Current Affairs 3 & 4 September 2023

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 3 & 4 September 2023, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2023 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

CBIC Launched ‘Mera Bill Mera Adhikar‘ – GST Reward SchemeCentral Board Of Indirect Taxes & Customs(CBIC) under Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, launched an invoice incentive scheme called ‘Mera Bill Mera Adhikar‘. 

• The scheme aims to incentivise citizens and consumers to ask for Goods and Service Tax (GST) invoices from the seller when making business-to-consumer (B2C) purchases of goods or services.
• The scheme was launched in the 3 States (Assam, Gujarat and Haryana) and in 3 Union Territories(UT) (Puducherry, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).

Aim of the Scheme:
i.The scheme aims to enhance GST processes and revenue collection.
ii.This initiative offers cash rewards, ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 crore, through monthly and quarterly lucky-draws.

• This indirectly contributes to curbing tax evasion, fostering accountability, and supporting the formal economy’s growth.

Criteria:
Invoices with a minimum purchase value of Rs 200 are eligible for the lucky draw, and individuals can upload a maximum of 25 invoices in a month.
Lucky Draw details:
Every month, 800 people will be randomly selected to receive a prize of Rs 10,000 each. Additionally, 10 people will be awarded a prize of Rs 10 lakh each.This scheme includes a quarterly draw in which two individuals are selected to receive a prize of Rs 1 crore.

NCERT Granted Deemed to be University Status by UGCThe National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) granted the ‘Deemed to be University’ Status under ‘De Novo‘ category of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

• This was announced by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) during the event organised for the 63rd Foundation Day of the NCERT(1st September 2023).
• The deemed to be university status is given under section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC)Act, 1956.

What will NCERT do with Deemed University status?
i.With this status, NCERT can apply to the UGC to set up a new institution as deemed-to-be-university, which will undertake study and research in unique and emerging areas that are not offered by any existing institution.
ii.NCERT with the new status will have the autonomy to award its own graduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees, and design its own syllabus and courses.
iii.NCERT’s Regional Institute of Education (REI)in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhuvaneshwar, Mysore & Shillong are currently affiliated with local universities in respective states and will affiliate with NCERT after the new status.
Points to note:
Deemed to be University: Under section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, an institution of higher education other than a university that performs high-quality work in a certain field can be authorised as a deemed to be university institution.
De-novo: De-novo institution means an institution with the focus on teaching and research in unique and emerging areas of knowledge.
Additional info:
i.The chapter on the evolution of Chandrayaan 3 and the agreements of the Group-20 (G-20) summit is to be added to the new NCERT textbooks.
ii.NCERT is set to develop educational material in all 22 recognised languages with the help of software like Anuvadini and Bhashini.
iii.NCERT also created ‘Jadui Pitara,’ a play-based learning and teaching resource material, especially for children aged 3 to 8 years.
About the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT):
NCERT was established with an objective to assist and advise the government on matters related to school education.
Director – Dinesh Prasad Saklani
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established – 1961

DGR Signed MoU with Genpact to Generate Employment for Ex-Serviceman
Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) under Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Genpact India Private Limited to facilitate employment opportunities for Ex-Servicemen of the Defence Services.

• The partnership brings the corporate companies and Ex-Servicemen on a common platform to provide  Ex-Servicemen  with skilled manpower and give them a second career after their military service.

Mumbai(Maharashtra) based Genpact India is a global professional services firm that provides intelligent business operations services.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

NTPC & OIL Inked MOU to Collaborate in Renewable Energy & DecarbonizationOn August 31, 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked between NTPC Limited (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation) and Oil India Limited (OIL) to explore collaboration in the areas of Renewable Energy (RE), green hydrogen and its derivatives, and decarbonization initiatives including through the use of geothermal energy.

• NTPC Limited is a Maharatna Central Public Sector Undertaking(CPSU) under the Ministry of Power.
• OIL is a Maharatna CPSU under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas(MoPNG).

Signatories:
The MoU was signed in New Delhi, Delhi, in the presence of Gurdeep Singh, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), NTPC; and Dr. Ranjit Rath, CMD, OIL; and their functional directors.
Key Points:
i.Under the MoU, both sides facilitate knowledge sharing and experience on upcoming decarbonisation technologies such as carbon sequestration.
ii.Through the MoU, they will expand their presence in the RE sector and explore sustainable solutions as part of their commitment to help India achieve its 2070 Net Zero emissions target
iii.NTPC is committed to achieve 60 GW (Giga Watt) of RE capacity by 2032.
About NTPC Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director(CMD)– Gurdeep Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment– 1975

Moody’s Raises India’s GDP Forecast to 6.7% for 2023Global rating agency Moody‘s in its Global Macro Outlook has raised India‘s growth forecast to 6.7% from 5.5% for 2023 calendar year amid strong economic growth in Q1FY24.

• The strong growth of the services sector and a surge in capital expenditures contributed to India’s impressive 7.8% GDP growth in the April to June,first quarter of the fiscal year 2023-24 (Q1FY24), which was lower than RBI’s projection of 8 % for the same period of Q1FY24.
• Moody’s recent growth forecast for India, predicting a 6.7% economic growth rate in 2023, stands slightly higher than the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) projection of 6.5% for the fiscal year 2023-24(FY24).

Outlook of 2024
Moody’s has adjusted its GDP forecast for the financial year 2023-24 due to the strong economic performance observed in the second quarter (Q2FY24). This outperformance has set a high baseline in 2023, leading to Moody’s revising the GDP growth projection downward from 6.5% to 6.1% for the financial year 2024.
Moody’s Rating

• Moody’s had maintained a stable outlook for India with “Baa3” rating. “Baa3” is toward the lower end of the investment-grade spectrum. It’s not the highest or best rating a country can achieve but is still considered relatively stable.
• The rating scale typically ranges from “Aaa” (the highest) to “C” (the lowest), with various grades in between. “Baa3” falls in the middle of this scale.

Key Points:
There is also a possibility of increase in the food commodity prices if the rainfall between June and October remains below normal.

• As per India Meteorological Department (IMD) estimates, there is 9% rain deficiency across India.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Dr.Shanta Thoutam Honoured with World Innovation Award at BRICS

Telangana’s 1st woman Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) Shanta Thoutam honoured the World Innovation Award at the first BRICS innovation forum held at Moscow, Russia. The cloud city concept was the core topic of the forum.

• The award is given for her contribution to the Sustainable Development Goal(SDG)-4 through a systematic effort to implement innovative solutions.

About the award:
i.The Award was established by the World Organisation for Development, an international Non-Governmental Organization(NGO) with special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC).
ii.The award is given to honors leaders from the developing countries who have made personal contributions for the achievement of sustainable development goals(SDG).
About SDG-4:
SDG4 : Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

• It is one among the set of 17 Global Goals to be achieved within 2030 by 193 member states of the United Nations.

In the Forum:
i.Shanta Thoutam highlighted Telangana government’s pioneering efforts and successes in open data, digital innovation, and urban development.
ii.She emphasised the Command Control Centre in Hyderabad(Telangana), which enhances citizen security by analyzing visual data from 100,000 CCTV cameras.
iii.There were representations from more than 30 countries at the forum.
Other Nominees:
i.Fernando Padula Novaes, who is the Municipal Minister of Education of São Paulo in Brazil.
ii.Saif Al-Hiddabi, who is the Undersecretary of Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation in Oman.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Govt Forms 8-member Committee on ‘One Nation One Election’ chaired by Former President Ram Nath Kovind
On September 1, 2023, the Union Government formed a committee under the leadership of former President of India Ram Nath Kovind to explore the possibility of “One Nation One Election” which aims to hold General (Lok Sabha) and State elections simultaneously.

• The information for the same was shared by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

Member of the committee includes

• Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs
• Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of the largest party (Congress) in Opposition (Lok Sabha)
• Ghulam Nabi Azad, Former Leader of the Opposition
• NK Singh, Former Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission
• Subhash C. Kashyap Former Secretary General, Lok Sabha
• Harish Salve, Senior Advocate
• Sanjay Kothari, Former Chief Vigilance Commissioner

Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State(MoS) independent Charge, Minister of Law and Justice will be a special invitee to the meeting of the committee.
Niten Chandra, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs will be the secretary of the committee.
Primary focus of the committee:
i.Review and recommend revisions to the Representation of the People Act, the Constitution of India, and other relevant laws and regulations required to facilitate simultaneous elections across the nation.
ii.It will assess whether state ratifications are necessary for the proposed Constitutional revisions and provide suitable recommendations.
iii.It will also examine and offer recommendations for addressing scenarios, like hung Houses, motions of no confidence, defections, and other similar situations, in the context of concurrent elections.
What is One Nation, One Election?
The Central Government is planning to introduce a bill on One Nation, One Election which envisages simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and all State Assemblies either on a single day or within a specific time frame.

• In India, the general elections for Members of Parliament (MPs) and State Assembly polls are held separately when the tenure of the incumbent government comes to an end or it gets dissolved for some reason.

This concept is not entirely new, as India previously held simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 1951-52, 1957, 1962, and 1967, though they were discontinued due to premature dissolutions.
Benefits:
i.Reduces electoral costs for both the Election Commission of India (ECI) and candidates.
ii.Eases the burden on administrative and security forces with fewer election duties.
iii.Ensures consistency and continuity in policies and programs between the Central government and states.
iv.Enables the government to focus on governance instead of constant election campaigning.
v.Potentially increases voter turnout due to the convenience of casting multiple ballots at once.

Indian-origin Tharman Shanmugaratnam elected as 9th President of SingaporeIndian-origin Singapore-born economist Tharman Shanmugaratnam (66 years) has been elected as the 9th President of Singapore after securing 70.4% (1,746,427 votes) of more than 2.48 million valid votes cast.

• He will succeed incumbent Halimah Yacob, Singapore’s first female President elected without a contest in 2017 whose term will conclude on September 13, 2023.

About the Election:
Singapore presidential polls 2023 is the first contested Presidential polls of Singapore since 2011.
The elections were non-partisan position of President under which each candidate for office is eligible based on his or her own merits rather than as a member of a political party.
Result:
Tharman Shanmugaratnam defeated Ng Kok Song, a former Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) Chief Investment Officer (CIO), who had 15.72% of votes (390,041), and Tan Kin Lian, NTUC Income Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who bagged 13.88% votes (344,292).
About Tharman Shanmugaratnam:
i.Tharman Shanmugaratnam joined politics in 2001 and has served in various public sector and r and ministerial positions with the People’s Action Party (PAP) for over 20 years.
ii.In 2007 he was appointed as Singapore’s Minister for Finance and following the 2011 general election, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister (PM) of Singapore, in addition to the Finance portfolio.

• He served as the Deputy PM of Singapore till 2019.

iii.He Chaired the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) from May 1, 2011, to July 7, 2023.
iv.He also Chaired the International Advisory Council (IAC) of the Economic Development Board (EDB) from 2014 to 2023.
v.He led the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), the policy advisory committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), from 2011 to 2014.
vi.In 2017, he served as the Chair of the G20 Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Global Financial Governance, and Chair of the Group of Thirty.
About Singapore:
Prime Minister– Lee Hsien Loong
Capital– Singapore
Currency– Singapore Dollar

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

CCI approves merger of TSAL into Air IndiaThe Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the Phase I merger of Vistara owned Tata SIA Airlines Limited (TSAL) into Air India Limited (AIL), with AIL emerging as the surviving entity (Merged Entity). AIL requested for the merger in April 2023.

• Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) will hold 25.1% shareholding in Air India with an investment of Rs 2,059 crore in the entity.
• TSAL is a joint venture between TSPL and SIA, with TSPL and SIA holding 51% and 49% of the total shareholding, respectively.

About the Merger:
i.The merger was announced in November 2022 and expected to be completed by March 2024.
ii.With this merger, Air India becomes India’s largest international carrier and second largest domestic carrier with a combined fleet of 218 aircraft, making it India’s largest international carrier and second largest domestic carrier.
iii.After the merger, market share of the Tata Group could be more than 50% in at least seven domestic markets.
Route for the new entity:
The entity will have 49% of the total flights on the New Delhi (Delhi)-Mumbai (Maharashtra) route and 52% of the total flight on New Delhi (Delhi) -Bengaluru(Karnataka) route.
Two more approval:
i.Approval for the acquisition of certain shareholdings in the AIL by SIA and Tata Sons Private Limited (TSPL).
ii.Approval for the acquisition of additional shares in the AIL by SIA pursuant to a preferential allotment.
iii.The CCI approved the proposed combination subject to compliance of voluntary commitments offered by the parties.
Additional Info:
With a review period of 30 days, CCI looks for any adverse effect of competition in the market due to this merger.

•  If it finds any adverse effect, CCI sends a show cause notice on further review which may take up to 210 working days.

About Tata SIA Airlines Limited(TSAL):
TSAL, a joint venture between Vistara is a joint venture of TSPL(51%) and SIA(49%), has gained prominence under the “Vistara” brand. It offers a range of services, including domestic and international scheduled air passenger transport, air cargo transport, and charter flight services.
About Air India Limited (AIL):
Air India Limited, comprising wholly-owned subsidiaries Air India Express Ltd. and AIX Connect Private Limited, is actively engaged in various aviation services, including domestic and international scheduled air passenger transport, air cargo transport, and charter flight services.    

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

INS Mahendragiri: 7th Nilgiri-Class Stealth Frigate under Project 17A launched at MDLNilgiri class stealth frigate Indian Navy Ship (INS) Mahendragiri was launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited(MDL), Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• INS Mahendragiri is the seventh and last stealth frigate of Project 17A of the Indian Navy(IN). This is also the 4th frigate constructed by MDl.
• The ship was launched by Dr. Sudesh Dhankhar, wife of  Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Key People:

• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar graced the ceremony as the Chief Guest.
• Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister(CM) Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis were present at the ceremony.

About INS Mahendragiri:
i.INS Mahendragiri is named after a mountain peak in Eastern Ghats located in Odisha.

• It has a length of 149 metre, a width of 17.8 metre, launch weight of 3450 tons and capable of reaching a top speed of 28 knots.
• The stealth frigate is designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house Warship Design Bureau and the keel of INS Mahendragiri was laid on 28 June 2022.

ii.The frigate is equipped with a CMS-17A combat management system to provide secure data links for uninterrupted interoperability among multiple navy surface and aerial assets.
iii.It is also armed with eight BrahMos supersonic anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles and 32 Barak-8 medium-range surface-to-air missiles.
About Project 17A:
i.Project 17 Alpha(P-17A) was sanctioned by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in 2015 at the cost of Rs.45,000 crore for seven ships.

• The fourships of project 17A are INS Nilgiri, INS Udaygiri, INS Taragiri, and INS Mahendragiri are constructed by MDL, while the remaining three, INS Himgiri, INS Dunagiri, and INS Vindhyagiri, by GRSE.

ii.Project 17A frigates are a follow-on to the Project 17 (Shivalik class) frigates, with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors, and platform management systems.
Note:
The second launch of P-17A took place within the short span of two weeks, Recently the  President Droupadi Murmu launched INS Vindhyagiri, the sixth ship of project 17A at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) in Kolkata, West Bengal in 17th August 2023.
About Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL):
Chairman & Managing Director(CMD)- Sanjeev Singhal
Established- 1934
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra

ISRO Successfully Launched Aditya-L1: India’s 1st Mission to the Sun On 2nd September 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) launched Aditya-L1(Lagrange Point 1), India’s 1st observatory-class space-based solar mission, launched by PSLV-C57 (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket from the Second Launch Pad (SLP), Satish Dhawan Space Centre – SDSC (formerly Sriharikota Range – SHAR) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh(AP).

• PSLV-C57 is the 59th flight of PSLV and the 25th mission using the PSLV-XL configuration.

About PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission:
Name significance: Aditya is the name of the Sun in Sanskrit language.
Objective:  The PSLV-C57/Aditya-L1 Mission’s objective is to study the Sun, the nearest star and the largest object in the solar system, over the next 5 years.
Mission Director: Nigar Shaji, an ISRO woman scientist from Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu is the Mission Director of the Aditya-L1 mission.
Payloads: The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle detectors.
About the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
Chairman– S. Somanath
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Establishment– 1969
>> Read Full News

SPORTS

Zurich Diamond League 2023: World champion Neeraj Chopra finishes 2nd in Men’s Javelin Throw Event
Olympic and World champion Neeraj Chopra, an Indian track and field athlete, finished 2nd in the men’s javelin throw event at the Zurich Diamond League 2023, which took place from August 30-31, 2023 at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland.

• Neeraj Chopra finished 2nd with the best of  85.71 meter.
• Jakub Vadlejch (85.86m) of the Czech Republic finished 1st and won gold, and Germany’s Julian Weber (84.92m) finished 3rd.
• Neeraj Chopra currently has 23 Diamond League 2023 points and is in the 2nd spot, he will next participate in the Diamond League 2023 season finals at Eugene (United States of America – USA),  on September 16 and 17 2023.
• Murali Sreeshankar, an Indian athlete finished 5th place in the Men’s Long Jump event at the Zurich Diamond League 2023 and he is set to make his debut in the Diamond League finals in Eugene, the USA.

Note:

• Neeraj Chopra’s best throw is 89.94m, an Indian national Javelin record at the Stockholm Diamond League 2022 in Sweden.
• Neeraj Chopra, who became the first-ever Indian athlete to win a gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary

OBITUARY

Former Netherlands Goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed, Runner-Up In Two FIFA World Cup Finals Passed Away
Former Netherlands goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed who played in 2 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup finals for the Netherlands passed away. He was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1940.

• He was a part of the Netherlands team, popularly known as “Clockwork Organe” which finished as runner-up in the 1974 World Cup (against West Germany) and 1978 World Cup (against Argentina).
• He retired at the age of 44 after 717 matches. His final appearance made him the oldest player ever to feature in a Dutch professional match.
• He holds the record of 683 minutes (Between October 1977 and June 1978) in international matches without conceding a goal.
• During his professional career, He played with Amsterdam club DWS (now known as FC Amsterdam).

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Coconut Day 2023- September 2World Coconut Day is annually celebrated across the globe on 2nd September to promote the importance of coconuts and their contributions to various aspects of life, including the economy, agriculture, and health.

• The day also aims to raise awareness about the uses and benefits of coconut cultivation and consumption.

The theme of World Coconut Day 2023 is “Sustaining Coconut Sector for the Present and Future Generation.”

• The day is also observed to commemorate the Foundation Day of the International Coconut Community (ICC), formerly known as the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), founded on 2nd September 1969.

Background:
i.World Coconut Day was first celebrated by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) on September 2, 2009.
ii.The date of September 2 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the establishment of the APCC in 1969.

• APCC is an intergovernmental organisation functioning under the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP).

iii.Since then, every year under the APCC by the authority of UN-ESCAP, this day has been organised to highlight their policies and mark the course of action for promoting this tropical fruit and bringing awareness regarding its health benefits.
About International Coconut community (ICC):
Executive Director– Dr Jelfina C. Alouw
Headquarters– Jakarta, Indonesia
Established in– 1969
About Coconut Development Board (CDB):
It is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Chairman– Rajbir Singh Panwar
Headquarters– Kochi, Kerala
Established on– 12th January 1981
>> Read Full News

Ministry of Education to Organise Literacy Week from 1st to 8th September 2023 under ULLASMinistry of Education, Government of India (GoI) is set to launch a week-long literacy campaign from September 1st to September 8th, 2023, in celebration of International Literacy Day on 8th September 2023.

• This campaign aims to raise awareness about Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS)-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram among all the stakeholders/ beneficiaries/ citizens.

Purpose of the Campaign:
i.This literacy campaign initiative aimed at fostering a sense of Kartavyabodh (duty-consciousness) and Janbhagidari (citizen participation) among the nation’s citizens.
ii.This comprehensive effort seeks to popularise literacy and bring India closer to the goal of achieving universal education.
Other Objectives:
i.The main objective will be to increase the number of learners and volunteer registrations on the ULLAS mobile app.
ii.ULLAS is targeting:

• Students of Govt./aided schools, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliated Schools, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), Teacher Training Institutions under National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), etc, and Retired Employees, Members of Schools Management Committees, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Neo-literates, Non-literates, etc. and citizen of India.

ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram:
i.The GoI has approved a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakramme for the period FYs 2022-2027 to cover all the aspects of Education For All (erstwhile termed as Adult Education) to align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Budget Announcements FY 2021-22.
ii.The objectives of the scheme are to impart not only Foundational literacy and numeracy but also to cover other components that are necessary for a citizen such as:

• Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Critical Life Skills, Basic Education, Vocational Skills, and Continuing Education.

iii.On 29th July 2023, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education launched the logo, slogan/tagline-“Jan Jan Sakshar” and popular name- ULLAS of Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram in Delhi during the 3rd anniversary celebration of NEP 2020.

STATE NEWS

Union Minister Scindia Inaugurates Utkela Airport & Bhubaneswar-Utkela Direct Flight Service in Odisha
Union Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Ministry of Civil Aviation(MoCA) along with Gen. Vijay Kumar Singh (Rtd.) Minister of State (MoS) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation virtually inaugurated Utkela Airport in the Kalahandi district of Odisha and a direct flight between Utkela and Bhubaneswar of Odisha.

• Utkela Airport, owned by the Government of Odisha, is developed under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) of the MoCA, this regional airport comes at a cost of Rs. 31.07 Crores.
• With the operation of Utkela Airport from 31st August 2023, Odisha will now have 5 airports in total after Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda, Jeypore and Rourkela. The Utkela airport has a runway that spans 917 meters (2,995 feet) in length and 30 meters in width.
• The IndiaOne airline will connect Utkela to Bhubaneswar with 2X weekly flights on Tuesday and Thursday and IndiaOne aircraft will be utilising 9-seater Cessna C-208 aircraft sanctioned under the UDAN scheme.

Note: RCS-UDAN is the flagship program of MoCA started in October 2016. In April 2017. The first flight from Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) to Delhi under the UDAN scheme was flagged off by Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi.

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