Daily Current Affairs and GK | 26 September 2023

Topic: National News

1. As per the new FCRA guidelines, NGOs have to declare assets created using foreign funds.

• The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification for amending the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) rules.
• Now, NGOs with FCRA licenses have to submit details of assets created from foreign contributions.
• The new rules will be called the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2023. It has amended the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011.
• As per the new rules, political parties, legislature members, election candidates, judges, government servants, journalists and media houses have been barred from receiving foreign contributions.
• In 2022, the government gave certain relaxations to NGOs such as allowing relatives to send more money under the FCRA.
• The government has also given more time to organizations to inform the government about the opening of bank accounts for the utilization of funds received under the ‘registration’ or ‘prior permission’ category.

Topic: Important Days

2. World Environmental Health Day: 26 September

• World Environmental Health Day is celebrated every year on 26 September.
• It is celebrated to raise awareness about the impact of environmental health on human lives.
• International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) founded World Environmental Health Day in 2011.
• The day was founded to focus on the importance of caring for the health of our environment.
• As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), healthier environments can be one of the key factors in preventing almost one-quarter of the global burden of diseases.
• As per WHO, Global environmental issues account for more than 12.6 million deaths each year.
• This year, World Environmental Health Day’s theme is "Global Environmental Public Health: Standing up to protect everyone's Health each and every day."

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

3. Nepal and China have signed 12 agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation.

• These agreements include seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
• These agreements have been signed to enhance bilateral cooperation in sectors including trade, road connectivity, and information technology.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" in Hangzhou on the sidelines of the Asian Games.
• The agreements include the following MoUs.
  • MoU for Cooperation between The National Planning Commission of Nepal and China's National Development and Reform Commission
  • MoU on enhancing digital economy cooperation
  • MoU related to cooperation on green and low-carbon development
  • MoU on cooperation in the fields of agriculture, livestock and fisheries
  • MoU on the establishment of a Joint Technical Working Group for the review and modification of the Nepal-China trade and payment agreement
  • MoUs on the Hilsa-Simkot Road Project and the Nepal-China Power Grid Interconnection Project (Chilime-Kerung)

Topic: National Appointments

4. Amit Khare has been given an extension as advisor to PM Modi.

• Amit Khare was appointed as an advisor for two years in October 2021.
• Amit Khare is a 1985-batch (retired) Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Jharkhand cadre.
• He had superannuated on 30 September 2021. He last served as the higher education secretary.
• Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the extension in Khare's tenure beyond October 12, 2023, for a period "co-terminus with the term of Prime Minister”.
• The extension in tenure of Rajesh S Gokhale as secretary of, the Department of Biotechnology, has also been approved by the ACC.
• This extension is for a period of two years with effect from November 1, 2023.

Topic: State News/ Madhya Pradesh

5. 'Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve' became the 7th protected habitat of Madhya Pradesh for big cats.

• Madhya Pradesh is home to the highest number of tigers in the country.
• Madhya Pradesh has got a new protected area for the big cats called 'Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve', the seventh in the state.
• MP has retained "tiger state" status in the 2022 census and the number of big cats in the state increased to 785 from 526 in 2018.
• Till now, MP had six tiger reserves–Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Pench, Panna, and Sanjay-Dubri.
• In compliance with the conditions imposed by the Center while approving the Ken-Betwa River Link Project, the new tiger reserve spread over Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur districts has been notified.
• The tiger reserve covers approximately 1,414 square kilometers in the core area and 925.12 square kilometers in the buffer zone.
• In July 2023, a report ‘Status of Tigers: Co-predators & Prey in India-2022’ was released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India.
• According to this report, MP (785) has the highest number of tigers in the country, followed by Karnataka (563) and Uttarakhand (560).

Topic: State News/ Goa

6. India's first lighthouse festival celebrated at the historic Fort Aguada in Goa.

• On 23 September, the maiden edition of ‘Bharatiya Prakash Sthamb Utsav’ or Indian Lighthouse Festival was inaugurated by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
• In an effort to turn these historical places into tourist attractions, a three-day festival starting on September 23 and ending on September 25 was celebrated at all the lighthouses in the country.
• The aim of the festival was to relive the rich maritime history of India's 75 iconic lighthouses and highlight their spectacular stories to the world.
• The “Lighthouse Festival” celebration highlights the hidden gems of our maritime history and uncovers the untold stories of our historic lighthouses.
• As a part of the Reform to Transform initiative, the government enacted the Marine Aids to Navigation Act, 2021 by repealing the Lighthouse Act, 1927.
• It was enacted to provide a framework for the development, maintenance, and management of aids to navigation in India.

Topic: National News

7. National Policy on R&D and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector in India will be launched by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.

• Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers and Minister of Health & Family Welfare will launch the policy in New Delhi on 26 September 2023.
• He will also launch the Scheme for the promotion of Research and Innovation in the Pharma MedTech Sector.
• The aim of the policy is to encourage R and D in pharmaceuticals, including traditional medicines and phytopharmaceuticals and medical devices.
• The policy can help the sector to grow from 120 to 130 Billion Dollars over the next decade.
• The policy recognizes the need to promote research and development through indigenously developed cutting-edge products and technologies in three key areas.
• For this, emphasis has been laid on strengthening the regulatory framework, encouraging investment in innovation and creating a convenient ecosystem for innovation.

Topic: State News/Madhya Pradesh

8. Madhya Pradesh government has partnered with Magic Bus India Foundation.

• Magic Bus will train master trainers. Master trainers will then train 18,000 government teachers.
• Around one million adolescents across 9,000 government schools will be imparted life skills.
• Magic Bus India Foundation has partnered with Madhya Pradesh government to introduce project 'Saksham' in government schools.
• Project 'Saksham' is a life skills education programme.
• The Department of Tribal Affairs of Madhya Pradesh has partnered with the Magic Bus India Foundation.
• This partnership is to equip government school teachers to deliver life skills education to adolescents across 20 districts and 89 blocks in the state.
• The initial phase will cover 20 districts and 53 blocks. The programme will cover all schools within the 89 tribal blocks by the second year.
• Magic Bus India Foundation is a non-profit organisation that provides education and skilling.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. Government launched a registration portal for biogas plants under the GOBARdhan initiative.

• A unified Registration Portal under GOBARdhan has been introduced to streamline registration of Compressed Bio-Gas and biogas plants.
• More than 1,163 biogas plants and 426 Compressed Bio-Gas plants registered on the portal are eligible for assistance under Market Development Assistance.
• These plants will get assistance under the Market Development Assistance scheme.
• Under the GOBARdhan initiative, Market Development Assistance of 1500 rupees per metric tonne will be granted for the sale of Fermented Organic Manure or Liquid Fermented Organic Manure or Phosphate Rich Organic Manure produced at biogas and compressed biogas plants.
• The new guidelines of the GOBARdhan initiative will promote the production of organic fertilizer from the plants.
• GOBARdhan initiative aims is transform biodegradable and organic waste into high-value resources such as biogas, CBG and organic manure.
• Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (Gobardhan) is a flagship comprehensive initiative to convert waste into wealth towards promoting a circular economy.
• The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti is the nodal agency for the GOBARdhan initiative.

Topic: Defence

10. First C-295 transport aircraft has been inducted into IAF at Hindan Air Force Station, Uttar Pradesh.

• The IAF Squadron no 11, also known as The Rhinos, will get the first C-295 transport aircraft.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari attended the ‘Sarv Dharm Puja’ induction ceremony.
• C-295 transport aircraft will replace the HS-748 Avro aircraft and it will boost the medium-lift tactical capability of the IAF.
• In September 2021, India formalised the acquisition of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft for Rs 21,935 crore.
• The first 16 C295s of the 56 aircraft on order will be assembled at the San Pablo Sur site in Seville.
• The remaining 40 C295s of the order will be manufactured and assembled in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) at Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara.
• The production of components of these aircraft has started in the Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad.
• Under the first-ever ‘Make in India’ Aerospace programme in the private sector, these aircraft will be manufactured.
• The first India-made C295 will come out of the Vadodara factory in September 2026. The final aircraft is expected to be delivered to the IAF by August 2031.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

11. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been awarded Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship.

• As part of the fellowship, Sarma has been invited to visit Singapore as a Lee Kuan Yew Fellowship for his "dedicated leadership" in public works and development.
• Sarma has become the first Chief Minister of Assam to receive this fellowship.
• Sarma has been selected for this award for his important role in furthering the cause of development and international harmony.
• With this achievement, Sarma joined the list of former Union Minister Arun Shourie, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and former Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
• The fellowship was established in 1991, and "invites outstanding individuals for high-level visits to Singapore".
• This fellowship was started as a tribute to Lee Kuan Yew, the founding Prime Minister of Singapore, for his contributions to the nation.
• This fellowship is awarded to individuals for outstanding contributions to the development of their nation and bilateral relations with Singapore.
• In early September, Prince Abdul Matin of Brunei visited Singapore as part of the Lee Kuan Yew exchange fellowship.

Topic: Important Day

12. Antyodaya Diwas 2023: 25 September

• Antyodaya Diwas is celebrated on 25 September to commemorate the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
• In 2014, the government declared 25 September as Antyodaya Diwas in honor of the 98th birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.
• Pandit Deendayal was born on 25 September 1916 in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. He died on 11 February 1968.
• Many schemes run in the country under the name of the Pandit Deendayal like Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-NRLM, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).

Topic: International News

13. France decided to withdraw troops from coup-hit Niger.

• France has called back its envoy and announced the end of its military presence in coup-hit Niger.
• France's government has taken this decision after the protests by people against the French army presence.
• The French president further said that the military cooperation with the Niger has over.
• Currently, as part of an anti-jihadist deployment in the Sahel region, there are about 1,500 French troops in the Niger.
• For years, anti-French sentiment was running in the Niger. Local politicians are blaming the French government for carrying out neo-colonialist policies.
• However, it is assumed that Russia's Wagner group played a key role in toppling the civilian government.
• Niger is one of several former French colonies in West Africa.
• Niger:
  • It is a landlocked country in West Africa.
  • It is bordered by Libya, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Algeria.
  • Its capital is Niamey and the currency is West African CFA franc.
  • Ali Lamine Zeine is the current Prime Minister.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

14. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the New Terminal Building at Tezu Airport.

• Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the New Terminal Building at Tezu Airport in Arunachal Pradesh.
• This terminal of Tezu Airport has been constructed at a cost of 170 crore rupees on 212 acres of land.
• It has a 1,500-meter runway and is fully equipped to handle aircraft of the ATR-72 type.
• Tezu Airport is currently connected with Imphal, Dibrugarh, and Guwahati.
• Now, Arunachal Pradesh has a total of four airports: Tezu, Zero, Hollongi, and Pasighat.
• Jyotiraditya Scindia also announced three direct routes from Itanagar under the UDAN 5.0 scheme: Itanagar to Delhi, Itanagar to Jorahat, and Itanagar to Rupsi which will be operationalised soon.
• Teju Airport was started in 2018 under the RCS UDAN.

(Source: News on AIR)