Daily Current Affairs and GK | 22 September 2021

Topic: Important Days

1. Commerce Ministry to observe ‘Vanijya Saptah’ from 20 to 26 September.

• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has decided to celebrate ‘Vanijya Saptah’ from 20 to 26 September.
• In this Vanijya Saptah, many programmes and events will be organized to showcase India’s rising economic force across the country.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) will also launch the National Single Window System and Industrial Park Rating System.
• The National Single Window System will help investors in applying various pre-operations approvals required for starting a business in India.
• Industrial Park Rating System will recognize the performance of the Industrial park. It will also assess the performance of private industrial parks and SEZs.
• Five national seminars will be organized by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) in five regions of the country.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

2. IRCTC launched India's first indigenous luxury cruise liner.

• The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has launched India's first indigenous luxury cruise liner in partnership with Cordelia Cruises.
• India's first indigenous luxury cruise will take the guest to some of the most popular Indian and international tourist destinations — such as Goa, Diu, Kochi, the Lakshadweep islands, and Sri Lanka.
• Cordelia Cruises is a private company operated by Waterways Leisure Tourism.
• The luxury cruise liner is equipped with restaurants, swimming pool, bar, open cinema, theatre, kids' area, gymnasium, etc.

Topic: Appointments

3. Government decides to appoint Air Marshal V R Chaudhari as next Chief of Indian Air Force.

• Government has decided to appoint Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari (V R Chaudhari) as the next Chief of the Indian Air Force.
• Air Marshal V R Chaudhari is presently the 45th Vice Chief of Air Staff. He will become the 27^th Chief of Air Staff.
• He will take charge after the retirement of Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on 30^th September.
• He was commissioned into the Fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 29^th December 1982.
• Air Marshal Chaudhari has been conferred with Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vayu Sena Medal.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

4. Kovalam beach in Tamil Nadu and Eden beach in Puducherry awarded “Blue Flag” certification.

• Kovalam beach in Tamil Nadu and Eden beach in Puducherry have been awarded “Blue Flag” certification.
• The total number of Indian beaches having “Blue Flag” certification has increased to 10.
• Foundation for Environment Education (FEE), Denmark awards Blue Flag certification.
• FEE has also given re-certification to eight beaches, which were awarded Blue Flag certificate last year. These beaches are given in the next table.
• These eight beaches had got the Blue Flag certification on October 6, 2020.
• “Blue Flag” certification is awarded on the basis of 33 criteria in four major heads given below.
  • Environmental education and information
  • Bathing water quality
  • Environmental management and conservation
  • Safety and services in the beaches
• Blue Flag beaches are considered the world’s cleanest beaches. As per the Ministry, a waving Blue Flag indicates 100 % compliance to the 33 criteria and sound health of the beach.
• On World Environment Day in June 2018, India launched its beach cleaning campaign – I-AM- SAVING-MY-BEACH simultaneously at 13 coastal states. India is also implementing Beach Environment and Aesthetics Management Services (BEAMS) programme.

Topic: International News

5. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wins election for third time.

• Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party has won the elections in Canada for the third time. However, Trudeau’s Liberal Party couldn’t achieve the majority.
• Trudeau’s Liberal Party has got 156 seats out of 338 seats in the House of Commons while the Conservative party has got 122 seats.
• The conservative party got 34% vote while the Liberal Party have got the support of 32% people. Liberal party support is centered around urban areas where there are more seats.
• This victory is a milestone for Trudeau as he becomes only the eighth Canadian leader to win three successive elections.
• Justin Trudeau is running the government with a minority of House of Commons seats since 2019.
• Trudeau is the second-youngest Prime Minister of Canada. He is the Prime Minister of Canada since November 2015.

Topic: Committees/ Commissions/ Taskforces

6. Education Ministry forms a National Steering Committee for developing National Curriculum Frameworks.

• On 21^st September, the Ministry of Education has formed the National Steering Committee for the development of National Curriculum Frameworks.
• The National Steering Committee will be headed by K Kasturirangan. He is an Indian space scientist and headed ISRO from 1994 to 2003.
• The Committee will develop four National Curriculum Frameworks, which are:
  • National Curriculum Framework for School Education
  • National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care
  • Education, National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education
  • National Curriculum Framework for Adult Education.
• The committee will discuss different aspects of School Education, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Teacher Education, and Adult Education.
• National Steering Committee tenure will be of three years. It will finalize National Curriculum Frameworks after suggestions from various stakeholders.

Topic: Important Days

7. World Rhino Day: 22 September

• World Rhino Day is celebrated every year on 22 September.
• It is observed to raise awareness about the rhino species and the work being done to save them.
• World Rhino Day was first announced by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - South Africa in the year 2010. It was started by Rhishja Cota and Lisa Jane Campbell.
• World Rhino Day is observed by NGOs, organizations, zoos, and concerned groups around the world.
• The theme of this year's World Rhino Day is "Keep the Five Alive".
• Kaziranga National Park in Assam is famous for one-horned Rhinos. One-horned Rhino is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
• Ministry of Forest and Climate Change has also begun a project to create DNA profile of all Rhinos in India.

Topic: Reports and Indices

8. Health Minister released FSSAI's 3^rd State Food Safety Index.

• Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has released the 3^rd State Food Safety Index. It is developed by FSSAI to assess the performance of States across five parameters of food safety.
• Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing – Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment are the parameters of this Index.
• The first State Food Safety Index was released in 2019 on the occasion of World Food Safety Day.
• Among the larger states, Gujarat has topped the FSSAI's 3^rd State Food Safety Index. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have got second and third positions respectively.
• Among the smaller states, Goa has got first place. Meghalaya and Manipur have been placed on second and third spots respectively.
• Among UTs, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and New Delhi secured top positions.
• Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also launched various innovative initiatives of FSSAI including the Eat Right Research Awards. He also flagged off 19 Mobile Food Testing Vans Food Safety on Wheels.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

9. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister was on 3-day visit to India.

• Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud was on a three-day visit to India.
• Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi. Both leaders discussed many issues including the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. He also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sep 20.
• Saudi Arabia is an important partner of India in the Gulf. In recent years, both countries have expanded their bilateral ties in political, economic, and strategic fields.
• Both sides reviewed the implementation of the Strategic Partnership Council Agreement signed in October 2019.
• This is the first ministerial visit of Saudi Arabia to India after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

10. TRIFED and Big Basket signed an MoU for promoting natural Van Dhan products.

• TRIFED and Big Basket have signed an MoU for the promotion and sale of natural Van Dhan products.
• Van Dhan products will be made available to Big Basket from Van Dhan production units.
• The handmade products made by tribals will be promoted on the Big Basket platform. This collaboration will help Van Dhan tribal beneficiaries in expanding their product reach.
• TRIFED has also signed an MoU with PurtyAgrotech of Jharkhand.
• TRIFED is working for the social and economic empowerment of tribal people through many such initiatives.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Miscellaneous

11. New species of Jurassic-age Hybodont Shark discovered from Jaisalmer.

• Researchers from the Geological Survey of India and the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee have discovered teeth of new species of Hybodont Shark of Jurassic age from Jaisalmer.
• Researchers have found 30 teeth specimens from the region. The new species has been named Strophodus jaisalmerensis. This is the first record of the Strophodus genus from the Indian subcontinent.
• This discovery has opened a new window for further research in the domain of vertebrate fossils.
• This finding has been published in Historical Biology, a Journal of Palaeontology.
• Hybodonts are an extinct group of sharks. It was a dominant group of fishes during the Triassic and early Jurassic times.
• Hybodonts eventually became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous era, 65 million years ago.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

12. “Together for a Shared Future” becomes official motto for Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

• At a ceremony “Together for a Shared Future” has been announced as the official motto of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
• The organizing committee explained that this motto represents the power of the Games to overcome global challenges as a community.
• The motto reflects the Winter Games Beijing 2022’s contribution to the Olympic spirit.
• 2022 Winter Olympic Games is scheduled to be organized in Beijing from 4 February to 20 February.