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Current Affairs 21 September 2024

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

CPCB Introduced Strict EC Guidelines For Violations of Battery Waste Management RulesGovt introduces strict EC guidelines for violations of battery waste rulesOn September 10 2024, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has introduced strict Environmental Compensation (EC) guidelines to penalise violations of the Battery Waste Management (BWM) Rules, 2022.

  • Aim: To promote proper battery waste management practices and enhance environmental sustainability across the country.
  • The CPCB has been responsible for developing and implementing guidelines for imposing and collecting EC from non-compliant entities. The EC will be imposed for non-compliances unrelated to EPR shortfalls.

Key Points:
i.The guidelines impose penalties not only for failing to comply with battery waste disposal regulations, but also for failing to meet metal-specific Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) targets.

  • EPR targets are environmental rules which require producers to manage their products’ entire lifecycle, including disposal and recycling.

ii.The government has set EPR credit costs, which range from Rs 18 per kilogram (kg) for lead batteries to Rs 2,400 per kg for lithium batteries.
iii.The targets are set based on the material, such as Lead or Lithium, if failed to meet the targets it results in financial penalties called EC.
iv.The application fee for registration under the BWM Rules is equal to the EC, which is set at Rs 20,000 for a first default. It doubles to Rs 40,000 for the second default and goes up to Rs 80,000 for the third.

  • This tiered structure is designed to encourage compliance by incurring larger financial penalties for repeated violations.

v.If deposits are made within a month of the deadline, there will be an annual interest charge of 12% on the initial amount. There will be a 24% annual interest rate applied to deposits made after one month but within three months.
vi.If payments are delayed for more than three months, the government will impose stricter sanctions, including the closure of the unit. It also includes the seizure of trade documents and subsequent legal action under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1986.
Note: According to the MoEFCC, 252 recyclers have registered with the CPCB.
About the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):
Chairman – Tanmay Kumar, IAS
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established – 1974

Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Chaired Joint Meeting of COP9 Bureau and Fund’s Approval Committee under the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in SportDr. Mansukh Mandaviya Chairs Joint Meeting of COP9 Bureau and Fund's Approval CommitteeOn 17th September 2024, the Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYA&S) chaired the 2nd Formal Meeting of the COP9 (Conference of Parties) Bureau and the 3rd Formal Meeting of Fund’s Approval Committee under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) International Convention against Doping in Sport held in New Delhi, Delhi.

  • These meetings aim to promote international collaboration in the fight against doping, highlighting the importance of integrity, fairness, and inclusivity in sport.

Key Dignitaries: Minister of State (MoS) Raksha Nikhil Khadse, MoYA&S along with High-level dignitaries from countries like Azerbaijan, Barbados, Estonia, Italy, Russian Federation, Senegal, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Zambia, attended the inaugural session of these high-level meetings.
Key Highlights:
i.While addressing the inaugural session, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted India’s commitment to clean sport and its leading role in global anti-doping efforts. He also emphasized the critical role of international cooperation in protecting the integrity of sports for future generations.
ii.The main highlight of the inaugural session was the signing of a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and National Law University, Delhi (NLU Delhi).

  • This strategic partnership between NADA and NLU Delhi aimed to enhance cooperation in anti-doping law, policy and education.
  • The MoU has outlined some key focus areas like: developing joint certificate courses, academic research, and organizing seminars, workshops, and conferences to raise awareness and foster a more inclusive and informed approach to anti-doping practices.
  • This MoU marks a significant step in strengthening legal education and research in anti-doping, which will help India to consolidate its position in this domain.
  • Both NADA and NLU Delhi aim to create a robust framework for legal education and research that supports anti-doping initiatives at national as well as at international levels.

About Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYA&S):
Union Minister- Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya (Constituency- Porbandar, Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS)- Raksha Nikhil Khadse (Constituency- Raver, Maharashtra)

EAM Jaishankar Releases India-Romania Joint Commemorative Stamps on 75 Years of Diplomatic TiesEAM Jaishankar releases India-Romania joint commemorative stamps on 75 years of diplomatic tiesOn 17 September 2024, Union Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), along with Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ministry of Communications (MoC), and Daniela-Mariana Sezonov, Ambassador of Romania to India, released the India-Romania joint commemorative stamps in New Delhi(Delhi), celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Romania.

  • The event is part of broader celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic bilateral relations and the 10th anniversary of their extensive partnership.

Note: This initiative highlights Romania’s key role in India-Europe relations, particularly in the planned India-Middle-East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), boosting connectivity.
Points to Note:
i.India and Romania established diplomatic relations in 1948 and raised it to the Ambassadorial level in 1968.
ii.In February 2024, both countries celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, alongside the 10th anniversary of their Extensive Partnership, which was formalised in 2013.
iii.A Joint Declaration marking the 10th Anniversary of the signing of the Joint Statement on Establishing an Extensive Partnership was issued in February 2024.
Recent Agreements:
India and Romania recently signed important agreements, which include the following:
i.A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), and the MoT of Romania on cooperation in the field of Tourism.
ii.An agreement between India and Romania on the exemption of Visa requirements for holders of Diplomatic Passports (DPs).
iii.A Cultural Exchange Program (CEP) was signed between India and Romania for the period 2022-2027.
iv.Romania signed a Framework Agreement (FA) for joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in December 2023.
Investments:
i.Indian Investments in Romania are estimated to be in the range of USD 1.5 billion, with firms like Wipro, Infosys, SunPharma, etc operating there.
ii.Romanian Investments in India, under USD 50 million, include companies like Hanna Instruments  Romania SRL, Omnia Professional SRL, etc.
iii.Main Indian exports to Romania include a diverse range of products such as Petroleum Products, engineering goods, drugs and pharmaceuticals, etc.
iv.Main Indian imports from Romania include a variety of products including Machinery, boilers, animal or vegetable fats and oils, etc.
About Romania:
Prime Minister (PM)- Ion-Marcel Ciolacu
President– Klaus Iohannis
Capital– Bucharest
Currency– Romanian New Leu(RON)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Indira Gandhi International Airport Ranked 24th Among Top ‘Megahub’ Airports globally, Mumbai Airport at 44th : OAGDelhi airport ranked 24th among top ‘megahub’ airports globallyAccording to the ‘2024 Megahubs report’, released by the United Kingdom (UK)-based air consultancy firm Official Airline Guide (OAG), Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi(Delhi), has been ranked at 24th spot among the top 25 Megahub airports globally, up by one place from 25th spot in OAG’s 2023 report.

  • Other than IGIA, Mumbai’s (Maharashtra) Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is also featured among the top 50 Megahubs airports globally. However, it saw a significant drop in its ranking from 34th position (in 2023) to 44th position (in 2024).
  • UK-based London Heathrow Airport (LHR) has once again secured the 1st spot in the latest rankings, followed by Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) in Malaysia and Tokyo-Haneda International Airport (HND) in Japan, secured 2nd and 3rd position respectively.

About Official Airline Guide (OAG):
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Phil Callow
Headquarters- Luton, the United Kingdom (UK)
Established- 1929
>> Read Full News

India Achieves Tier 1 Status in 5th Global Cybersecurity Index 2024India in Global Cybersecurity Index 2024India has achieved Tier 1 status in the 5th edition of Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI 2024), released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a trusted reference that measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a global level.

  • With an overall score of 98.49, India is featured on the Tier I category along with 46 countries.

Assessment:
i.The level of development or engagement of each country is assessed along 5 pillars

  • Legal Measures
  • Technical Measures
  • Organizational Measures,
  • Capacity Development, and
  • Cooperation

ii.This is then aggregated into an overall score.​
iii.It uses a new five-tier analysis, ranking countries from Tier 1 to Tier 5 based on their advancements and impacts in cybersecurity.
Points to note:
i.India excelled(scored 20 out of 20) in legal, technical, capacity development, and cooperation, marking them as areas of strength. Organisational measures was a listed as an area of potential growth (score: 18.49)
ii.Tier 1 (T1) – Role-modelling represents countries that obtained an overall GCI score of
at least 95/100 by demonstrating a strong cybersecurity commitment to coordinated and
government-driven actions.
iii.The majority of countries are in Tier 3 (“establishing”) or Tier 4 (“evolving”), needing to better integrate cybersecurity into their growing digital services.
iv.Since the 2021 GCI, all regions have improved, with Africa showing the most advancement in cybersecurity.

BANKING & FINANCE

SEBI Reduced Bonus Shares Allotment Time to ‘T+2’ Effective from 1st October, 2024Sebi Reduces Bonus Shares Allotment Time To T+2 Effective 1st OctoberOn 16th September 2024, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a new framework to streamline bonus share trading, through a circular issued in exercise of powers given under section 11 read with section 11A of the SEBI Act, 1992.

  • The new framework has reduced the time taken for credit of bonus shares and their eligibility for trading from about two weeks to 2 days (T+2 days) from the record date, which is the cut-off date for shareholders to be eligible for a bonus issue under the SEBI (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements, ICDR) Regulations, 2018.
  • The circular will be applicable to all bond issues announced on or after 1st October, 2024.

Key Changes:
i.As per the new guidelines, the issuer proposing a bonus issue will be required to apply for the in-principle approval under Regulation 28 (1) of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements, LODR) Regulations, 2015, to the stock exchange within 5 working days from the date of board meeting approving the bonus issue.
ii.The issuer while fixing and informing the record date (T day) to the stock exchange as specified  under Regulation 42 (1) of SEBI (LODR) Regulations, 2015, for the proposed bonus issue will now also be required to note the deemed date of allotment on next working date of record date (T+1 day).
iii.On receiving the intimation of the record date (T day) and requisite documents from the issuer, the stock exchange (s) will issue confirmation  notice which includes the deemed date of allotment and number of shares considered in the bonus issue.
iv.After issuance of notification by the stock exchange for acceptance of record date, the issuers will be required to ensure submission of requisite documents to Depositories for credit bonus shares in the depository system by 12 P.M.of next working day of the record date (T+1 day).
v.The issuer will ensure upload of the Distinctive Number (DN) ranges in the DN database of the depository, while stock exchange(s) will ensure updation of relevant dates before credit of bonus shares.
vi.The new framework has eliminated the previous condition which required bonus shares to be credited in a temporary International Securities Identification Numbering System (ISIN).

  • As per new framework, bonus shares can now be credited directly into the permanent ISIN (the same ISIN as the existing equity shares).

About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairman- Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established1988

Paisabazaar Partners with Yes Bank To Launch ‘PaisaSave Credit Card’ Yes Bank, Paisabazaar unveil co-branded credit cardPaisabazaar, India’s largest marketplace for consumer credit and free credit score platform, has partnered with Yes Bank Limited to launch their co-branded credit card named ‘YES BANK Paisabazaar PaisaSave Credit Card’.
About PaisaSave Credit Card:
i.The PaisaSave Credit Card is designed to reward frequent customers by providing significant cashback on everyday purchases, both online and offline, making it a must-have for the value-conscious customers.
ii.It enables clients to save as they spend, particularly on online transactions where cashback is accelerated to 3%.
iii.The customers can apply for a virtual Yes Bank Rupay Credit Card, which allows them to make Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments smoothly and expands the card’s utility.
Key Features:
i.The card provides cashback of 3% on online purchase across platforms like Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, Nykaa, Swiggy, Zomato, Tata Cliq, and Ajio.
ii.The users will continue to earn 1.5% cash back on further online purchases after reaching a monthly cashback limit of Rs 5,000 on online transactions.
iii.The cashback of 1.5% is offered on all offline purchases, including in-store transactions.
iv.A 1% fuel surcharge waiver is available at all fuel stations.
v.No joining fee, and the annual fee of Rs 499 waived off on annual spend of Rs 1.2 lakh from the second year.
About Yes Bank Limited:
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) – Prashant Kumar
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established – 2004
About Paisabazaar:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Naveen Kukreja
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
Established – 2014

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

EaseMyTrip launches ‘ScanMyTrip.com’ India’s First Travel Services Marketplace on ONDC Network 
New Delhi (Delhi) based EaseMyTrip, online travel platform in India, has introduced ScanMyTrip.com, India’s First Travel Services Marketplace on Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) Network.

  • EaseMyTrip has become the first Online Travel Agency (OTA) to sell and purchase travel services through the ONDC platform.

i.ScanMyTrip.com aims to empower OTAs, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), travel agents, and homestays by allowing them to list their services on the ONDC network, connecting them to a wide digital marketplace.
ii.It will make the onboarding process easier for travel businesses, allowing them to engage with potential travellers and compete in the online marketplace.
iii.In May 2024, EaseMyTrip signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with ONDC at the ‘ONDC Startup Mahotsav,’ demonstrating their commitment to the digital changes that ONDC is bringing to e-commerce.

Airtel Business Inks Pact with Sparkle To Enhance Connectivity with Europe
New Delhi (Delhi) based Airtel Business, the Business-to-Business (B2B) arm of telecom Bharti Airtel, has inked a pact with Italy-based global operator Telecom Italia Sparkle S.p.A. to enhance connectivity between Asia and Europe.
i.As part of the agreement, Airtel would acquire capacity from Sparkle on the Blue-Raman Submarine Cable Systems, which will connect India and Italy.
ii.Sparkle’s Blue-Raman cable system, Raman links Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Oman, and India, while Blue connects Italy, France, Greece, and Israel.
iii.With this, Airtel aims to expand its global network through several international submarine cable systems to provide data services in India and neighbouring countries.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Korean Ambassador Sang Wook Ham Elected as President of IAEA’s 68th General Conference Korea’s Sang Wook Ham Elected President of IAEA’s 68th General ConferenceSang Wook Ham, South Korea’s ambassador to Austria, has been elected as the President of the 68th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA), an international organisation within the United Nations (UN).

  • He held the office during the IAEA conference, held from 16 to 20 September 2024 at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) in Vienna, Austria.

Note: It is the second time that South Korea is holding the presidency of the General Conference, where the first was in 1989, during the 33rd session.
Key Points:
i.The General Conference elects a president at the beginning of each annual session, after consultations among member states prior to the event.
ii.They hold office for the duration of the conference.
iii.In 2023, the President of the Conference was Vilawan Mangklatanakul of Thailand.
About Sang Wook Ham:
i.Sang Wook Ham was appointed as the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna in 2022.
ii.He has served as a Chair of the Missile Technology Control Regime in 2016, and Chair of the International Trust Fund(ITF) for Enhancing Human Security for 2023-24.
iii.He served as the Chair of the IAEA Board of Governors in 2022.
iv.He was awarded the Presidential Citation in 2012 and an Order of Service Merit with Red Stripes in 2015.
Note: The 2024 Scientific Forum: Atoms4Food held on the sidelines of 68th IAEA General Conference with the theme ‘Better Agriculture for Better Life’ in Vienna, Austria.
About International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA):
IAEA is the international centre for cooperation in the nuclear field.
Director General (DG) – Rafael Mariano Grossi (Argentina)
Headquarters – Vienna, Austria
Founded – 1957

Amrit Mohan Prasad Assumed Charge as DG of Sashastra Seema Bal Senior Bureaucrat Amrit Mohan Prasad Appointed Sashastra Seema Bal ChiefAppointments Committee of the Cabinet(ACC) has approved the appointment of Amrit Mohan Prasad as the Director General (DG) of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) (Level -17 in the Pay Matrix), for a tenure up to the date of his superannuation on 31 August 2025 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

  • Amrit Mohan Prasad succeeded Daljit Singh Chawdhary, who handed over the customary baton to Amrit Mohan Prasad at the SSB Headquarters, in New Delhi, Delhi.

About Amrit Mohan Prasad:
i.Amrit Mohan Prasad, a 1989 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Odisha cadre, was appointed as SDG (Level-16 of the Pay Matrix) of the CRPF in August 2024.
ii.Before this, he served as DG of Prisons and Director of Correctional Services (DCS) of Odisha.
iii.He also served as the SDG of the Human Rights Protection Cell (HRPC) of Odisha Police.
Key Points:
i.The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) was raised as a Special Service Body in 1963, in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression (in 1962).
ii.In 1966 it was renamed as Special Service Bureau and on 15 December 2003, it was again renamed as Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
iii.Currently, the SSB is an Armed Force of the Union of India with about 73 Battalions, guarding 1751 kilometers (km) of Indo-Nepal and 699 km of Indo-Bhutan Border.
About the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB):
Director General (DG)- Amrit Mohan Prasad
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Established– 1963
Motto– Service, Security, and Brotherhood

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA’s DART Mission May Create First Human-Made Meteor Shower
A study from Cornell University of New York, the United States of America (USA) suggests that the rocky debris generated from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission may result in the first human-made meteor shower

  • In 2022, NASA DART spacecraft intentionally slammed into asteroid Dimorphos and generated a massive debris field, estimated to be around 2 million pounds (nearly 1 million kilograms) of rocks and dust. The  fragments from the collision could potentially reach Earth and Mars within the next 10 to 30 years.
  • These particles could produce visible meteors as they penetrate the Martian atmosphere. These meteor showers could last for up to a century.
  • The study has been accepted for publication in The Planetary Science Journal.

Note:
i.NASA’s DART is the world’s first planetary defence technology demonstration, which impacted an asteroid target in September 2022, marking NASA’s first attempt to move an asteroid in space. The mission blasted over 2 million pounds of rocky debris into space.
ii.The Hera mission, led by the European Space Agency (ESA) launching in October 2024, will reach the Dimorphos and its larger parent asteroid Didymos by late 2026 to observe the aftermath of the DART impact.

SPORTS

Hockey: Asian Champions Trophy 2024- India won the Title for the 5th TimeMen’s Asian Champions Trophy Hockey 2024The 8th edition of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy was held from 8th to 17th September 2024 at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China. The Indian men’s hockey team won the Asian Champion Trophy 2024 by defeating China with a 1-0 score in the finals.

  • This marks India’s 5th Asian Championship title.  China finished as runners-up, while Pakistan came third.

Note:
i.India previously won the title in 2011, 2016, 2018 (joint winners with Pakistan), and 2023.
ii.China had reached the final of the tournament for the first time. They had previously finished at the 4th spot in 2012 and 2013.
Awards and honours: 
i.Winner – India
ii.Runner up – China
iii.Top Goal Scorer of the Tournament – Yang Jihun (9 Goals) – South Korea
iv.Promising Goalkeeper of the Tournament – Kim Jaehan – South Korea
v.Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament – Wang Caiyu – China
vi.Rising Star of the Tournament – Hanan Shahid – Pakistan
vii.Player of the Tournament – Harmanpreet Singh(Captain) – India
Prize Money: 
i.The total prize pot for the competition was set at USD 14.8 million, with the winners in line to net USD 5 million. The runners-up received USD 3 million, and the 2 losing semi-finalists received  USD 1 million each.
ii.Every player of the Indian Hockey team will get a reward of Rs 3 lakh while Rs 1.5 lakh will be awarded to every support staff member.
About Asian Champions Trophy:
i.The Asian Champions Trophy is the annual men’s hockey tournament organised by the Asian Hockey Federation since 2011.

  • Participants 2024:  India, Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, China, and Malaysia.

ii.India emerged as the inaugural winners of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy defeating Pakistan in 2011. India is the most successful team in the tournament(5) followed by Pakistan at 2nd spot with 3 titles.

Neeraj Chopra Finished 2nd in Diamond League Final; Anderson Peters won the TitleNeeraj Chopra finishes second in Diamond League finalIndian Javelin Thrower & Olympic Medalist Neeraj Chopra finished second with a throw of 87.86 meters (m) at the 2024 Wanda Diamond League Finals held from 13th to 14th September 2024 in King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.

  • Paris 2024 Olympics bronze medalist Anderson Peters of Grenada won his first Diamond League title with a throw of 87.87 m and the 2023 European Games champion Julian Weber of Germany finished 3rd with a throw of 85.97 m.

Results: Javelin Throw Men

Rank AthleteResult
1Anderson Peters (Grenada)87.87 m
2Neeraj Chopra (India)87.86 m
3Julian Weber (Germany)85.97 m


Key Point: 
i.This was Neeraj Chopra’s 5th appearance in the Diamond League final. He has previously won the title in 2022  with an 88.44m throw and became the 1st Indian to win the Diamond League Trophy

  • In 2023, he finished 2nd behind Jakub Vadlejch (Czechia) with an effort of 83.80 m.

ii.Neeraj has gained 14 points across two Diamond League meets in 2024 to qualify for the final.
About Neeraj Chopra:
i.Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the 1st Asian javelin throw athlete to do so and he recently won the silver in the 2024 Paris Olympics with a throw of 89.45 m.
ii.Neeraj Chopra had set a national record of 89.94m at the Stockholm event of the Diamond League in 2022 and gave his career’s second-best of 89.49 m at the Lausanne meet in August 2024.
iii.He also won a gold at the Federation Cup 2024 (Jodhpur, Rajasthan) held in May 2024 with best throw of 82.27m.
About Diamond League:
i.The Diamond League is an annual series of track and field athletic competitions including fifteen of the best invitational athletics meetings.
ii.It was first held in 2010 and is one of the top-level meets conducted under the World Athletics umbrella.
iii.The full sponsorship name is the Wanda Diamond League, after an agreement with Wanda Group (China) in December 2019.

OBITUARY

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury Passed Away
Sitaram Yechury, the General Secretary (GS) of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) passed away at the age of 72 in New Delhi, Delhi. He was born on 12 August 1952 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).

  • He has served as the Member of Parliament(MP), Rajya Sabha from West Bengal, from 2005 to 2017.
  • He played a significant role as a CPI(M) interlocutor in the United Front  (UF) and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments.
  • He was also a Head of the International Department of the Central Committee, and Editor of the CPI(M) Central Weekly, Peoples’ Democracy.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Bamboo Day 2024 – September 18World Bamboo Day - September 18 2024World Bamboo Day is annually observed across the globe on 18 September to raise awareness about the incredible benefits of bamboo and emphasise bamboo’s role as a sustainable resource with significant environmental, economic, and social impact.

  • The annual observance of the Day is led by the World Bamboo Organisation (WBO), an international coordinating body for bamboo practitioners.
  • 18 September 2024 marks the observance of  the 16th World Bamboo Day.

Background:
i.In 2009, during the 8th World Bamboo Congress (WBC) in Bangkok, Thailand, the WBO, with support from the Royal Forest Department (RFD) of Thailand formally recognized 18 September as World Bamboo Day.

  • Delegates from nearly 100 countries attended the WBC and agreed to declare September 18 as World Bamboo Day.

ii.The observance was initiated by Kamesh Salam from Assam,  who served as the President of the WBO from 2007-2009.
iii.The 1st World Bamboo Day was celebrated on 18 September 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand.

  • The Day was unanimously declared on 18 September to coincide with the Royal Thai Forestry Day of Thailand.

About the World Bamboo Organisation (WBO):
WBO was initially established as the International Bamboo Association (IBA) in 1992 at the 3rd International Bamboo Congress in Japan. The IBA was renamed as the World Bamboo Organisation (WBO) in 2005.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Susanne Lucas
Headquarters– Boston, Massachusetts, the United States of America (USA)
>> Read Full News

World Water Monitoring Day 2024 – September 18World Water Monitoring Day - September 18 2024World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is annually observed across the globe on 18 September, to raise awareness about the importance of monitoring water quality issues and promote public involvement in protecting water resources.

  • The 2024 theme for World Water Monitoring is, “Water For Peace“.

Background:
World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) was established in 2003 by the American Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) as a global educational program.

  • The program was subsequently named the EarthEcho Water Challenge (EEWC) (formerly World Water Monitoring Challenge (WWMC)) to build public awareness and engagement in water conservation around the world.

ii.WWMD is officially celebrated on September 18, but initially, the date was 18 October, honouring the United States of America (US) Clean Water Act, which was enacted in 1972 by the US Congress to restore and protect the water resources of America.
About the EarthEcho International:
Executive Director (ED)- Mia DeMezza
Headquarters– Washington, DC, the United States of America (USA)
Founded in– 2005
>> Read Full News

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Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)

Current Affairs 21 September 2024
CPCB Introduced Strict EC Guidelines For Violations of Battery Waste Management Rules
Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Chaired Joint Meeting of COP9 Bureau and Fund’s Approval Committee under the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport
EAM Jaishankar Releases India-Romania Joint Commemorative Stamps on 75 Years of Diplomatic Ties
Indira Gandhi International Airport Ranked 24th Among Top ‘Megahub’ Airports globally, Mumbai Airport at 44th : OAG
India Achieves Tier 1 Status in 5th Global Cybersecurity Index 2024
SEBI Reduced Bonus Shares Allotment Time to ‘T+2’ Effective from 1st October, 2024
Paisabazaar Partners with Yes Bank To Launch ‘PaisaSave Credit Card’
EaseMyTrip launches ‘ScanMyTrip.com’ India’s First Travel Services Marketplace on ONDC Network
Airtel Business Inks Pact with Sparkle To Enhance Connectivity with Europe
Korean Ambassador Sang Wook Ham Elected as President of IAEA’s 68th General Conference
Amrit Mohan Prasad Assumed Charge as DG of Sashastra Seema Bal
NASA’s DART Mission May Create First Human-Made Meteor Shower
Hockey: Asian Champions Trophy 2024- India won the Title for the 5th Time
Neeraj Chopra Finished 2nd in Diamond League Final; Anderson Peters won the Title
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury Passed Away
World Bamboo Day 2024 – September 18
World Water Monitoring Day 2024 – September 18

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Affairscloud: As some of the major news sites doesn’t provide the required data on the exact day, we take extra time for important data to be presented to the aspirants on the examination basis to ensure nothing is missed.
Example:  In ‘Important Days’ topics the International Organisations publish their reports and Rankings in the evenings, to make sure every data is covered, we delay the topics to the next day.

Candidates appearing for Competitive Exams. Kindly Share the General Awareness questions,which asked in their respective exams to [email protected]