Daily Current Affairs and GK | 2 September 2023

Topic: Space and IT

1. Aditya-L1, India's first space mission, has been launched from Sriharikota.

• The Indian Space Research Organisation launched the mission Aditya L1 through PSLV C 57 from Sriharikota Space Centre at 11.50 AM.
• Aditya-L1 is ISRO’s second astronomy observatory-class mission after AstroSat (2015).
• It will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange Point L1 of the Sun-Earth system.
• Aditya-L1 will travel for nearly 100 days to cover the 1.5 million km distance to L1.
• The Aditya L1 mission will remain active for five years. It will spend its whole mission life orbiting around L1 in an irregularly shaped orbit.
• Aditya'sL1 mission main objectives:
  • To study solar upper atmospheric (chromosphere and corona) dynamics.
  • Study the chromospheric and coronal heating, physics of the partially ionised plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares
  • Magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in the solar corona.
  • To observe the in-situ particle and plasma environment for studying particle dynamics from the Sun.
  • Diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loops plasma: Temperature, velocity and density.
• Payloads of Aditya'sL1 mission:
  • Aditya L1 is carrying a total of seven payloads, which are given below in the table.

• About Sun:
  • The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. 
  • Its radius is about 695,000 kilometers or 109 times that of Earth. 
  • The Sun is composed primarily of the chemical elements hydrogen and helium.
  • The Sun's atmosphere is composed of four parts: the photosphere, the chromosphere, the transition region, the corona and the heliosphere.
  • The photosphere is the layer below which the Sun becomes opaque to visible light. It is the visible surface of the Sun.
  • The chromosphere is the second layer located above the photosphere.
  • The solar transition region is a region of the Sun's atmosphere between the upper chromosphere and corona.
  • The Sun's corona (outermost layer of star's atmosphere) lies above the chromosphere and extends millions of kilometres into outer space. It consists of plasma. It is most easily seen during a total solar eclipse.
  • The heliosphere is the magnetosphere, astrosphere, and outermost atmospheric layer of the Sun. The "bubble" of the heliosphere is continuously "inflated" by the solar wind.
  • The solar wind is a gas of charged particles known as plasma.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

2. World Coconut Day: 2 September

• World Coconut Day is celebrated every year on September 2.
• It is celebrated to promote the importance of coconuts and their contributions to various aspects of life.
• This day is celebrated to raise awareness about the benefits of coconut cultivation and consumption.
• It was first celebrated in 2009 by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC).
• The theme for World Coconut Day 2023 is 'Coconuts: Transforming Lives'.
• The Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) was established in 1969.

Topic: Indian Economy

3. UPI transactions crossed the Rs 1,000 crore milestone in August.

• The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) network crossed the milestone of 1,000 crore transactions per month in August 2023, processed a record 1,058 crore transactions.
• In May 2023, the platform had crossed 900 crore transactions per month.
• According to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) data, the number of transactions was up 6.2% from the previous month and 61% compared to August 2022.
• In terms of transaction value as well, the UPI platform touched a new record high, processing transactions worth ₹15.76 lakh crore during the August 2023.
• The year-on-year growth in UPI transactions has remained above 40% for transaction value and above 50% for the volume of UPI trades.
• In FY23, the UPI platform processed a total of 8,376 crore transactions worth ₹139 lakh crore, while in FY22 there were 4,597 crore transactions worth ₹84 lakh crore.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Personality in News

4. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has been rated the A+ category in the Global Finance Central Bank Report Card 2023.

• The Global Finance has placed Mr. Das at the number one position in the list of three central bank governors of the world.
• There are two other governors–Thomas J. Jordan of Switzerland and Nguyen Thi Hong of Vietnam.
• The Central Banker Report Card is an annual publication by Global Finance since 1994.
• It assesses and grades the performance of central bank governors in 101 significant countries and regions, encompassing entities such as the European Union, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, and the Bank of Central African States.
• In October, the full Central Banker Report Card 2023 report and grade list will be released.
• PM Modi has congratulated Shaktikanta Das on being given A+ rating in the Global Finance Central Bank's Report Card 2023.
• The Bank Governors who earned an “A+" and "A" grade:

Topic: State News/ Kerala

5. The first Zayed Charity Marathon will be hosted by Kerala in 2024.

• The Higher Organizing Committee of the Zayed Charity Marathon has announced that the inaugural edition of the marathon in India will be held in Kerala in 2024.
• In collaboration with the Kerala state authorities and the Indian community in the UAE, the marathon will be organized.
• The exact date and venue of the marathon are yet to be finalized, but it is expected to be held in a major city in Kerala.
• The Zayed Charity Marathon is a major sporting event that raises money for charitable causes.
• The proceeds from the marathon in Kerala will be used to support healthcare initiatives in the state.
• The marathon announcement in Kerala is a significant development in the long-standing ties between the UAE and India.
• The Zayed Charity Marathon is a prestigious event in the honour of the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, former President of the UAE.
• In 2001, the Zayed Charity Marathon was launched in Abu Dhabi to spread humanitarian and charitable messages.

Topic: MoUs and Agreements

6. A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between the Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) and IIT-Guwahati on 30 August.

• The MOA has been signed to develop technology for the production of marketable green carbon from bamboo dust.
• As part of the project, a plant of 5 MT/batch capacity will be set up to produce green activated carbon by pyrolyzing bamboo dust.
• The agreement was signed by NRL Senior Chief General Manager (Corporate Affairs) Nikunja Borthakur and IIT-G Dean Prof G Krishnamoorthy.
• The R&D project also aims to develop technology for the production of very high-grade chemically activated carbon to be used in the pharmaceutical, electronics, and mining industries.
• It will be run as an industry-academia collaboration and will enhance the capacity of both NRL and IIT-G through the provision of relevant data and information sharing.
• Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL):
  • It is a division of Oil India Limited which is owned by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
  • It is located in Morangi, Golaghat district of Assam.
  • It was opened in 1999.

Topic: International Appointments

7. Tharman Shanmugaratnam has won Singapore's Presidential election.

• Shanmugaratnam is an Indian-origin Economist and Former Senior Minister.
• Shanmugaratnam won over 70% of votes in Singapore’s first contested presidential polls since 2011.
• Shanmugaratnam had served as Singapore's Deputy prime minister from 2011 to 2019.
• Shanmugaratnam will be Singapore's 3rd Indian-origin President after Sellapan Ramanathan and Chengara Veetil Devan Nair.
• Singapore is an island country in maritime Southeast Asia. It is a city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. Lee Hsien Loong is its Prime Minister.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

8. The government has granted deemed university status to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

• This announcement was made by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan while attending the 63rd Foundation Day Celebration Programme of NCERT in New Delhi.
• Education Minister also announced that Bal Bhavan will be merged with NCERT soon.
• Bal Bhavan is an autonomous institute headquartered in New Delhi. Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru founded it in 1956.
• Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated an Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Laboratory.
• Through AR and VR facility, children from every corner of the country with different dialects will be benefited.
• He also inaugurated a Vidhya Samiksha Kendra on the occasion.
• He directed NCERT to add a brief chapter on Chandrayaan-3's success and findings in all 22 recognised languages.
• A deemed university status is an accreditation granted by the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. The accreditation grants "the academic status and privileges of a university."
• National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organisation. It was set up in 1961. Dr Dinesh Prasad Saklani is its director.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. International Aerospace Conference has been inaugurated by Jyotiraditya M Scindia.

• It is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• It is being organized in 1st and 2nd September 2023 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
• The International Aerospace Conference is a G20 initiative in the aerospace sector.
• Its main aim is to promote trade and investment among the G20 countries.
• This event will help India in addressing the problems of the global supply chain.
• The conference will have five sessions on different issues, which are given below:
  • Spawning Global Value Chains in Design & Robust Aerospace Manufacturing: Importance of MSMEs
  • Integrated Global MRO Services
  • Women in Aviation: Fireside chat
  • Advanced Technologies in Aerospace & Air Mobility: Changing Skill Sets
  • Building Scale in Aerospace Manufacturing

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Geography

10. Super Typhoon Saola makes landfall in Southern China.

• According to Chinese officials, Typhoon Saola made landfall in the Guangdong city of Zhuhai with winds of about 160 km/h (99 mph).
• Most businesses, transport and classes have been suspended in Hong kong after the landing of Super Typhoon Saola.
• More than 9 Lakh people have been moved to safe places. 80,000 fishing vessels have returned to port.
• Hong Kong and China’s neighbouring provinces cancelled hundreds of flights.
• The super typhoon is expected to weaken as it moves along the southern coast of China.
• Typhoon:
  • These develop between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • It is a giant, rotating storm that brings wind, rain, and destruction.
  • Hurricanes and typhoons are kinds of tropical cyclones.

Topic: Indian Economy

11. Indian real GDP has grew by 7.8% in the April-June quarter.

• On August 31, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released data showing that India's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.8% in the quarter that ended on June 30.
• India's gross domestic product (GDP) and gross value added (GVA) growth in the economy accelerated to a four-quarter high in the first quarter of this financial year.
• Economists believe a weak monsoon, high inflation, and global headwinds could slow growth in the remainder of 2023-24.
• Manufacturing GVA grew for the second consecutive quarter, with the pace of growth picking up slightly to 4.7% in the first quarter (Q1) of the year, from 4.5% in the previous quarter.
• The GVA of agriculture, forestry, and fishing grew by 3.5% between April and June, but it was the services sector that posted the fastest growth and outpaced estimates released by the National Statistics Office (NSO).
• The GVA of financial, real estate, and professional services grew by 12.2% in Q1, while the GVA of services related to trade, hotels, transport, communication, and broadcasting grew by 9.2%.
• GVA from public administration, defense, and other services and the employment-intensive construction sector grew by 7.9%.
• The electricity, gas, water supply, and other services GVA grew only 2.9% in Q1, while mining and quarrying GVA grew 5.8%.
• In the January to March 2023 quarter, GDP growth stood at 6.1% and 13.1% in the first quarter of 2022-23.

Topic: Sports

12. Climate Football Cup 2023, the first-ever professional football tournament in the Union Territory of Ladakh, began on 1 September.

• The seven-day event will be held at the Open Astroturf Stadium in Spithuk, Leh.
• Four teams are participating in the competition.
• These are - Delhi Football Club, Tibetan National Football Association, Ladakh Professional Football Club and Ladakh State Team.
• Open Stadium is the state-of-the-art sports facility of Ladakh.
• This stadium is built at an altitude of 11 thousand feet above sea level.
• It has been fitted with artificial grass which can withstand extreme weather conditions.
• This stadium was recently built under the Khelo India program.
• It has a seating facility for 30 thousand spectators.
• It is one of the highest stadiums in the world.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Committees/ Commissions/Taskforces

13. Government formed a committee to explore the possibility of One Nation, One Election.

• The government formed a committee under the chairmanship of former president Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of one nation, one election.
• Union Parliamentary Affairs Ministry Pralhad Joshi said that the report of the committee would be discussed by Parliament.
• Ram Nath Kovind during his tenure said that the “one nation, simultaneous elections” is need of the hour.
• He said that it will accelerate the development in the country.
• What is ‘One Nation, One Election’?
  • The "One Nation, One Election" aim is to synchronise elections for the Lok Sabha and all state assemblies.
  • The idea is to hold the election of Lok Sabha and state assemblies either on a single day or within a specific time frame.

Topic: Sports

14. Danielle McGahey will become the first transgender to play international cricket.

• Danielle McGahey of Canada will become the first transgender to participate in an international match.
• She will play the match during a regional qualifying tournament for the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.
• She has been selected in Canada's women's team for the qualifying tournament.
• She has fulfilled the eligibility criteria of the International Cricket Council (ICC) for male-to-female transgender players.
• According to the rules of ICC, trans women wishing to play women's international cricket must have the concentration of testosterone in their serum less than 5 nmol/l (nanomole per litre) continuously for least 12 months.
•  ICC made changes to the Player Eligibility regulations in 2021.
• She started her social transition from male to female in November 2020. She commenced her medical transition in May 2021.