Daily Current Affairs and GK | 1 September 2023

Topic: National Appointments

1. Jaya Verma Sinha has been appointed as the chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Railway Board.

• Jaya Verma Sinha is the first woman appointed to the post.
• Her appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
• She is currently posted as a Member (Operations and Business Development) in the Railway Board.
• She will succeed Anil Kumar Lahoti. She will take charge on or after the 1st of September.
• Her tenure will be till the 31st of August next year.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

2. India's first indigenously developed nuclear power plant unit has become operational at full capacity.

• PM Modi said, “The first largest indigenous 700 MWe Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3 in Gujarat has started operations at full capacity”.
• Kakrapar Unit-3 is an expansion of the existing plant. The existing plant had two operational units, KAPS-1 and KAPS-2.
• KAPS-1 and KAPS-2 have a capacity of around 220 MWe (megawatts electrical) each.
• The third unit is larger. It is more advanced. The fourth unit (KAPP-4) has also been constructed. It is expected to begin by March 2024.
• The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) operates nuclear plants in the country.
• As per NPCIL, KAPP-3 and 4 are India's first pair of indigenously designed Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MW unit size.

Topic: International News

3. Gen Brice Oligui Nguema has been announced as interim leader after the coup in Gabon.

• Army officers have seized power in Gabon. They have named Gen Brice Oligui Nguema as their leader.
• The military grab power after Gabon’s election authority announced that Ali Bongo Ondimba has been re-elected as president.
• Army officers said that the election results were voided and all borders have been shut.
• All government bodies have been dissolved including both houses of parliament.
• Bongo has been placed under house arrest surrounded by “family and doctors”.
• Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema, who was once the bodyguard of Bongo’s late father, chosen as a transitional leader.
• Gabon is a one of Africa's major oil producers. It was a French Colony.
• The African Union has suspended Gabon's participation in all of its activities after the military coup.
• Gabon:
  • It is a country on the west coast of Central Africa.
  • It shares a border with Guinea, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo and the Gulf of Guinea.
  • Libreville is the Capital and the Central African CFA franc is the currency.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Books and Author

4. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan released a comic book titled "Let’s Move Forward".

• The launch event was held on August 29, 2023, at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi.
• This comic book has been jointly developed NCERT and UNESCO.
• It will act as a useful resource to promote health and wellness of school going children.
• It is aimed at enhancing health and well-being of school going children across the nation.
• This comic book will impart life skills essential for fostering responsible and health-conscious behaviour among adolescents.
• It is available in different languages including Hindi, English, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, etc.
• It will be distributed across various educational and health institutions.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

5. Indian Oncologist R. Ravi Kannan wins the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award.

• Surgical oncologist R. Ravi Kannan is one of the Ramon Magsaysay Awardees for 2023.
• He has been awarded for revolutionising cancer treatment in Assam through people-centric and pro-poor healthcare.
• R. Ravi Kannan is the Director of the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC) in Assam
• Under Dr. Kannan’s leadership, the Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC) became a full-fledged comprehensive cancer hospital and research centre.
• The hospital now has 28 departments including oncology, pathology, radiology, microbiology, epidemiology, etc.
• The CCHRC provides free or subsidised cancer care treatment to around 5 Lakh patients annually.
• Other winners of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award:

• Ramon Magsaysay Award:
  • It is the highest honour in Asia and is considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
  • The award is given annually to individuals or organizations in the Asia region for philanthropy and social service.
  • It was established in 1957 in memory of Ramon Magsaysay, the third President of the Philippines.

(Source: Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation)

Topic: National News

6. Sagar Parikrama Phase-VIII commenced on 31 August 2023 at Thengapattanam Fishing Harbour in Kanyakumari district.

• Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala, and Minister of State, Dr L Murugan, jointly inaugurated the event.
• The Phase-VIII of Sagar Parikrama will involve an exploration of four coastal districts in Tamil Nadu.
• These districts are Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Ramanathapuram.
• The Tamil Nadu segment of Sagar Parikrama, which commenced on 31 August, will conclude on 2nd September 2023.
• On the concluding day of the Yatra, the foundation stone for the Integrated Seaweed Park at Valamavur in Thondi, Ramanathapuram district will be laid.
• Sagar Parikrama Yatra:
  • It is a one-of-a-kind mega fisher's outreach initiative. It is led by Union Minister, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
  • It began in March 2022 and would span around 8000 kilometres of India's coastline.
  • Aim of Sagar Parikrama is fishing for a better tomorrow. So far, the Yatra has completed seven phases.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

7. Kolkata Metro Railway is transitioning from a conventional steel Third Rail system to a composite aluminium third rail system.

• With this, Kolkata Metro has joined the elite club of London, Moscow, and Munich metros using this system.
• Kolkata Metro has relied on the steel Third Rail system to supply power to its rolling stock for nearly four decades.
• It will shift to a composite aluminium third rail system in three phases.
• In the first phase, the replacement process of the Third Rail system along the Dumdum to Shyambazar section will be carried out.
• The second phase will cover the Shyambazar to Central and JD Park to Tollygunge sections. 
• In the third phase, the transition will be carried out from Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (Tollygunge) to Kavi Subhash (New Garia).
• The advantages of the aluminium composite third rail system over its steel counterpart are given below.
  • It reduces resistive current loss and results in improved traction voltage levels.
  • It results in capital investment savings.
  • It enhances operational efficiency by allowing for faster acceleration.
  • It reduces maintenance and life cycle costs. It lowers the risk of rusting.

Topic: State News/ Chhattisgarh

8. The state-level program of “Year of Positive Change” was launched by President Droupadi Murmu.

• President Droupadi Murmu launched the program at Prajapita Brahmakumari Ishwariya Vishwavidyalaya in Raipur on 31 August 2023.
• On the occasion, Chhattisgarh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel were also present.
• The President reached Raipur on 31 August 2023 on his two-day visit to Chhattisgarh.
• The President will attend various programs in Raipur and Bilaspur.
• The President will attend the convocation ceremony of Guru Ghasidas Central University, Bilaspur.
• She will also meet the representatives of the primitive tribal community in Raipur.

Topic: Sports

9. Neeraj Chopra finished second in the Zurich Diamond League.

• On August 31, Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra finished second with 85.71m throw at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich.
• The Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch was first with 85.86m, while Germany’s Julian Weber was third with 85.04 m.
• Recently on 27 August, Neeraj became the first-ever Indian athlete to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
• Neeraj qualified for the Diamond League finals to be held in Eugene, USA on September 17 with 23 points from three matches.
• In 2022, he won the Diamond League trophy.
• He won the Diamond League meetings in Doha (5 May) and Lausanne (30 June).
• In men’s long jump, M. Sreesankar finished fifth at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich.
• Olympic and world champion Miltiadis Tantoglu of Greece won the event with his final jump of 8.20 meters.
• Jamaica's Tajay Clarke finished second with a jump of 8.07m while USA's Jerrier Lawson finished third with a jump of 8.05m.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

10. Amrit Kalash Yatra started by Home Minister Amit Shah from New Delhi.

• On 1 September, the Home Minister started the Amrit Kalash Yatra from New Delhi under the Meri Mati Mera Desh campaign.
• This campaign was announced on August 9 to honor the brave martyred men and women of the country.
• Amrit Kalash Yatra will be organized across the country and under this, soil of seven and a half thousand kalash will be brought from all the regions of the country to Amrit Vatika in Delhi.
• Amrit Vatika will be built near the National War Memorial and will be a symbol of commitment to Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.
• Last month, PM Modi had said in his Mann Ki Baat program that this campaign would be started in September, and in this, soil would be taken from every house in every village of the country.
• At the end of October, thousands of people will reach the capital Delhi with the Amrit Kalash Yatra.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

11. The government has approved startup guidelines dedicated to technical textiles.

• The Ministry of Textiles has approved the “Startup Guidelines for Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT)”.
• It will provide grant-in-aid up to INR 50 Lakhs to Technical Textiles for up to a period of 18 months.
• The guideline focuses on supporting individuals and companies to translate prototypes of technologies and products, including commercialization with an emphasis on developing startup ecosystems in technical textiles.
• The GREAT guidelines provide emphasis on application areas of technical textiles including agro-textiles, mobile textiles, development of high-performance fibers and composites, and smart textiles using Artificial Intelligence, etc.
• To encourage the incubators, the ministry will provide an additional 10% of the total grant-in-aid to the incubators.
• To strengthen authenticity and commitment towards the project, it is mandatory for incubators to invest a minimum of 10% of the funding in two equal tranches.
• The Ministry has also approved 26 institutes for upgrading their laboratory infrastructure and training of trainers in the application areas of technical textiles.
• The Ministry has approved the applications of 26 institutions for starting technical textiles courses/papers in key departments/specialties and new degree programs in technical textiles.
• For this, approval of Rs 151.02 crore was given, of which 15 applications worth Rs 105.55 crore are from public institutions and 11 applications worth Rs 45.47 crore are from private institutions.
• Some of the prominent institutes that are funded under this scheme include IIT Delhi, NIT Jalandhar, NIT Durgapur, NIT Karnataka, NIFT Mumbai, ICT Mumbai, Anna University, PSG College of Technology, Amity University.

Topic: Important Days

12. National Nutrition Week 2023: 1 to 7 September

• Every year, National Nutrition Week is observed from September 1 to September 7 in India.
• It is observed to raise awareness about the need for adequate nutrition in the diet.
• ‘Healthy Diet Gawing Affordable for All’ is the theme of National Nutrition Week 2023.
• In 1982, the Food and Nutrition Board under the Ministry of Women and Child Development started National Nutrition Week.
• In 1975, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) started National Nutrition Week.
• India ranks 107th position out of 121 countries on the Global Hunger Index 2022.
• The percentage of children (6–59 months) suffering from anaemia has decreased from 69.4% to 58.6%.
• On March 8, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Poshan Abhiyaan from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan with a view to making India malnutrition-free.

Topic: Indian Polity

13. Government called a special session of Parliament between September 18 and 22.

• It will be of five days between September 18 and 22, will have five sittings.
• There is no official word on the agenda of the session.
• There is a speculation that special session has been called to begin the process of shifting from the old to the new Parliament building.
• The Monsoon Session was held between July 20 and August 12.
• Sessions of Parliament:
  • A 'session' of Parliament is the period between the first sitting of a House and its prorogation.
  • There are usually three sessions that take place in a year, which are: Budget Session, Monsoon Session, and Winter Session.
  • The president has powers to summon and prorogue either house of Parliament or to dissolve the Lok Sabha.
  • The decision to convene a session of Parliament is taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
  • The decision of the Committee is formalised by the President.
  • The summoning of a Parliament session is specified in Article 85 of the Constitution.
  • The budget session from January to the end of April or the first week of May, is the longest session.
  • The interval between two sessions of Parliament should not exceed six months.

Topic: Banking System 

14. Title sponsorship rights for all BCCI international and domestic home matches have been given to IDFC First Bank.

• IDFC First Bank will be the Title Sponsor for all international matches (both women and men) played in India.  
• It will also be the Title Sponsor for all domestic cricket matches like Irani Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and Ranji Trophy organized by the BCCI. 
• It will also be the Title Sponsor for all junior cricket (Under 19 and Under 23) matches held in India. 
• It will be the Title Sponsor for all international cricket matches played in India and all domestic tournaments for the next 3 years. 
• This will start with the 3-match ODI series against Australia, which is scheduled to start next month (September 2023). 
• IDFC First Bank is an Indian private-sector bank. It was founded in 2015. It is headquartered in Mumbai. V. Vaidyanathan is its MD & CEO.