Board.

Jinson Johnson of Kerala brokes his own 1500m national record by winning silver medal in Berlin

Asian Games gold medallist Jinson Johnson won 1500m national record a silver in the ISTAF Berlin event.He clocked 3 minute 35.24 seconds to finish second behind Joshua Thompson of United States at the Olympic Stadium .

Key highlights:

1. The earlier national record in the name of the 28-year-old Kerala runner was 3:37.62 had clocked at Nijmegen in the Netherlands in June. He also holds the 800m national record (1:45.65).With his own national record shattering effort, Jinson also qualified for the World Championships to be held in Doha from September 28 to October 6. The World Championships qualifying time is 3:36.00.
2. Jinson won the 2018 Asian Games gold in 1500m with a time of 3:44.72.ISTAF Berlin is a part of the IAAF World Challenge meetings, the second tier of global one day athletics events. It is the penultimate leg of the IAAF World Challenge meetings this year.

Tinsukia Railway station become the 4000th station in the country to have free public WiFi

Tinsukia Railway station in the State of Assam has become the 4000th station in the country to have free public Wi-Fi. Under RailWire, free Wi-Fi is being provided to passengers. Railwire is a retail Broadband initiative of RailTel catering to Enterprises, Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and homes.

Key highlights:

1. The Wi-Fi plan was rolled out in 1000 stations in a record time of 12 days by RailTel with an average of 83 stations per day.
2. RailTel is currently implementing two of the six Indian Railways projects that are part of the 100-day agenda of the Union government. This project began from Mumbai Central in January 2016. It is planning to implement fast and free Railwire Wi-Fi.
3. The project aims to provide free access with high-speed Wi-Fi. It plans to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban India. The project has been designed to offer users the best internet experience. RailWire Wi-Fi will be available to any user who has a smartphone with a working mobile connection for KYC considerations.

ECL Finance and Central Bank of India entered into an agreement to co-lend to MSME

ECL Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of Edelweiss Financial Services, and Central Bank of India have signed an agreement for priority sector lending to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) customers.

Key highlights:

1. The partnership comes after the Reserve Bank of India announced progressive Co-Origination Policy in September 2018, allowing banks and NBFCs to co-lend to a wider set of enterprise owners, a BSE filing by Edelweiss Group said.
2. It is the first such co-origination partnership of Central Bank of India with an NBFC.
3. The partnership aims to facilitate speedy disbursal of credit across a bouquet of products, including machinery and business loans.
4. The alliance will ensure robust underwriting for originations, positively impacting the credit-worthiness of MSMEs in over 100 cities in India.
5. Many MSMEs face challenges of high interest rates or are excluded from access to banking services, given geographical inaccessibility.

Indian army to train women soldiers for military police

The Indian Army is all set to start coaching 100 women soldiers from December 2019. The aim is for the ultimate induction into the Corps of the military police. So far, the Indian military has 3.80% of its workforce as girls, the Air Force has 13.09% and the Navy has 6%.

Key highlights:

1. The military plans to coach 100 soldiers every year for a cadre, The strength of every cadre is expected to be 1,700 until reviewed. The training time will be of 61 weeks which is the same as for male soldiers.
2. Women will be inducted as Women military police to comprise 22% of the Corps of military police. Their role would vary from searching crime cases to helping the military-like medical, legal, academic, signals and engineering wings of the military.

Cultural event Namaste Pacific organised in New Delhi

High Commissions of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji jointly organised a cultural event, Namaste Pacific, The main aim is to showcase in India the culture of the Pacific countries.

Key highlights:

1. Australian High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu highlighted the importance of people to people links between India and the countries in the Pacific region received a boost through an event like Namaste Pacific.
2. India became important country in the Pacific region. India is highly respected among the pacific country, and so an event like this is highly appropriate.
3. This is a natural gathering of countries that share a great deal together. This evening is one example of looking at the things that unite the countries of Indo-Pacific.
4. A curated menu including the national drink Kava from Fiji and dishes slow-cooked in an earth oven using heated rocks in a pit oven specially dug for the purpose at the New Zealand High Commission were among the cuisine showcased at the event.

Govt to auto generate PAN for people filing ITR with Aadhaar

The Income Tax Department has announced that it is to provide automatic issue PAN to a taxpayer using Aaadhar number for filling in returns of new arrangements on linking two databases. As announced by the finance ministry earlier, the new guidelines became effective from September 1.

Key highlights:

1. From now, the Income Tax Returns (ITR) filers will not be required to submit any documents and their demographic information will be obtained from the UIDAI for PAN.
2. A PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric identifier, issued by the Income Tax Department. PAN Card is issued to companies, individuals, non-resident Indians (NRI) or anyone who pays taxes in India. More than 120 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued in the nation and around 41 crore PANs created.
3. The  Income Tax Department has connected for the designation of PAN for the people who won't be required to apply for a PAN, this becomes effective from September 1 as per the CBDT. The Supreme Court legislature announced the due date for connecting PAN-Aadhaar will be accessible only till September 30.

Haryana govt declared waiver on interest and penalty on crop loans

The Haryana government has declared an Rs.4,750 crore waiver on interest and penalty on crop loans taken by the farmers from cooperative banks, district central cooperative banks and Land Mortgage Bank. This one-time settlement scheme waiver is expected to benefit 10 lakh farmers.

Key highlights:

1. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has approved a package of Rs.5,000 crore to the farmers.
2. Around 13 lakh farmers have borrowed from Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS), District Cooperative Central Banks (DCCB), Land Mortgage Bank (LMB) and Haryana Land Reforms and Development Bank
3. Nearly 8.25 lakh such accounts have been declared non-performing assets (NPAs). A penalty of 5% used to be imposed on the interest.
4. This interest has now been waived completely. The farmers will have to pay only 50% of the simple interest, the rest 50% will be borne by the state government. This will give a benefit of Rs.450 crore to the farmers.

Election Commission of India launches Electors Verification Programme voter verification and authentication

Election Commission launched the Electors Verification Programme (EVP) across the nation on September 1, 2019. The Electors Verification Programme is a one-stop solution to verify and authenticate voter details and ensure an error-free electoral roll.

Key highlights:

1. The main aim of the Electors Verification Programme is to improve the health of electoral rolls and provide better electoral services to the citizens. The programme also aims to increase the level of communication between the voters and the commission.
2. Under the EVP programme, voters can verify or authenticate their details by logging on to NVSP portal (nvsp.in) or Voter Helpline App or Common Service Centres or by visiting any nearby voter facilitation centre. The EVP programme can be availed both online and offline.
3. The entered details will be verified by block-level officers, by 36 CEOs at the state headquarters level, by 740 district electoral officers at the district level and by BLOs and electoral registration officers in around one million polling stations.

Vikram lander detached successfully from its orbiter

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully seperated lander Vikram separated from the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter. Now the Lander is ready for its soft landing on Moon on 7 September. The lander has been scheduled to touch the lunar surface in 5 days from the separation.

Key highlights:

1. ISRO has been monitoring the health of the Lander and Orbiter from the Mission Operations Complex at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru along with Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at nearby Bylalu. It reported that the parameters of the Chandraayan-2's lander and orbiter are normal.
2. The lander is expected to carry out two deorbit manoeuvres before it touches the south polar region of the moon. Rover Pragyaan, a six-wheeled robotic vehicle, will roll out from the lander after the soft landing. It will carry out various tests on the lunar soil.

Defence Ministry to conduct JNAQC in Visakhapatnam

Naval Quality Assurance Establishments is to host the Joint Naval Annual Quality Conclave (JNAQC) in Visakhapatnam on 5 September. It will be hosted under the charge of Director General Quality Assurance (DGQA), Ministry of Defence.

Key highlights:

1. The Conclave will focus on all aspects pertaining to the Transformation of Quality Assurance (QA) Paradigm. It will benefit all stakeholders by enabling the cross-fertilization of ideas and best practices from diverse fields.

Rajnath Singh co chaired the Japan India Defence Ministerial Meeting

The Japan–India Defence Ministerial Meeting was held in Tokyo on 2 September. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh co-chaired the meeting along with the Defence Minister of Japan Takeshi lwaya. The meeting was held during the two-day visit of Rajnath Singh to Japan. The talks were held to strengthen bilateral arrangements.

Key highlights:

1. The meeting focused on various issues of mutual concern to strengthen the existing bilateral co-operative arrangements and adopt new initiatives towards achieving peace and security in the region.
2. The importance of the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the countries in addressing regional peace, security and stability were also discussed.
3. It also discussed the preference of India for a rules-based order along with centrality of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and inclusiveness and security for all. The Japanese companies were invited to participate in the biennial arms exhibition Defence Expo 2020 which has been scheduled to be held in Lucknow.

Summary of the Index of Eight Core Industries released

Ministry of Commerce & Industry released the summary of the Index of Eight Core Industries with the base 2011-12. Among the total Index of Industrial Production (IIP), the 8 core industries comprise of 40.27% of the weight of items. In June 2019, the combined Index of Eight Core Industries stood at 131.4. This amount is 0.2% higher than that of the index of June 2018.

Key highlights:

1. Its cumulative growth of the core industries was 3.5% during April to June 2019-20.
2. The Eight Core Industries are crude oil, coal, cement, natural gas, electricity, steel, refinery products, and fertilizers. The Index of 8 Core Industries is a monthly production index.
3. The monthly industrial performance is calculated by using these 8 core sectors as a lead indicator.

COP 14 is being held in India

The 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) was inaugurated to UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The 12-day event has been scheduled to be held from 2 September to 13 September.

Key highlights:

1. The conference was inaugurated by Shri Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and Mr.IbrahimThiaw, Executive Secretary, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on 2 September.
2. India is hosting the 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) 2019. It has taken over the COP Presidency from China for the next two years till 2021. Also, the Environment Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar has been elected COP President for next two years.
3. As a host. India will highlight its skills in navigating the land management agenda at a global level. It will also provide a stage to mainstream sustainable land management in the country’s national development policies.

President Ram Nath Kovind appoints 5 new Governors

President of India. Shri Ram Nath Kovind appointed 5 new governors namely Dr.TamilisaiSoundararajan,  Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Kalraj Mishra, Arif Mohammed Khan and BandaruDattatreya for Telangana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh.

Key highlights:

1. Soundararajan appointed the Governor of Telangana having a separate Governor is a first for the country's newest state. Bandaru Dattatreya put in charge of Himachal Pradesh. Former union minister Arif Mohammad Khan appointed the Governor of Kerala and Bhagat Singh Koshyari as the Governor of Maharashtra.
2. Maharashtra is the only one going for state elections later this year. Mr Koshyari replaces Vidya Sagar Rao, whose five-year term came to an end.
3. Tamilisai Soundararajan in charge of the BJP in a crucial southern state where it had practically zero presence, owing to the muscular Dravidian politics of the former Chief Ministers J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi.

New Health Insurance Scheme AB-MGRSBY Launched In Rajasthan

Rajasthan state government launched a new health insurance scheme called Ayushman Bharat-Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojna (AB-MGRSBY) by integrating the Bhamashah Health Insurance Scheme(BSBY) of the State Government and Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna Scheme(AB-PMJAY) of the Central Government.

Key highlights:

1. People will be able to avail the AB-MGRSBY Scheme benefits in all impaneled private and public hospitals and it has a cashless treatment facility.
2. The natives of Rajasthan can take advantage of this scheme. The poor families covered in any of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 are considered eligible for the scheme.
3. The eligible families should have Aadhaar card and ration card linked with Bhamashah card (Jan Adhaar card) for availing the benefits.
4. If they do not have Bhamashah card, they can get it from e-Mitra, an ambitious e-Governance initiative of Government of Rajasthan. The scheme will be available until December 12, 2019.

Dr Harsh Vardhan addresses 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia

Harsh Vardhan stated that the government is observing the entire month of September as Poshan Maah Nutrition Month to sensitize the public towards healthy eating, address the twin issues of malnutrition/undernutrition and the problem of obesity in some sections of the population, and intensifying the campaign towards a Malnutrition-Free India.

Key highlights:

1. The unsafe food and poor diet create a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, elderly and sick. India is passing through an epidemiological shift from communicable to non-communicable diseases, and the burden of diet-related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity is rising rapidly.
2. He further said that this approach judiciously combines the regulatory and capacity-building measures with consumer empowerment initiatives. Citizens are being sensitized through a people’s movement called Eat Right India.
3. He further said that this approach judiciously combines the regulatory and capacity-building measures with consumer empowerment initiatives.
4. Citizens are being sensitized through a people’s movement called Eat Right India. It’s a tagline, Sahi Bhojan. Behtar Jeevan– Right diet leads to better quality life depicts India’s commitment to preventive and promotive healthcare as an important pillar of our health policy.
5. Hon’ble Prime Minister launched the Fit India Movement coinciding with the National Sports Day celebrations. This campaign aims at encouraging people to include physical activity and sports as a routine in their everyday life.

KVIC Launches Terracotta Grinder at Varanasi to Re-use wasted pottery

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) launched the first-ever Terracotta Grinder at Sewapuri in Varanasi. This machine will grind the wasted and broken pottery items for re-using in pottery-making.

Key highlights:

1. The wasted pottery items were ground in normal Khal-musal (mortar and pestle) and its fine powder was mixed with the normal clay. The normal clay makes the resulting pottery items stronger.
2. This Terracotta grinder will make grinding of wasted pottery items faster than the traditional mortar and pestle. It will lessen the cost of production and will also help in solving the problem of shortage of clays.
3. He said the cost of one tractor trolley of clay is Rs 2,600 in the Varanasi area. By mixing 20 percent of this wasted terracotta powder, the potter will make a saving of at least Rs 520.