Daily Current Affairs and GK | 23 September 2023

Topic: National News

1. TRAI released the draft outline of the National Broadcasting Policy.

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a pre-consultation paper for seeking inputs from different stakeholders for the National Broadcasting Policy.
• The National Broadcasting Policy will provide a common approach for licenses, oversight, and compliance.
• The government is trying to bring further parity that how digital and legacy mediums like television and OTT streaming are regulated.
• TRAI has created an outline of the issues that will be resolved through the National Broadcasting Policy.
• The proposed National Broadcasting Policy includes promoting content production in India that promotes Indian culture, expanding institutional capacity, promoting research, and adopting a “coherent and modernized approach” to legacy mediums like print, radio and television.
• TRAI said that the policy will explore the need for a separate regulator for the broadcasting services.
• Measuring cable TV audiences has been also included in the outline of the Policy.
• National Broadcasting Policy will be finalized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Topic: Miscellaneous

2. ECI launched a Comic book based on Chacha Chaudhary to educate and motivate young voters.

• A comic book titled "Chacha Chaudhary aur Chunavi Dangal" has been released by CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar and ECs Shri Anup Chandra Pandey and Shri Arun Goel.
• The Election Commission of India has announced that Indian comic characters like Chacha Chaudhary, Sabu, Raaka, Dhamaka Singh, and Billoo will be used to create awareness about elections among children.
• This comic book is a joint initiative of ECI & Pran Comics to inspire the youth to enrol and participate in Elections.
• EC Shri Anup Chandra Pandey said that the comic book will present critical issues like ethical elections, participative democracy, and muscle and money power in a very lucid and reader-friendly manner.
• This comic book will be used as a multifaceted tool for addressing various critical aspects of voter awareness.
• Chacha Chaudhary's character will also play a pivotal role in introducing readers to various apps developed by the Election Commission of India like cVigil and KYC.
• This comic book is available in both print and digital formats. Free copies of the comic book will be distributed to schools.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: National News

3. National Medical Commission got global recognition, paving the way for Indian medical graduates to practice abroad.

• Indian medical graduate students will now be able to practice in countries like America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
• The National Medical Commission (NMC) of India has been awarded the prestigious World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) accreditation status for a tenure of 10 years.
• All existing 706 medical colleges in India will get WFME affiliation, while new medical colleges to be established in the next ten years will automatically get WFME affiliation.
• According to the Union Health Ministry, this accreditation will enhance the international recognition and prestige of Indian medical schools and professionals.
• This will also facilitate educational cooperation and exchange.
• It will promote continuous improvement and innovation in medical education and promote a quality culture in medical faculty and institutions.
• India can become a country of choice for international students due to its globally recognized standards.
• NMC is India's leading regulatory body for oversight of medical education and practice.
• This body provides quality medical education and training across the country.
• Similarly, WFME is a global organization whose main objective is to enhance the quality of medical education worldwide with scientific and ethical standards in medical education.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Indian Economy

4. JPMorgan Chase & Company (JPM) will add Indian government bonds to its benchmark emerging market bond index from June 28, 2024.

• This is an important step that will encourage more foreign investment in the domestic debt market.
• For this, 23 Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) with a combined notional value of $330 billion are eligible.
• India's weighting on the index will be a maximum of 10%.
• The Indian Government Bonds will be included in the indices over 10 months.
• It will start from 28 June 2024 with 1% weight being added per month, and is expected to reach the maximum weight of 10% by 31 March 2025.
• According to experts, this inclusion could bring a passive inflow of over $26 billion to the country.
• In terms of equities, India has been one of the top investment destinations among major emerging markets this year.
• Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have invested more than Rs 28 thousand crore in the country's debt market so far in 2023, while there has been an outflow of about Rs 9000 crore in the same period of 2022.
• JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a leading international banking and finance company with operations in over 200 countries.
• As the largest of the Big Four banks, the company is considered systemically important by the Financial Stability Board.
• It was founded on December 1, 2000. It is headquartered in New York City, USA.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

5. Development projects worth over Rs 1500 crore were launched by PM Modi in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

• On 23 September, PM Narendra Modi visited his parliamentary constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
• Shri Modi participated in three different programs and launched development projects worth more than Rs 1.5 thousand crore.
• The Prime Minister first laid the foundation stone of the International Cricket Stadium in Varanasi.
• At a cost of approximately Rs 450 crore, the modern international cricket stadium will be built in an area of over 30 acres at Ganjri, Rajatalab in Varanasi.
• After this, Shri Modi reached Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalay and participated in the dialogue program with the women of Varanasi.
• About five thousand women gathered in this program named 'NARINSHAKTI VANDAN ABHINANDAN KARYAKRAM'.
• Later, the Prime Minister reached Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Center and participated in the closing ceremony of the Kashi Sansad Sanskritik Mahotsav 2023.
• During this, Shri Modi also inaugurated 16 Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas built across Uttar Pradesh.
• Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas, built in 16 divisions at a cost of about Rs 1,115 crore, have been specially built for children of labourers, construction workers and orphans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The objective of these Vidyalayas is to provide quality education and all-round development to these children.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. Two-day International Lawyers Conference inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 23 September.

• The theme of the Conference is “Emerging Challenges in the Justice Delivery System.”
• The conference is being organized for the first time by the Bar Council of India.
• The objective of the conference is to provide a platform for meaningful dialogue on legal aspects of national and international importance.
• Its objective is to strengthen international cooperation and mutual understanding on legal issues.
• In this conference, which is being organized for the first time in the country, topics like emerging legal trends, challenges in cross-border litigation, legal technology, environmental law, etc. will be discussed.

Topic: Art and Culture

7. The 4^th edition of the Indo-Latin America Cultural Festival will be organised on the 28th and 29th of September in New Delhi.

• It will be organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
• It will be organised in association with the Embassies of Colombia, Ecuador, and Chile.
• Artists from these three countries will take part in the festival.
• Ambassadors, academicians, and other artists will join the festival.
• ICCR President Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said the festival aims to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Latin America.
• It will bring together key stakeholders from India and Latin America to deliberate on the prospects of cultural and educational collaborations.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

8. INS Sahyadri took part in the first India-Indonesia-Australia trilateral maritime exercise.

• INS Sahyadri is the Indian Navy’s indigenously built warship. It participated in the exercise from 20-21 September 2023.
• The trilateral exercise offered an opportunity for the three maritime nations to strengthen their partnership.
• It also offered them an opportunity to improve their collective capability to support a stable, peaceful and secure Indo-Pacific region.
• INS Sahyadri is the 3rd ship of the indigenously designed and made Project-17 class multirole stealth frigates.
• It was built at Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai. It is commanded by Capt Rajan Kapoor.

Topic: National News

9. Railways increase ex gratia relief in train accidents by 10 times.

• The Railway Board has decided to increase the amount of ex-gratia relief paid to the dependents of deceased and injured passengers involved in Train Accidents by 10 times.
• In the case of the deceased person, 5 lakh rupees will be given to the kin. 2,50,000 rupees will be given in case of Grievous Injury.
• 50,000 rupees will be paid in case of simple injury.
• Previously, these amounts were Rs 50,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively.
• The ex-gratia relief was last revised in 2012 and 2013.
• This ex-gratia will be given only if Railways is found prima facie liable.
• The Railway Board has clarified that no ex-gratia relief would be provided in the case of an accident at unmanned level crossing, trespassers, or persons electrocuted by OHE (Over Head Equipment).
• In the case of untoward incidents, the dependents of dead persons will get Rs 1.5 lakh.
• Grievously injured and simply injured passengers of untoward incidents will get Rs 50,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively.
• Untoward incidents are offences such as terrorist attacks, violent attacks and robberies on a train.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. UN Climate Ambition Summit was held on September 20, 2023, in New York.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hosted the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit (CAS).
• Its main aim is to accelerate climate action as part of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28).
• The United States, China and India representatives were not present at the summit.
• China, the United States and India are the top three emitters of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Countries, institutions, and organisations that have shown climate leadership were invited to the summit.
• Representatives from 34 states and 7 institutions were given a chance to speak on the final day of the summit.
• The European Union, Germany, France and Canada were also present on the podium.
• Nepal announced a revised target of achieving Net Zero emissions by 2045 instead of 2050.
• Thailand has set a target of Net Zero by 2050. Portugal announced a goal to be carbon neutral by 2045, instead of 2050.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

11. The debut novel, Western Lane, of Indian-origin Chetna Maroo shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023.

• Indian-origin writer Maroo was born in Kenya and currently lives in London, UK.
• Her novel highlights the British Gujarati community and focuses on an 11-year-old girl named Gopi who explores her relationship with her family.
• The novel was published on February 7 earlier this year.
• The book has earned praise from Booker judges for its innovative use of squash as a metaphor to explore complex human emotions.
• In 2022, the award was given to Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka's novel "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida".
• The winner will be revealed at an awards ceremony in London on 26 November.
• Booker Prize is a literary prize awarded every year for the best novel written in English and published in the UK or Ireland.
• The prize was launched in 1969 with an aim to promote the finest in fiction.
• The winner receives £50,000, a cheque for £2,500 that is given to all the shortlisted authors, and a designer-bound copy of their book.
• Bernice Rubens was the first woman to be awarded the Booker Prize in 1970 for “The Elected Member”.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

12. New species of fish discovered in Digha harbour of Bengal.

• Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) scientists have discovered a new species of vibrant orange-coloured marine fish in deep waters off Digha Mohana, West Bengal.
• The new species, commonly known as gurnards or sea robins, belongs to the family Triglidae.
• It has been named Pterygotrigla intermedica, and it has characters quite similar to those of species like Pterygotrigla hemisticta.
• Anil Mohapatra, a senior scientist and in-charge of ZSI's Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, Gopalpur, Odisha, led the discovery of the new species.
• It is the fourth species of Pterygotrigla genus reported in India so far, and there are a total of 178 species of the Triglidae family worldwide.
• On September 20, the detailed characteristics of this new fish species were published in Thalassas, an international marine science journal.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

13. Dr Swati Nayak Wins Norman Borlaug Field Award 2023.

• Dr Swati Nayak has been selected for the Norman Borlaug Field Award 2023.
• She is an Indian scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
• She will be awarded for Field Research and Application.
• She will formally receive the Borlaug Field Award during a 2023 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue ceremony on October 24-26 in Des Moines, Iowa (US).
• Dr Swati Nayak is the South Asia Lead for Seed System and Product Management at the IRRI.
• She will be awarded for her innovative approach to engaging smallholder farmers in demand-driven rice seed systems.
• Norman Borlaug Field Award:
  • It is given to scientists under 40 for their exceptional work in the field of food and nutrition security and hunger eradication.
  • It is being given in the memory of Dr. Norman Borlaug.
  • It consists of a cash prize of $10,000.
  • It is given by the World Food Prize Foundation.

(Source: World Food Foundation)

Topic: State News/ Assam

14. Assam government launched the ‘Mukhya Mantri Atmanirbhar Asom' Scheme’.

• Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched ‘Mukhya Mantri Atmanirbhar Asom' Scheme to bolster the self-reliance of youth.
• Under this scheme, Rs 2 lakh will be provided to each eligible young person to pursue self-employment opportunities.
• Around two lakh youth will get the benefit of the Mukhya Mantri Atmanirbhar Asom Scheme.
• The scheme's main objective is to promote self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship among the youth of Assam.
• With the financial support of the government, young persons will set up their own enterprises and become independent contributors to the state's economy.
• This scheme will help Assam in becoming a hub of entrepreneurs.