Daily Current Affairs and GK | 3 September 2022

Topic: National News

1. CCRAS started the ‘SPARK’ Program for students studying in recognized Ayurveda colleges.

• The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has developed the Studentship Program for Ayurveda Research Ken (SPARK) to support students studying Ayurveda.
• This initiative will support the research efforts of students studying in recognised Ayurveda colleges.
• The fellowship scheme and application portal have been launched on 2nd September 2022 at an event in Bhubaneswar.
• SPARK program has been developed to further support and incentivize the research idea of young undergraduate students.
• The application process for the SPARK program will be completely online. The selected fellows will receive financial support of Rs.50,000.
• Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences:
  • It is an autonomous body under the Ministry of AYUSH.
  • It is responsible for the coordination, development and promotion of research on scientific lines in the Ayurveda and Sowa-Rigpa systems of medicine.
  • Its main objective is to promote research or other programmes in Ayurvedic Sciences.

Topic: Miscellaneous

2. Reliance Retail signed Jasprit Bumrah as the brand ambassador for its activewear apparel brand Performax.

• Performax is Reliance Retail’s own brand in activewear merchandise.
• Other brand ambassadors in News:
  • Sports brand Puma India named Indian singer Harrdy Sandhu as its brand ambassador.
  • Launch My Career appointed Rahul Dravid as its brand ambassador.
  • Hardik Pandya becomes the brand ambassador of the Lifestyle brand Villain.

Topic: National Appointments

3. All India Football Federation has elected former footballer Kalyan Choubey as its new President.

• Kalyan won the election for President post against the legendary Bhaichung Bhutia.
• The incumbent Congress MLA and President of the Karnataka Football Association, N. A. Haris, defeated Manvendra Singh of Rajasthan to win the election for the vice Presidency position.
• Kipa Ajay of Arunachal Pradesh defeated Gopalakrishna Kosaraju of Andhra Pradesh for the position of treasurer.
• All India Football Federation (AIFF):
  • It is the governing body of football in India.
  • It was founded on 23 June 1937.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Reports and Indices/Rankings

4. In August 2022, UIDAI topped the Grievance Redressal Index.

• The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has released a ranking report of the Grievance Redressal Index for the month of August 2022.
• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) came out on top among all Ministries and Departments for addressing Public Grievances.
• UIDAI has been at the top for redressing cases received through the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).
• UIDAI's strong grievance redressal procedure, which includes HQ Divisions, Regional Offices, the Technology Centre, and Contact Centre partners, enables it to resolve 92% of CRM Grievances within 7 days.
• The UIDAI is committed to further strengthen its grievance redressal system and will soon be launching a state-of-the-art 'Open Source CRM Solution'.
• The new 'Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Solution' has been designed with unique features that will help UIDAI to deliver its services much faster.
• The new CRM solution will support multi-channels such as phone calls, emails, chatbots, web portals, social media, letters, and walk-ins so that complaints can be filed, tracked, and solved effectively.
• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI):
  • It was established as a statutory authority under the Aadhaar Act 2016.
  • It works under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
  • It has so far issued Aadhaar numbers to more than 132 crore residents.
  • Dr. Saurabh Garg is the Chief Executive Officer of Unique Identification Authority of India.

Topic: National News

5. National Legal Services Authority has nominated SC Judge DY Chandrachud as its Executive Chairman.

• Dr. Justice DY Chandrachud, a senior judge on India's Supreme Court, has been appointed as the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority.
• The Ministry of Law and Justice published a notification in the Official Gazette.
• On 13 May 2016, Justice DY Chandrachud was appointed to the Supreme Court of India.
• Chief Justice of India UU Lalit was the former working chairman of NALSA.
• National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA):
  • It was established on November 9, 1995, in accordance with the Legal Services Authorities Act of 1987.
  • Its goal is to provide free legal assistance to eligible candidates (as defined by Section 12 of the Act) and to arrange Lok Adalats for fast case resolution.
  • NALSA's patron-in-chief is the Chief Justice of India, and its executive chairman is the second-most senior Supreme Court judge.
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

6. 30th meeting of the Southern Zonal Council inaugurated by Amit Shah at Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram.

• The Southern Zonal Council includes the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Puducherry.
• Chief ministers, ministers, chief secretaries, principal secretaries, senior officers of the member states, and senior officers of the central government attended the meeting.
• Southern Zonal Council meeting is chaired by the Union Home Minister, and the vice-chairman is the chief minister of the host state, who is selected by rotation each year.
• They discussed issues of common interest on river water sharing, coastal security, connectivity, power, and other issues.
• Five zonal councils were established in India in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Indian Economy

7. India's economy moves up to the fifth largest in the world with IMF growth forecast of more than 7% this year.

• India now has the fifth-largest economy in the world, overtaking the United Kingdom.
• International Monetary Fund said, India took a lead in the final three months of 2021 and became the fifth-biggest economy.
• As per IMF, the Indian economy is forecast to grow more than 7% this year.
• Recently, the weighting of Indian stocks this quarter increased to second place in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, only behind China’s.
• Britain's economy is now the sixth largest in the world, falling behind India.
• MSCI Emerging Markets Index tracks the performance of key companies in fast-growing nations. It was created by MSCI Inc. (Morgan Stanley Capital International).

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Books and Authors

8. Minister of State for AYUSH Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai released a book titled “Science behind Suryanamaskar,” at the AIIA.

• This book is a collection of evidence-based research on one of the most well-known Yoga asanas.
• The book has been compiled by the Department of Swasthavritta and Yoga of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Delhi.
• The Minister also felicitated the organisers of the Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programme 2022.
• It was held at the institute from 22nd-27th August, 2022.
• It was organised by the departments of Swasthavritta, Panchakarma and Dravyaguna, in association with Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth (RAV), New Delhi.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

9. 64th Ramon Magsaysay Awards winners were announced on 31 August.

• Sotheara Chhim (Cambodia), Bernadette J. Madrid (Philippines), Tadashi Hattori (Japan), and Gary Bencheghib (Indonesia) will be awarded the 64th Ramon Magsaysay Award.
• Ramon Magsaysay Awards will be presented in Manila on 30 November.
• Sotheara Chhim is a psychiatrist who helped people from coming out of trauma after the Khmer Rouge’s genocidal rule. He devoted his life to treating people.
• Tadashi Hattori is an ophthalmologist who treated thousands of Vietnamese villagers. He gave training to local doctors.
• Bernadette J Madrid is a Pediatrician who has provided medical, legal and social support to abused children and their families.
• She has led the Philippines’ first child protection centre at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila.
• Gary Bencheghib received the award for making hundreds of videos on plastic pollution and environmental protection.
• One of his documentaries on the polluted Citarum River in West Java prompted the government to begin a seven-year rehabilitation programme.
• Ramon Magsaysay Award:
  • It is the highest honour in Asia and is considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
  • The award is given annually to individuals or organizations in the Asia region for philanthropy and social service.
  • It was established in 1957 in memory of Ramon Magsaysay, the third President of the Philippines.

(Source: Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation)

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

10. Uttar Pradesh government will develop the 'State Capital Region' on the lines of Delhi-NCR.

• For future requirements related to urban planning, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to develop the 'State Capital Region' on the lines of Delhi-NCR.
• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave directions in this regard during a review meeting of the Housing and Urban Planning Department.
• Unnao, Sitapur, Rae Bareli, Barabanki, Kanpur Nagar and Kanpur Dehat districts could be included in the SCR.
• The government has taken this step due to the pressure on the population increasing in the neighbouring districts and incidents of unplanned construction.
• National Capital Region (NCR):
  • It is spread over 55,083 sq km comprising Delhi and several districts from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
  • National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) was formed in 1985 for the development of the region.
  • It has an urbanization level of 62.6%.

Topic: National Appointments

11. M. Jagadesh Kumar appointed as the All India Council for Technical Education's (AICTE) interim head.

• M. Jagadesh Kumar assumed the charge on 1 September 2022 as AICTE head.
• He has taken the place of Anil Sahasrabudhe, who retired on the same day.
• M. Jagadesh Kumar will be on the post till the appointment of a regular chairman, AICTE or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• M. Jagadesh Kumar started working as UGC Chairman on 4 February 2022.
• CUET (Central University Entrance Test) was started under the chairmanship of M. Jagadesh Kumar.
• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE):
  • It is a statutory body, which was set up in 1945.
  • It works under the Department of Higher Education.
  • It is responsible for the planning and coordination of the technical education and management education systems in India.
  • 10 Statutory Boards of Studies assist AICTE.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

12. Kanpur will get a world-class airport facility by the end of 2022.

• The development work of the civil enclave project at the Kanpur Airport will be finished by the end of this year.
• The development work includes a new terminal building, and an apron suitable for the parking of three A-321 types of aircraft.
• The new terminal building is 6,248 square metres in size and is being built at a cost of Rs 143.6 crore. It can accommodate 300 passengers during peak hours.
• The new terminal building will be equipped with all modern passenger amenities. It will be a Four-Star GRIHA-rated energy-efficient building.
• The government has renamed Kanpur Airport as Ganesh Shanker Vidhyarthi. It is directly connected to four cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Gorakhpur.
• With Jewar Airport, UP will become the first Indian state to have five international airports.
• Currently, Uttar Pradesh has eight operational airports, while 13 airports and seven airstrips are being developed.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

13. World Coconut Day: 2 September

• World Coconut Day is celebrated every year on 2 September. This year, it has been celebrated as the 24^th World Coconut Day.
• It is observed to mark the foundation of the International Coconut Community (ICC).
• The main aim of this day is to raise awareness about the use and benefits of coconuts.
• The theme of World Coconut Day 2022 is “Cultivate coconut for a happy life and future”.
• On this occasion, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Gujarat State Center of Coconut Development Board in Junagadh and announced winners of the Board’s National Awards and Export Excellence Awards.
• India is one of the top coconut-producing countries in the world. Indonesia is the largest coconut-producing country in the world, while India ranks third in the world in terms of coconut production and productivity.
• Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh are the main coconut-producing states in India.

Topic: National News

14. Government granted ‘in-principle’ approval for setting up three bulk drug parks.

• Under the Scheme for “Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks”, the Department of Pharmaceuticals has granted “in-principle” approval to the proposal of setting up three bulk drug parks in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh.
• The Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks scheme is an important initiative to support bulk drugs manufacturing in India. It was notified in 2020 with a financial outlay of Rs 3,000 crores.
• The government will provide financial assistance to these states for establishing Bulk Drug Parks. The main aim is to bring down the cost of manufacturing bulk drugs.
• The Bulk Drug parks will be established in Tehsil Haroli, Himachal Pradesh, Tehsil Jambusar, Gujarat, and in East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh.
• These states have to submit their Detailed Project Reports in the next 90 days.
• It is a significant step towards creating world-class common infrastructure facilities supported by the Central Government.
• In FY 2021-22, India exported pharmaceuticals worth Rs 1,75,040 crore. The Indian Pharmaceutical industry is the 3^rd largest in the world by volume.