Daily Current Affairs and GK | 7 September 2024

Topic: Indian Economy

1. Star Health launched India’s first health insurance policy in Braille.

• Star Health and Allied Insurance has introduced an insurance policy in Braille.
• Its main aim is to empower visually impaired individuals in India.
• It will allow blind people to access health insurance information independently.
• The policy has been designed to fulfil the specific needs of people with 40% or more disability, including physical, sensory, or cognitive impairments.
• Star Health has also launched an initiative for visually impaired individuals to become health insurance agents.
• The initiative will focus on training and up-skilling of marginalized groups. It will allow them to generate income while working from home.
• The Braille policy has been developed in partnership with the National Association of the Blind (NAB).

Topic: National News

2. Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated the Digi Yatra facility at nine more airports.

• Union Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated the Digi Yatra facility at Visakhapatnam International Airport and other eight airports.
• The launch covered eight other airports managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), including Coimbatore, Dabolim, Indore, Bagdogra, Ranchi, Patna, Raipur, and Bhubaneshwar.
• Digi Yatra was introduced in December 2022 at three airports—New Delhi, Varanasi, and Bengaluru.
• The total number of Digi Yatra-enabled airports rises to 24.
• Digi Yatra is a digital initiative by the government to improve passenger experience through Facial Recognition Technology (FRT).
• It will allow travellers to pass through airport checkpoints with contactless and paperless processing.

Topic: Sports

3. Preeti Pal and Harvinder Singh will be the country's flag bearers in the closing ceremony of the Paris Paralympic Games.

• On September 8, gold medal-winning archer Harvinder Singh and sprinter Preeti Pal will be the country's flag-bearers during the closing ceremony of the Paris Paralympic Games.
• On September 6, this was announced by Satya Prakash Sangwan, Chief de Mission of India's Paris 2024 Paralympic contingent.
• A history was created by Harvinder by becoming the first Indian archer to win a gold medal at the Paralympics 2024.
• At the same time, Preeti created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals at the Paralympics.
• She won bronze medals in the women's T35 100m and 200m events.
• The Paralympic Games 2024 in Paris began on August 28 and will end on September 8.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summit/Conference/Meeting

4. On 6 September, 5th Defense Cooperation Dialogue held by India and Maldives in New Delhi.

• Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane led the Indian delegation, while the Maldives delegation was led by Chief of Defence Force General Ibrahim Hilmy.
• The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to discuss matters relating to bilateral defence cooperation.
• This included expediting the implementation of various ongoing defence cooperation projects.
• The two sides also discussed some other areas of mutual interest such as high-level exchanges and capacity building projects. 
• It also discussed aspects of participation in the upcoming bilateral military exercises.
• In the Indian Ocean region, Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours and overall bilateral relations, including in the areas of defence and security, witnessed growth during the tenure of the previous Maldives Government.

Topic: Economy/Banking/Finance

5. India overtook China in MSCI's Emerging Markets Investable Markets Index.

• India has overtaken China in terms of its weightage in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Emerging Markets Investable Market Index as per the Morgan Stanley report.
• India's weightage in the MSCI EM IMI stood at 22.27% compared to China's 21.58%.
• This significant change in the market scenario happened earlier this week, when India's weighting in the emerging markets index came close to becoming possibly the largest.
• The MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index (EM IMI) is a comprehensive index that includes large, mid, and small-cap stocks from 24 emerging market countries.
• With a total of 3,355 constituents, the index roughly represents approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each of the included countries.
• Several key factors have contributed to this favorable trend.
• These include a remarkable 47% increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) during the early months of 2024, a decline in Brent crude prices, and substantial foreign portfolio investment (FPI) in Indian debt markets.

Topic: Geography

6. Super Typhoon Yagi hits southern China.

• On September 6, powerful storms and heavy rains generated by Super Typhoon Yagi drenched southern China, causing schools to close for a second day and flights to be cancelled.
• The typhoon is set to make landfall on the tropical coast of Hainan, one of the most powerful storms to hit Asia this year.
• With maximum sustained winds of 245 kph (152 mph) near its centre, Yagi ranks as the world's second-most powerful tropical cyclone on record so far in 2024, after Category 5 Atlantic Hurricane Beryl.
• Having more than doubled in strength since wreaking havoc in the northern Philippines earlier this week, Yagi is expected to hit China's coast from Wenchang on Hainan Island to Leizhou in Guangdong Province.
• After this, it is estimated that this storm will reach Vietnam and Laos.
• Yagi is the strongest storm to hit Hainan since 2014, when Typhoon Rammasun made landfall on the island province as a category five tropical cyclone.
• From 1949 to 2023, Hainan was struck by 106 typhoons but only nine were classified as super typhoons.

Topic: Defence

7. Agni-4 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.

• The test met all operational and technical requirements.
• The test launch was conducted under the supervision of the Strategic Forces Command.
• The Agni-4 is a surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
• It has a range of 4,000 kilometres. It is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
• This launch follows the successful test of the new-generation ballistic missile, Agni-Prime, in April.
• The Agni-Prime test was carried out from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha.
• In March, the DRDO carried out the first test of the MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle)-equipped Agni-5 missile. It has a range of 5,000 kilometres.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

8. Under NTEP, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has given its approval for the implementation of a novel MDR-TB treatment regimen.

• The four medications that make up the new BPaLM regimen are Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid, and Moxifloxacin.
• It is expected to transform the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in India.
• The traditional 20-month method is expected to be replaced by this shorter, six-month treatment option.
• Approximately 75,000 drug-resistant TB patients in India will benefit from this treatment.
• It promises significant cost savings in addition to a large reduction in treatment time.
• A plan for a nationwide roll-out is now being prepared by the Central TB Division.
• This program supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of eliminating tuberculosis in India by 2025.
• India has the world’s largest TB laboratory network.
• The National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) was earlier known as Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP). RNTCP was renamed as NTEP in 2020.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. India and Saudi Arabia enhanced defence ties in the 6th Joint Committee meeting.

• The 6th meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Joint Committee on Defense Cooperation (JCDC) was held in Riyadh on Sept 4.
• The meeting was chaired by India’s Joint Secretary (Armed Forces) Amitabh Prasad and Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Defense for Strategic Affairs, Major General Salman Bin Awadh Al-Harbi.
• The officials from both countries conducted a comprehensive review of ongoing defence engagements.
• The discussion included various aspects of military collaboration, including joint exercises, expert exchanges, training programs, and industry cooperation.
• Both sides reached a consensus to improve overall defence cooperation.
• The Joint Defense Cooperation Committee is a mechanism to promote the objectives of defence cooperation.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/Uttar Pradesh

10. Uttar Pradesh government bagged the "Top Achiever" status in two categories of BRAP 2022.

• Uttar Pradesh has been adjudged “top achiever” in two business-centric and one citizen-centric area under BRAP 2022.
• This recognition is the state’s efforts to reduce industrial bottlenecks and to enhance ease of doing business.
• The reforms in states have streamlined administrative processes and made it easier for businesses to operate.
• Invest UP is the nodal agency responsible for the implementation of the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) in Uttar Pradesh
• A total of 352 reforms have been recommended under BRAP 2022.
• The Uttar Pradesh government has implemented all the reforms prescribed under the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2022.
• One of the key areas of reform was land administration and transfer.
• Uttar Pradesh digitized land records and introduced online land allotment systems.
• Uttar Pradesh has simplified various laws and introduced online registration and renewal of licenses.

Topic: Sports

11. In the Under-20 World Championship, wrestler Jyoti Berwal won the gold medal.

• In wrestling, in the women's 76kg freestyle category, Jyoti Berwal won the gold medal at the Under-20 World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain.
• On 5 September, Jyoti won the title by defeating Ukraine's Mariya Orlevich in the final without allowing her to score a single point.
• Jyothi defeated Mongolian, Chinese, and Turkish rivals on her way to the final.
• This was India's second consecutive World Under-20 title in women's 76kg after Priya Malik claimed it in the 2023 edition.
• Indian wrestlers won two more medals in the same category.
• Komal won the bronze medal in 59 kg, and Shrishti won the bronze medal in 68 kg.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/Agreement

12. US, UK, and EU signed the world's first AI treaty.

• On September 5, the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom took a historic step by signing the first legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence (AI).
• The treaty was signed during the Council of Europe conference held in Vilnius, Lithuania.
• This groundbreaking agreement, known as the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law, is an important milestone in global efforts to regulate AI technologies.
• It underlines the need to balance innovation with the protection of human rights and democratic values.
• The AI conference is the result of years of negotiations between 57 countries.
• It includes major AI developers like the US, UK, and EU, as well as participants from Japan, Canada, Israel, Australia, and many others.
• The treaty focuses on addressing the potential risks posed by AI technologies while promoting responsible innovation.
• A Strasbourg-based international organisation founded in 1949, the Council of Europe took the initiative to ensure that AI systems align with fundamental human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Topic: Banking System

13. National Payments Corporation of India launched a new feature “UPI Circle”.

• A new feature, “UPI Circle,” has been launched by the National Payments Corporation of India to enhance digital payment accessibility.
• Under this, primary users can now delegate payment authorisation to secondary users, such as family members or employees, who can then perform transactions directly from the primary user's account.
• It will be beneficial for parents providing allowances to children, and senior citizens who are cautious about conducting digital transactions.
• This feature came with many layers of intervention and security measures.
• NPCI has set the maximum monthly limit at ₹ 15,000, where a single transaction cannot exceed ₹ 5,000.
• The primary user can monitor the activity of the secondary users on the app.

Topic: Art and Culture

14. 10-day Onam festival started with Atham.

• Atham has been celebrated to mark the beginning of the ten-day Onam festivities.
• The 10-day festival at Thrikkakara Temple begins with kodiyettam.
• The famous Athachamayam procession, which features various cultural displays and traditional art forms held at Thripunithura was organized.
• Onam festival will conclude with Thiruvonam.
• The other key days include Chithira, Chodi, Vishakam, Anizham, Thriketa, Moolam, Pooradam, and Uthradom.
• Onam is celebrated across Kerala in the month of Chingam, as per the Malayalam calendar.