National Current Affairs
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested a new version of Akash Surface to Air missile Akash Prime from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha.
- It intercepts and destroys unmanned aerial target mimicking enemy aircraft.
- In comparison to the existing Akash System, Akash Prime is equipped with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for improved accuracy.
- It also ensure more reliable performance under low temperature environment at higher altitudes.
Judima of the Dimasa tribe from the Dimasa Hasao district of Assam won the GI tag.
- A local fermented drink made with rice.
- Judima derives its name from ju which means wine and Dima means ‘belonging to the Dimasa’.
- It is a pale yellow or reddish (depending on the colour of rice) drink that is slightly cloudy in appearance, has a mellow fragrance and is sweet to taste.
Following a Supreme Court judgement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued orders for ex gratia relief of ₹ 50,000 to the next of kin of those who died of COVID-19.
- More than 4.4 lakh people have died of COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic last year.
PM Modi launches Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
- The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission connect the digital health solutions of hospitals across the country with each other.
- The mission will serve as a health repository to ensure ease of living for patients & healthcare providers.
- Under this, every citizen would now get a digital health ID and health records digitally protected.
Supreme Court has introduced the “Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records” (FASTER) system.
- The system is meant to ensure that undertrials are not made to wait for days on end behind bars to be released because the certified hard copies of their bail orders were late to reach the prison.
- The system would also prevent unnecessary arrests and custody of people even after the court has already granted them its protection. It may even communicate a stay on an execution ordered by the final court on time.
World’s highest EV charging station opened
- World’s highest EV charging station was opened at Kaza town, which is located in of Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.
Other important National News
- All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), under the AYUSH ministry, has developed “Bal Raksha Kit” which is an immunity boosting kit.
- Digi Saksham Programme was launched by the Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav. This digital skills programme was launched with the objective of enhance the employability of youth by improving their digital skills which has become an essential thing in increasingly technology driven era.
- India and Australia participated in the fourth iteration of the biennial maritime series called ‘AUSINDEX’ on September 30, 2021.
- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) approved a credit plan on September 28, 2021 for yak husbandry in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Ladakh to roll out first edition of ‘The Himalayan Film Festival’.
- As per Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) study, India is all set and is on the right track to become industrial trans fat-free by 2022.
International Current Affairs
Voters in Switzerland decided to legalize same-sex marriage on September 26, 2021. It makes Switzerland one of the last countries in Western Europe to do so.
- Italy is the only country in Western Europe which does not allow marriage between same-sex couples. It only allows civil unions.
China Evergrande Debt Crisis
- The debt crisis at world’s most indebted property developer, China Evergrande Group, casted new light on the health of real estate market in China.
- As per Rushi Advanced Institute of Finance, condominium prices in Shenzhen city are now 57 times greater than the average annual income and 55 times greater than the income in Beijing.
India is Dubai’s second biggest trade partner
- India has emerged as the second biggest trading partner of Dubai, after China. India’s overall volume, in the first half of 2021, is touching 38.5 billion dirhams.
India’s clean energy commitments at UN summit
- During the first leader-level meeting on energy, under the UN General Assembly, India has made commitments to increase the renewable energy installed capacity to 450 GW by 2030.
China declares all Cryptocurrency transactions illegal
- The global values of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin have massively fluctuated in during 2020-2021 partly due to Chinese regulations, that sought to prevent speculation and money laundering.
- According to People’s Bank of China (PBOC), Virtual currency-related business activities are illegal financial activities.
- Offenders will be “investigated for criminal liability” in accordance with the law.
Business NEWS
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) published its “UNCTAD Digital Economy Report 2021, recently.
- In its report, UNCTAD noted the Philippines as one among six countries that allows free flow of data across borders. Free flow of data is required to boost the digital economy.
- Other five countries allowing free-flow of data across border include- Canada, Australia, Mexico, Singapore and the United States.
- The “restrictive” or “guarded” approach for cross-border data flows is followed by countries like India, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Rwanda, Russian Federation, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.
Sports NEWS
Lewis Hamilton has become the first ever Formula-one driver who reached to his 100 wins after finishing at first in the Russian Grand Prix.
Indian men lose to Korea, take bronze at ATTU table tennis championships.
- The Republic of Korea, the top seed, justified its top billing with a clinical 3-0 win over India in the men’s team semifinals of the 25th-ITTF ATTU table tennis championships.
Virat Kohli becomes first Indian to reach 10,000 runs in T20 cricket
- Virat Kohli is the second man after Chris Gayle to reach the landmark in both T20 and one-day international cricket.
Sci-Tech NEWS
Amazon launches robot ‘Astro’ to roll around house
- The home robot is designed to take up tasks such as home monitoring, setting up routines and reminders, and can play music and TV shows while rolling around the house.
NASA’s Lucy Mission
- American Space Agency, NASA, is set to send its first spacecraft to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids.
- Spacecraft will be launched from “Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida” on October 16, 2021.
- This spacecraft would obtain new insights into the formation of solar system 4.5 billion years ago.
- The spacecraft has been named as Lucy. It was named after an ancient fossil which provided insights into the evolution of human species.
- Trojans are small celestial body or asteroids, sharing the orbit of larger one.
Mangalore University has obtained its first patent for an invention by its two plant researchers K.R. Chandrashekar and Bhagya Nekrakalaya relating to anti-cancer compound.
- The invention is titled A process for the extraction and purification of tetrandrine.
- Tetrandrine is an anti-cancer compound.
IISc researchers find a way to substitute for single-use plastics
- By combining non-edible oils and cellulose extracted from agricultural stubble, the researchers made biodegradable, multiuse polymer sheets.
Person/Places in NEWS
- Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Vivek Ram Chaudhari took over as the 27th Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).
- Charanjit Singh Channi : New CM of Punjab.
- The chief marketing officer of United Breweries, Debabrata Mukherjee, was unanimously elected chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for 2021-2022.
- Elon Musk overtakes Jeff Bezos to become world’s richest person again.
- India-based Dr Rukmini Banerji was awarded with the 2021 Yidan prize on September 28, 2021. Apart from her, US-based Professor Eric Hanushek was also conferred with the prestigious Yidan Prize 2021.
- Right Livelihood Award 2021 was conferred to Delhi-based environmental organisation “Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE)”. This award is also known as “Sweden’s alternative Nobel Prize”.
- Najla Bouden Romdhane has become the first female prime minister of Tunisia on September 29, 2021.
Also refer :
- Important Weekly Current Affairs : 3rd Week Of September 2021
- BPSC 66th prelims question paper : हिंदी में, English.