Daily Current Affairs and GK | 18 September 2021

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

1. Tata Steel commissioned India's first carbon capture plant at Jamshedpur.

• Tata Steel has commissioned India’s first plant for CO₂ capture from blast furnace gas at Jamshedpur. It can capture 5-tonne carbon per day.
• Tata Steel has developed India’s first carbon capture technology that will capture CO₂ and reuse it.
• This project has been executed with technological support from Carbon Clean, a global leader in low-cost CO₂ capture technology.
• The carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) facility was inaugurated by T V Narendran. This facility will use amine-based technology to make reuse the captured carbon.
• Capturing CO₂ from blast furnace gas will not only decarbonize the steel plants but will also open new opportunities for the hydrogen economy.

Topic: Sports

2. Virat Kohli to step down as India’s T20I captain.

• Virat Kohli announced that he will step down as India’s T20I captain after ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
• He has played 90 T20Is for India and captained 45 matches. He has won 27 T20 matches as captain.
• He cited the “immense workload” as the reason behind his decision. He will remain captain for Test and ODI.
• The BCCI is as yet to name Kohli’s successor in T20 format. 
• ICC T20 World Cup 2021 is scheduled to be held from 17 October to 14 November 2021 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Topic: State News/Manipur

3. Manipur Sirarakhong Chilli and Tamenglong Orange receive GI tag.

• Manipur CM N. Biren Singh has announced that the famous Sirarakhong Chilli and Tamenglong Orange have got Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• The announcement was made by CM when he was speaking at the inaugural function of Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) Mela, 2021.
• Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) Mela, 2021 is being organised by the State Forest Department.
• A VDVK Outlet and Extension Centre at Forest Department Head Office, Sanjenthong was also inaugurated by Chief Minister.
• On August 8, 2021, Manipur was conferred with five national awards during the first Van Dhan Annual Awards, 2020-21 at 34th Foundation Day celebration of TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Geographical Indication (GI) Tag is form of intellectual property, a certification or sign or name given to certain goods/products that are unique to a particular geographical region or location.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana launched by Railways.

• Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana has been launched by Railways to empower youth by way of providing entry-level training in industry relevant skills through Railway Training Institutes.
• Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana is a programme under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that training in remote areas will be conducted under Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
• The training will be provided to 50 thousand candidates over a period of three years.
• In the starting, one thousand candidates will be provided training in four trades (Electrician, Welder, Machinist and Fitter).
• Candidates who are 10th pass and between 18 to 35 years shall be eligible to apply.
• 75 Railway Training Institutes spread across the country have been shortlisted to provide training in aforesaid trades, to cover youth from all over the country.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

5. PM Modi addressed plenary session of SCO meeting at Dushanbe.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 21st meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). It has been organized in a hybrid format at Dushanbe.
• During his address, Modi said that the biggest challenges in the region are related to peace, security, and trust deficit.
• He also said that SCO should work to develop a strong network. He said that India is committed to improve its connectivity with Central Asia.
• This is the first SCO Summit being organized in a hybrid format and the fourth Summit in which India is participating as a full-fledged member.   
• Iran to become a new member of the SCO. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar to join SCO as dialogue partners.
• At this meeting, Leaders will discuss regional and international issues and review the organization’s activities of the last two decades.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan presented Kaushalacharya Awards 2021.

• Union Education Minister and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan presented Kaushalacharya Awards 2021 to 41 skill trainers.
• It has been given to skill trainers for their exemplary contribution to Skill training programme.
• These 41 Skill trainers are selected from several initiatives and training programmes of Skill India.
• On this occasion, Dharmendra Pradhan said that skill trainers will play a key role in full-filling the vision of making India a skill hub of the world.

Topic: Government Scheme and Initiatives

7. MyGov India launched Planetarium Innovation Challenge for Indian start-ups and tech entrepreneurs.

• MyGov India has launched the Planetarium Innovation Challenge for Indian start-ups and tech entrepreneurs.
• It aims to bring tech firms and Startups (based out of India) on one platform to build an indigenous planetariums system software.
• Planetarium Innovation Challenge was launched by MyGov India last week and the registration for this challenge will remain open till 10th October.
• The challenge invites start-ups and tech entrepreneurs to develop state-of-the-art technology for Planetariums by using the latest technologies including Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Merged Reality (MR).
• The first winner, second winner, and third winner will receive the cash prizes of five lakh, three lakh, and two lakh rupees respectively.
• This challenge has been launched as part of digital transformation under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Topic: Defence News

8. Indo-Nepal Joint Military Training Exercise Surya Kiran will commence from 20 September.

• The 15th edition of Indo-Nepal Joint Military Training Exercise Surya Kiran will commence from 20 September at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.
• An Infantry Battalion from Indian Army and an equivalent strength from Nepali Army would participate in this military training exercise.
•  This joint military training exercise will strengthen the defense ties between both countries.
• High Altitude Warfare, Jungle Warfare, counter-insurgency tactics and techniques will be part of this military exercise.
• This exercise is part of an initiative to develop interoperability and sharing expertise between the two countries.
• The previous edition of the exercise Surya Kiran was conducted in Nepal in 2019.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

9. NITI Aayog joins hands with Dassault Systemes to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.

• NITI Aayog joined hands with French tech giant Dassault Systemes to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
• The Statement of Intent has been signed between NITI Aayog and Dassault Systemes to support various initiatives of AIM programs.
• This partnership will act as a catalyst to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. Under this initiative, selected Indian startups will get access of the Dassault Systemes global start up ecosystem.
• Dassault Systemes will provide support to Atal Tinkering Labs, AIM incubators, Atal Community Innovation centers.
• Recently, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has launched the third series of the ‘Student Entrepreneurship Program’ (SEP 3.0) in association with the Dassault Systemes Foundation.

Topic: Important Days

10. Hyderabad Liberation Day: 17 September.

• Hyderabad Liberation Day was observed on 17 September to mark accession of the princely state of Hyderabad into the Indian Union.
• On 17 September 1948, Police action ended oppressive Nizam’s rule. It was codenamed as ‘Operation Polo’.
• Then Home Minister Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel’s firm decision to initiate police action had made the merger of Hyderabad State into the Indian Union a reality.
• Indian army took up the police action against the Nizam rule and his private army of Rajakars for five days.
• On 17 September 1948, the last Nizam of the Asaf Jah dynasty, Mir Osman Ali Khan announced ceasefire at the end of operation.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a public meeting on the occasion of Hyderabad Liberation Day. He greeted people of Telangana and the Marathwada region on Hyderabad Liberation Day.

Topic: State News/Nagaland

11. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated Nagaland’s first Software Technology Park.

• Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics & Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated Nagaland’s first Software Technology Park.
• Software Technology Parks of India Centre inaugurated by Union Minister is located at Kohima.
• On a two day visit to Nagaland, the Minister also distributed the Kaushal Acharya Award.
• He also visited Industrial Training Institute, Kohima. His two day visit to Nagaland was started on 17 September.
• On the second day of his visit, he will visit the Skill Upgradation Centre for Tribal Women under Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP). He will also visit Handicraft Industry Cluster at Dimapur.

Topic: Reports and Indices

12. UNCTAD released its Trade and Development report on 15 September.

• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released its Trade and Development report 2021 on 15 September.
• The report says that Indian economy will achieve four-year high growth rate of 7.2% in 2021 against a contraction of 7% in 2020.
• India would be fastest growing economy after China. China is projected to grow by 8.3%.
• Growth could slow down to 6.7% in 2022 due to slow job recovery and an unfavorable policy environment.
• As per the report, India’s economy showed strong growth of 1.9% in first quarter of calendar year 2021. 
• As per the UNCTAD, the global economy will grow at a rate of 5.3 % in 2021, the fastest in nearly 50 years.

Topic: Important Days

13. World Bamboo Day: 18 September.

• World Bamboo Day is celebrated annually on 18 September by World Bamboo Organisation since 2009 to increase the awareness of bamboo globally. 
• This year, to celebrate World Bamboo Day, World Bamboo Organisation has launched a new hashtag #PlantBamboo.
• UN has announced 2021 to 2030 as Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. World Bamboo Organization has endorsed this initiative.
• The Kew Declaration on Reforestation for Biodiversity, Carbon Capture and Livelihoods to protect and restore the world’s forests has also been signed by World Bamboo Organisation.
• The 8th World Bamboo Congress, held in Bangkok in 2009, had declared September 18 to be World Bamboo Day.