Daily Current Affairs and GK | 1 and 2 September 2024

Topic: Banking System

1. Mastercard launched its Payment Passkey Service in India.

• This service has been launched at the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai.
• Mastercard has launched its Payment Passkey Service to make shopping more secure and easier.
• This service has been introduced in India as a pilot project with some of the nation’s largest payment players, such as Juspay, Razorpay, and PayU.
• Payment passkeys use device-based biometric authentication methods such as fingerprints or facial scans.
• Users could use biometric authentication mechanism features on their device—whether it’s a fingerprint, face scan, or PIN to confirm the payment.
• The payment passkeys will replace passwords and the OTP mechanism, and it will be more secure against fraud and scams.
• In the last two years, the incidence of fraud cases has surged by nearly 300 per cent in India.

Topic: Sports

2. Himanshi Tokas won the silver medal at the Asian Cadet Judo Championships.

• India’s Himanshi Tokas won the silver medal in the women’s 63-kilogram event at the Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Championships in Mungyeong, South Korea.
• This four-day Judo Championship concluded at the Mungyeong Gymnasium.
• The Asian Cadet Championships 2024 were held from 29 August to 30 August in the Republic of Korea.
• 161 participants from 16 countries have taken part in this competition.
• 12 members from India took part in the competition.

Topic: Sports

3. At the Paris Paralympics 2024, a history was created by Preeti Pal by winning India's first bronze medal in the women's 200m race on 1 September.

• The Indian athlete gave India its first medal in 200m by winning bronze in the women's T35 event.
• Preeti Pal of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh gave India its second Paralympic medal in track, clocking a personal best of 30.01 seconds.
• With two medals in two events, she became only the seventh Indian to win more than one Paralympic medal.
• In addition, India's Nishad Kumar won the silver medal in the men's high jump T47 event at the Paris Paralympics.
• Nishad Kumar had won a silver medal in the same event at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago.
• Nishad jumped a season's best of 2.04m to finish behind Roderick Townsend of the USA, who also won gold in Tokyo.

Topic: Defence

4. Maritime Partnership Exercise conducted by Indian Naval Ship Tabar with Spanish Naval Ship Atalaya.

• The Indian Navy's frontline frigate, INS Tabar, had arrived in Malaga, Spain, on 25 August 2024, on a two-day visit.
• Subsequently, after departure on 27 August 2024, it conducted Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with Spanish Naval Ship Atalaya in the Mediterranean Sea.
• India and Spain are working in several areas towards enhancing existing bilateral relations, including in the maritime sector.
• The conduct of MPX between the Indian Navy and the Spanish Navy in the Mediterranean Sea symbolises the reach and sustainment of the Indian Navy.
• It is also an important milestone in maritime cooperation between India and Spain.
• The MPX included a series of advanced exercises such as Station Keeping, Replenishment at Sea Approaches (RASAPs), Flying Exercise (FYEX), Steam Past and PHOTOEX serials.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summit/Conference/Meeting

5. In September, India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem Summit to be held at Stanford University.

• The third edition of the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (Indus-X) Summit will be held at Stanford University in California in early September.
• During this, top defence leadership of both the countries will discuss on enhancing the cross-border defence innovation ecosystem.
• Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is among the key leaders scheduled to address the summit.
• The summit will be organized by the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) in collaboration with Stanford University's Gordian Knott Center for National Security Innovation and the Hoover Institution on September 9 and 10.
• The summit will bring together Indian and US leaders in defense innovation across startups, venture capital, academia, accelerators and industry, and provide opportunities for co-production and investment in both countries.
• The theme of the 3rd Indus-X Summit is "Harnessing investment opportunities to enhance cross-border defence innovation ecosystem."
• INDUS-X, launched in June 2023, aims to strengthen the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between India and the U.S., involving governments, businesses, accelerators, investors, and academia.

Topic: Sports

6. Rajgir, Bihar will host 2024 Women's Asian Champions Trophy.

• Hockey India announced that the 2024 Hockey Women's Asian Champions Trophy will take place in Rajgir from November 11 to 20, marking a significant milestone in the development of sports facilities in Bihar.
• The tournament will be held at the newly-built Rajgir Hockey Stadium, where India will defend its title against teams from China, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and Korea.
• On August 30, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the Rajgir Hockey Stadium.
• This will be 8th edition of Hockey Women’s Asian Champions Trophy.
• India has got the opportunity to host this event for the second consecutive time.
• Indian women's hockey team won the Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2023 title by defeating Japan by 4-0 in the final at Ranchi.
• Women's Asian Champions Trophy is organized by the Asian Hockey Federation.

Topic: National Appointments

7. Air Marshal Tejinder Singh took over as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force.

• He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy.
• He was commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF on 13 June 1987.
• He is a Category ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor with over 4500 hours of flying.
• He is an alumnus of Defence Service Staff College and National Defence College.
• He was given the Vayu Sena Medal in 2007 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

8. The 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah was launched at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• It lays emphasis on improving nutrition awareness and overall well-being across the nation.
• Prominent figures including Annpurna Devi, Union Minister for Women and Child Development attended the event.
• The day began with a nationwide plantation drive titled “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”.
• The primary function was held at Mahatma Mandir, where Gujarat's Chief Minister, Bhupendrabhai Patel, gave the keynote speech.
• Good governance, convergence, capacity building, and community participation are the four main pillars of Poshan 2.0, according to Annpurna Devi, and they are all crucial to the program's success.
• The main topics of discussion at the 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2024 will be anaemia, growth monitoring, complementary feeding, Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, technology for better governance, and Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.
• The month-long campaign seeks to support national efforts to combat malnutrition and promote holistic well-being.

Topic: Indian Economy

9. DGTR has recommended anti-dumping duty on aluminium foils imported from China.

• China's imports of aluminium foil have captured 30 percent of the Indian market despite sufficient domestic capacity.
• India’s largest aluminium manufacturing company, Hindalco, has raised this request from the government to protect domestic companies.
• Any Country performs anti-dumping investigations to determine whether domestic industries have been harmed due to a surge in cheap imports.
• The imports of aluminium foils up to 80 microns have forced the domestic industry to reduce its selling price below the cost of production.
• The aluminium foil is used as a packaging material to preserve edible and food products.
• The recommended duty ranges between $619 per tonne and $873 per tonne.
• Imports from China have surpassed $60 billion during the first seven months of 2024, which is 10 percent higher than the $55 billion recorded during the same period last year.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

10. CAG inked a pact with the General Court of Audit of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

• To strengthen cooperation and exchange of expertise, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has signed a pact with the General Court of Audit, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• The area of cooperation includes conducting joint training programs on topics related to financial, performance, and compliance audits and the exchange of audit manuals and audit methodologies.
• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Riyadh.
• The cooperation between the two Supreme Audit Institutions will energize their capacity development initiatives.
• This will encourage the exchange of knowledge and information between both Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs).

Topic: Corporate and Company

11. SJVN, NHPC, RailTel and Solar Energy Corporation of India granted Navratna status by the Government of India.

• On August 30, Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited, NHPC Limited, RailTel Corporation of India Limited, and Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited were granted 'Navratna' status by the Narendra Modi government.
• RailTel Corporation of India has become the 22nd 'Navratna', followed by Solar Energy Corporation of India 23rd, NHPC 24th, and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam 25th 'Navratna' in India.
• Shimla-based SJVN is a listed company with the following shareholding pattern: 55% stake held by the government of India, 26.85% by the government of Himachal Pradesh, and the remaining 18.15% by the public.
• NHPC, a Faridabad based company, is under the Ministry of Power.
• It is India's largest hydropower development organization, capable of undertaking a range of activities from conceptualization of hydropower projects to their commissioning.
• RailTel is a Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) under the Ministry of Railways.
• Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) is a nodal agency of the Central Government for auction of renewable energy projects.
• Navratna status:
  • The Government of India grants Navratna status to top-ranked public sector undertakings (PSUs).
  • This status allows organisations to make large investments of up to Rs 1,000 crore without approval from the Centre.
  • These companies have the freedom to invest up to 30% of their total assets within a year, provided it is less than ₹1,000 crore.
  • They can also form joint ventures, tie-ups, and set up subsidiaries abroad.
  • For a company to be granted Navratna status, it must already have Miniratna Category I status and be listed under Schedule A of CPSEs.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

12. 50 teachers from schools across India selected for the National Teacher Award 2024 by the Department of School Education and Literacy.

• The National Teacher Awards will be presented on 5 September 2024.
• They have been selected by the Department of School Education & Literacy through a rigorous, transparent, and online three-stage selection process, i.e., district, state, and national level.
• The 50 selected teachers are from 28 states, 3 union territories, and 6 organisations.
• Out of the 50 selected teachers, 34 are men, 16 women, 2 Divyangs, and 1 working with CWSN.
• Apart from this, 16 teachers from the Higher Education Department and 16 teachers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will also be honored.
• This award will be given to 82 teachers in a ceremony organized at Vigyan Bhavan on 5 September 2024.
• The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, organises a national level function every year on 5th September, i.e., Teachers' Day.
• The National Teacher Awards honour outstanding teachers who, through dedication and excellence, have significantly enhanced the quality of education and have made a positive impact on the lives of their students.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

13. PM Modi addressed the National Conference of District Judiciary.

• The National Conference of District Judiciary was held on the occasion of 75 years of the Supreme Court.
• Issues like ease of justice and speed of justice, human resources, and other issues related to the justice system were discussed during the conference.
• A session on judicial wellness was also organized at this conference.
• The prime minister said that Rs 800 crore was spent on judicial Infrastructure in the Last 10 years.
• In the last ten years, 7,500 new court halls in District Court have been built.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also flagged off three Vande Bharat trains on three routes: Meerut-Lucknow, Madurai-Bangalore, and Chennai.
• The Supreme Court came into existence on 26 January 1950. On 28 January 1950, the Supreme Court was inaugurated.
• The inauguration was held in the Chamber of Princes in the old Parliament building where the Federal Court of India sat for 12 years from 1937 to 1950.
• The Supreme Court moved into a new building in 1958. The building is shaped to represent the image of scales of justice.

Topic: State News/Uttar Pradesh

14. UP government proposed a new digital media policy.

• The Uttar Pradesh government’s new digital media policy provides cash rewards to influencers for publishing and popularizing the policies and programs of the state government.
• For anti-national posts, it has proposed punishment, ranging from a three-year jail term to a life term.
• The main objective of the Digital Media Policy 2024 is to spread awareness among the people about the programs and achievements of the government and their benefits.
• Under this policy, a cash reward of up to Rs eight lakh per month for social media influencers would be provided.
• The content providers have been divided into four categories on the basis of their subscribers and followers on different social media platforms.