Daily Current Affairs and GK | 8 and 9 September 2024

Topic: Miscellaneous

1. IIT Delhi opened its first international campus in Abu Dhabi with a batch of 52 students.

• The Abu Dhabi campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi was officially inaugurated by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
• The first batch of graduating students receiving B.Tech degrees in Energy Engineering and Computer Science & Engineering were welcomed by the Crown Prince.
• This first batch of 52 students was selected through the JEE Advanced exam and the recently introduced Joint Entrance Entrance Test (CAET) for international candidates.
• The graduating batch is diverse, comprising Indian, Emirati and global students. It is IIT Delhi's first international campus.
• IIT Delhi is one of the 23 institutes in India that is renowned for producing skilled engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
• In July 2023, an agreement between the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, IIT Delhi, and the Ministry of Education of India formalized the establishment of IIT-Delhi Abu Dhabi.

Topic: Reports and indices/Rankings

2. India has emerged as the largest plastic polluter in the world.

• A new study by the University of Leeds, published in the journal Nature, has revealed that India is the biggest contributor to plastic pollution.
• 57 million tons of plastic pollution are produced each year, spread to every surface on Earth – from the deepest trenches, mountain peaks to the human brain.
• The researchers gave an example to explain the massive scale of plastic waste production.
• The annual global plastic waste is enough to fill New York City's Central Park and stack up to 157 Empire State Buildings.
• Nearly two-thirds of this pollution is generated by uncollected and improperly disposed waste.
• This is because around 15% of the world lacks access to proper waste collection services.
• This leads to haphazard disposal of waste that continues to grow.
• India topped the list, generating 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste, double the amount generated by more populous countries like China, Nigeria and Indonesia.
• Earlier, China had generated plastic waste at a higher level but it later improved and generated 2.8 million tonnes, a significant improvement from its previous record.

Topic: State News/ Rajasthan

3. 33% quota for women in police force has been approved by the Rajasthan government.

• Rajasthan government has approved 33% reservation for women in the police force by amending the Rajasthan Police Subordinate Service Rules, 1989.
• It will help in creating more employment opportunities for women.
• The state government has also decided to add the names of especially abled children and siblings and the dependent parents in the pension payment order (PPO) of the government employees.
• The state government has also decided to amend Rules 67 and 87 of the Rajasthan Civil Services Pension Rules, 1996.
• The government also made an announcement of giving a 5 per cent additional allowance to pensioners of 70 to 75 years of age
• The state government also allotted land for a 3,150 MW solar power project.

Topic: International News

4. India and the EU are looking to expand existing defense cooperation.

• India and the European Union aim to establish more permanent staff-to-staff interactions to expand existing defence cooperation.
• It will boost joint operational effectiveness in tackling challenges faced at sea, on land and in cyberspace.
• Indo-Pacific region is an important hub of strategic importance for both India and the EU.
• A group of Defence Ministry and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials were in Europe on a three-day visit.
• Indian officials have learned about the EU’s security and defence mechanisms while exploring potential cooperation in Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions.
• Maritime security is a common focus for cooperation between the EU Naval Force (NAVFOR) Atalanta and the Indian Navy respectively.