Daily Current Affairs and GK | 10 September 2024

Topic: Environment and Ecology

1. A critically endangered elongated tortoise species has been spotted in Haryana’s Damdama area.

• During a research survey in the Aravallis, a critically endangered tortoise species was spotted in Haryana’s Damdama area.
• The tortoise has been medium-sized with a yellowish-brown or olive shell and distinct black blotches at the centre.
• This tortoise has been found in the Sal deciduous and hilly evergreen forests.
• Sunil Harsana and Nitesh Kaushik have discovered this tortoise.
• This tortoise is generally found at wetter places but discovering in Aravallis is an aberration than a norm.
• Elongated tortoises were assessed for the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of threatened species in 2018.
• They are listed as critically endangered under the criteria A2cd.

Topic: Defense

2. India and US Joint Military Exercise, Yudh Abhyas 2024, commenced in Rajasthan.

• The 20th edition of the India-USA Joint Military Exercise, Yudh Abhyas 2024, started at the Foreign Training Node in the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.
• This exercise will take place from September 9 to 22.
• Since 2004, Exercise Yudh Abhyas has been organized annually every year between India and the United States.
• The Indian Army contingent, comprising 600 personnel, including a battalion from the Rajput Regiment, is taking part in this exercise.
• The US contingent, with a similar number of troops, is represented by the 1-24 Battalion of the 11th Airborne Division.
• The main objective of the exercise is to enhance the military capabilities of both countries in conducting counter-terrorism operations.
• The exercise will primarily focus on operations in a semi-desert environment.

Topic: International News

3. A minimum age law for social media use will be enacted by Australia.

• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would introduce a minimum age law for social media to protect children.
• Albanese said the goal is to support parents and keep children safe.
• In a national survey of children's health conducted by the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital on August 21 last year, more than half of parents reported mental health issues as the top health concern for their children and teens.
• Mental health and technology use are now the top health concerns for U.S. parents, surpassing childhood obesity, which was the leading worry a decade ago.
• According to a nationally representative survey, two-thirds of parents are concerned about the time children spend on devices, including total screen time and social media use, which ranked first and second, respectively, on this year’s list of children’s health concerns.

 Topic: Summit/Conference/Meeting

4. The 2nd Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Civil Aviation will be hosted by India.

• The conference, to be held on September 11-12, 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, is being hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
• This is an important event for the aviation sector of the region.
• As the third largest domestic aviation market globally, India is establishing itself as a major hub for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, cargo operations, and regional aviation.
• Ongoing development of new greenfield airports and progressive policies, such as the UDAN initiative, are promoting regional air connectivity.
• This will be the second edition of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference, the first one was held in Beijing, China, in 2018.
• It is estimated that the region's share of global air traffic will exceed 40% by 2035, with around 3.5 billion passengers annually.
• The conference will also celebrate the 80th anniversary of ICAO and the Chicago Convention, reaffirming India's role in global aviation.

Topic: Committee/Commission/Taskforce

5. Amid delay in census, Centre dissolves Pronab Sen-led standing committee on statistics, surveys.

• The Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has dissolved the 14-member Standing Committee on Statistics (SCOS) headed by eminent economist and former chief statistician of the country Pranab Sen.
• Its members had reportedly raised questions over the delay in conducting the census.
• The reason for its dissolution is that the work of the Committee overlapped with the work of the recently constituted National Sample Survey Steering Committee.
• The decennial census of India has been conducted every ten years since the 1870s, and the last census was conducted in 2011.
• The next census, scheduled for 2021, was initially delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has not yet been notified.
• Several economists have expressed concern that the data sets used for most statistical surveys are still drawn from the 2011 census, affecting their accuracy and quality.
• The SCoS, constituted in July 2023, was to advise the central government on the survey methodology, including sampling frame, sample design and survey instruments, and finalize the tabulation plan of the surveys.

Topic: International Appointment

6. Randhir Singh elected President of the Asian Olympic Council.

• On September 8, veteran sports administrator Randhir Singh was unanimously elected President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) at its 44th General Assembly.
• Singh is the first Indian to become the full-time President of this continental body. He will remain in this top post for four years.
• He was the OCA's secretary general from 1991 to 2015 – the position is now abolished – and thereafter its life vice-president until 2021.
• He is a trap shooter who represented India in five Olympics from 1968 to 1984, winning a gold medal in the event at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games.
• Since 2021, he has been serving as the acting president of the OCA.
• He took over after Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah was handed a 15-year ban from sports administration by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for ethics violations.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. India and the UAE signed five agreements covering different fields.

• Among the signed agreements is an agreement between Emirates Nuclear Energy Company and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited on the operations and maintenance of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.
• Additionally, an agreement was signed between Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for a long-term LNG supply.
• ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited signed an agreement.
• Urja Bharat and ADNOC have signed a production concession agreement for Abu Dhabi Onshore Block 1.
• Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. and Bharat Petro Resources Ltd., a BPCL subsidiary, are partners in the joint venture Urja Bharat.
• With this concession agreement, Urja Bharat is allowed to import crude oil into India.
• After discussions in New Delhi between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the Memorandums of Understanding were signed.
• The two leaders conveyed their pleasure with the significant progress made in the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the past several years.
• They talked about how to expand and strengthen the partnership in all areas of bilateral cooperation. 
• At Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu also had a meeting with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

Topic: Indian Economy

8. GST council has decided to reduce rate of Goods and Service Tax (GST) on cancer drugs from 12% to 5%.

• The decision was taken in the 54th GST Council meeting held in New Delhi on 09 September 2024.
• The meeting was chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and Finance Ministers of States.
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said GST on selected snacks has also been cut from 18% to 12%.
• According to Union Finance Minister, grants to universities established by the law of Centre, state governments and those who have got income tax exemption are not subject to the Goods and Services Tax.
• The Group of Ministers (GoM) was established by the GST Council with the goal of lowering the tax rate on health and life insurance.
• By the end of October 2024, the Group of Ministers on GST rate reduction on medical health insurance will give its report.
• The matter of rate decrease will be decided at a meeting scheduled for November.
• The formation of a Group of Ministers on Compensation Cess has also been approved by the GST Council.
• The Group of Ministers on Rate Rationalisation and Real Estate presented the status reports, according to the Union Finance Minister.
• She said, status report on online gaming and casinos was also submitted.
• According to Union Finance Minister, in just six months, the revenue generated by online gaming has surged by 412%, or 6,909 crore rupees.
• Car seats now carry a 28 percent GST charge instead of the previous 18 percent rate.
• The GST rate on Roof Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) Air Conditioning Machines for Railways would be 28%.
• GST shall not apply to certified flight training courses delivered by DGCA-licensed flight Training Organisations.

Topic: Personality in News

9. TIME Magazine named Ashwini Vaishnaw as one of the most influential people in Technology and AI.

• Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw has been named one of the most influential people in the Technology and Artificial Intelligence field by TIME Magazine.

• He has been named under the “Shapers” category of the list.
• Under his leadership, India will become one of the top five countries in semiconductor manufacturing in the next five years.
• As per TIME Magazine, the Indian educational system is working to produce the specialized workforce needed for cutting-edge AI and semiconductor development.
• This list also includes prominent figures including Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, and Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.
• Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani is also on the list for his significant contribution to AI and Technology.

Topic: International News

10. India and U.S. agree to swap turns, Biden to host Quad Summit.

• India and the United States have “swapped” their turn to host the Quad Summit.
• The Quad summit swap decision has been taken after a meeting of the Quad ‘sous sherpas’,
• This year's Quad Summit will held on September 21 in Biden's home state of Delaware.
• Now, India will host the Quad summit in 2025. It means that the new U.S. President, Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, will visit India next year.
• PM Modi will address a diaspora meeting at the Nassau Coliseum in New York’s Long Island entitled “Modi & U.S. Progress Together” on September 22.
• Quad Summit is held annually and venues are rotated between Australia, India, Japan, and US.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

11. A global framework for investigating pathogen origins launched by the World Health Organization with contributions from Indian scientists.

• A new global framework has been introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) that aims to streamline the investigation into the origins of new and re-emerging pathogens that have the potential to cause epidemics or pandemics.
• This framework has been developed by the Scientific Advisory Group on the Origins of New Pathogens (SAGO).
• The aim of this framework is to address existing shortcomings in outbreak investigation methods and establish an integrated approach to the study of pathogen origins.
• Indian scientists have made significant contributions to the development of this framework, especially in key areas such as animal-human interface studies and genomic analysis.
• These topics are key to understanding how germs evolve and are transmitted, which is essential to preventing future outbreaks.
• The framework outlines six technical elements that provide guidance for investigations, including early epidemiological studies, research on human disease patterns, and laboratory safety protocols.
• These investigations are designed to begin as soon as an outbreak is detected, initially focusing on areas where cases are first identified.
• Early identification of the source of the pathogen can help prevent spread and reduce the likelihood of a large outbreak.

Topic: National News

12. Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated 8 new Nidhi I-TBIs across India

• On September 6, Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra virtually inaugurated a new DST-Nidhi website as well as 8 new Nidhi I-TBIs across India at IIT Delhi to mark the completion of 8 years of Department of Science and Technology (DST-Nidhi) initiative.
• 8 new Fund Inclusive TBIs (I-TBIs) have been established at various locations across the country:
  • Central University of Rajasthan Ajmer.
  • Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Ludhiana, Punjab
  • BLDE Bijapur, Karnataka
  • Aligarh Muslim University
  • Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
  • Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (Central University) Bilaspur,
  • GSSS Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women Mysore, Karnataka
  • University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES) Dehradun
• I-TBI (Inclusive TBI) is a three-year period initiative supported by DST for those educational institutions.
• These have the potential to promote innovation and entrepreneurial culture among students, faculty, entrepreneurs and surrounding communities.
• Apart from this, Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the DST-GDC IIT Madras Incubate programme for deep tech startups.
• GDC is funded by grants from three distinguished alumni of IIT Madras namely Dr. Gururaj Deshpande, Mrs. Jayashree Deshpande and Mr. 'Kris' Gopalakrishnan.
• These initiatives are designed to enhance our support to innovators primarily from Tier II and Tier III cities and provide targeted support to start-ups at critical stages of growth.
• The NIDHI was launched by the Department of Science and Technology in 2016.

Topic: MoUs /Agreements

13. Indian Army and Indian Airforce inked a pact with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.

• To enhance the skills and capability building of personnel in logistics operations, the Indian Army and Indian Airforce signed a MoU.
• It is a partnership to build a world-class and future-proof logistics system and achieve self-reliance in the defence sector. 
• Vishwavidyalaya act as a vital partner in empowering the Armed Forces with cutting-edge logistics education, research and innovation.
• Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) is a central university located in Vadodara, Gujarat.
• It was established in 2018 as a Deemed-to-be University and was converted into a central University under The Central Universities (Amendment) Act, 2022.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

14. Semicon India 2024 will be hosted by the UP government at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida.

• Uttar Pradesh government will host Semicon India 2024 at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida from September 11 to 13.
• It will be organized in collaboration with SEMI, Messe Muenchen India, and the Electronic Industries Association of India.
• Its main aim is to elevate India’s semiconductor sector and establish the country as a significant global contender.
• This year’s Semicon India Exhibition and Conference will be held alongside Electronica India and Productronica India.
• Many domestic and international companies will participate in this event.
• It will provide an opportunity to explore India’s burgeoning semiconductor sector and discover new business prospects.