Daily Current Affairs 3 September 2021 – Gkseries

Current Affairs is the most important area in all competitive exams. But the difficulty level is very high. That’s why; many aspirants get confused, how to select Current Affairs for Preparation of Competitive Examination? In this Post, Daily Current Affairs 3 September 2021, we have tried to cover each and every point and also included all important facts from National/ International news that are useful for upcoming competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Railway, State Govt. etc.

Daily Current Affairs 3 September 2021

Indian Army contingent to participate in Exercise ZAPAD 2021

The Indian Army contingent will participate in the multi-nation military exercise, ‘ZAPAD 2021’, at Nizhny in Russia from Friday. The 14-day-long activity is aimed at enhancing military and strategic ties amongst the participating nations. ZAPAD 2021 is one of the theatre level exercises of the Russian Armed Forces and will focus primarily on operations against terrorists. Over a dozen countries from the Eurasian and South Asian Regions will participate in this signature event..

About the exercise:

• The exercise aims to enhance military and strategic ties amongst the participating nations while they plan and execute this exercise.
• The Indian contingent has been put through a strenuous training schedule that encompasses all facets of conventional operations including mechanised, airborne and heliborne, counter-terrorism, combat conditioning and firing.
• In all, 17 countries are participating in ZAPAD including Mongolia, Armenia,Serbia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Belarus.
• Pakistan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka are observers at the exercises.

Ladakh announces snow leopard as state animal, black-necked crane as state bird

The Union Territory Government of Ladakh on September 02 has announced snow leopard as its state animal and black-necked crane as state bird. Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal said, “Ladakh Union Territory administration has announced snow leopard as its state animal and black-necked crane as its state bird. Black-necked crane is found in eastern Ladakh’s high-altitude wetlands and marshes.”

The decision was taken keeping in view bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh into separate administrative divisions in 2019. In the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the black-necked crane and Kashmir stag (Hangul) were the state bird and animal respectively.

US policy focus shift to Southeast Asia

After the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan, US foreign policy is under serious criticism from policy experts across the globe. Following the US exit from Afghanistan, governments in Southeast Asia are watching if their region will now have priority as Washington refocuses its foreign policy goals.

The calamity of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan over the past two weeks has drawn scathing rebukes of US foreign policy, while raising serious questions over how the US intends to project power in the future.

Details

• US has been shoring up support by making alliances with like-minded countries to take on China. Vice President Kamala Harris has taken out diplomatic trips.
• During her visit to Vietnam and Singapore, Harris reiterated support of the Biden administration towards Southeast Asia.

The debacle

• Even as the Vice President has made efforts to retain allies, South Asian countries were forced to evacuate their citizens hurriedly after premature withdrawal by US.
• Many countries have expressed fear that the rise in terrorism in Afghanistan will adversely affect the peace in their countries.

Importance of Southeast Asia

• Southeast Asian economies are growing at a remarkable rate. Their importance is being realized due to assertive China.
• US has close security and economic ties with countries like Thailand and Philippines. Relationship with Singapore and Vietnam has also recorded growth.
• US has stood by Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam during the South China Sea disputes with China.

Nature of relationship

• US ties with Southeast Asian countries have been security and economic with already stable states.
• In Afghanistan the role was focused on peace, security and eradication of terrorism with ultimate focus on nation building.

Change in stance

• Since the coming of power, Biden has made efforts to focus his attention to Indo-pacific by avoiding central Asia and middle-east.
• The US would not completely abandon its focus from Asia. It will likely increase its presence in Southeast Asia to counter China’s growth.

China’s new maritime law China’s new maritime law

China’s new maritime rules designed to control the entry of foreign vessels in what Beijing calls “Chinese territorial waters” take effect.

Background

China considers South China Sea and the surrounding regions as Chinese territorial waters and wants to regulate foreign presence.

Details

• The rules will have implications on military as well as commercial traffic in South China Sea, East China Sea as well as Strait of Taiwan.
• The region is already tensed due to China’s expansionism and the new rules will further enhance existing tension with the US and its neighbors.
• Foreign vessels will need to adhere to Chinese supervision when moving through these areas after the law comes into effect.
• Vessels carrying radioactive materials, oil, chemicals, petroleum gas and other hazardous materials will have to report immediately after entering Chinese territorial waters.
• The name of goods carried by ship and also the total weight has to be reported. In addition, the ships’ name, next port of call, call sign and estimated time will also have to be reported.

Why is this important

• South China Sea: The South China Sea, which lies between China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, is of great economic importance globally.
• Shipping: Nearly one-third of the world’s shipping passes through its lanes, and the waters house numerous important fisheries.

Controversy

• China claims the whole South China Sea as its territory under the nine-dash line map. The neighbors and US do not agree to this position.
• US has been sending its military vessels including Aircraft carriers to these waters to contest Chinese hegemony.

International position

• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) governs international maritime activities. India, China and many countries are signatories. US is not.
• The law says that states have the right to implement territorial rights up to 12 nautical miles into the sea. 

Senior Journalist and former Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra passes away

ormer Rajya Sabha MP and senior journalist Chandan Mitra passed away on Wednesday night in Delhi, said his son Kushan Mitra. Mitra was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha from August 2003 to 2009.

In June 2010, Mitra was elected to another term in the Rajya Sabha by BJP from Madhya Pradesh. His term ended in 2016. In July 2018, he resigned from the BJP and joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Alejandro Prieto wins Bird Photographer of the Year 2021

The overall Bird Photographer of the Year was awarded to Alejandro Prieto for his image of a greater roadrunner at the USA-Mexico border wall. “Prieto’s image immediately caught the attention of the judges.

Mexican photographer Alejandro Prieto has emerged as the winner of the Bird Photographer of the Year (BPOTY) 2021. He has won for capturing a photograph of a greater roadrunner staring up at the barbed-wire-clad border wall between the USA and Mexico, with what almost looks like a sense of bewilderment.

The image has been given the title as ‘Blocked’. The Bird Photographer of the Year comes with a cash prize of £5,000. He was chosen from among 22,000 entries from 73 countries.

PM Modi unevils special Rs 125 coin on ISKCON founder’s 125th birth anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday released a special commemorative coin of Rs 125 to mark the 125th birth anniversary of ISKCON founder Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada via video conferencing. In July 1966, Prabhupada founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) commonly known as the ‘Hare Krishna movement’. The spiritual leader was born as Abhay Charan De on September 1, 1896, in Calcutta and later came to be known by the honorific A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Assam cabinet decides to remove Rajiv Gandhi’s name from Orang national park

The Assam Cabinet on Wednesday decided to rename Rajiv Gandhi National Park, also a Tiger reserve, as Orang National Park.

Taking cognisance of the Adivasi and tea tribe community’s demands, the Cabinet has decided to rename Rajiv Gandhi National Park as Orang National Park, government spokesperson and Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika said at a media briefing after the meeting.

Located on the North Bank of Brahmaputra, Orang National Park spread over 78.80 sq km is the oldest forest reserve in the state. It was named a wildlife sanctuary in 1985 and declared a national park in 1999.

GST revenue collection data

The Goods and Service Tax collections for the month of August clocked more than 1 lakh crore but were lower than the collections of July.

Background

GST is an indirect tax in which business and service collect taxes from people and transfer it to the government.

Details

• The second continuous collection exceeding 1 lakh crore indicates the growth of economic activities after a series of pandemic induced lockdown.
• The GST collections for the month of August was Rs 1, 12,020 crore. During the same month last year, the collections stood at Rs 86,449 crore. This year it recorded a growth of 29.6 per cent.
• The breakdown of numbers show that Rs 20,522 crore was CGST, 26,605 crore was SGST, Rs 56,247 crore was IGST and cess is Rs 8,646 crore.

Indications

• The increase in e-way bills was an indication of pickup in economic activity. They are compulsory for inter-state transportation of goods valued over Rs 50,000.
• The e-way bill for August stood at 6.33 crore. The amount for July was 6.41 crore. The daily average has witnessed a growth of 2% to clock 21.1 lakh.

J&K LG Manoj Sinha inaugurates ‘Saath’ initiative for women

In Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has launched a Rural Enterprises Acceleration Programme titled ‘Saath’ for Self Help Group (SHG) women. The programme aims to transform the lives of women and make them independent and strong in social and financial aspects, by mentoring the women associated with SHGs and create market linkages of products created by these women.

The Lieutenant-Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Manoj Sinha on September 1, 2021, launched Rural Enterprises Acceleration Programme titled ‘Saath’ for Self-Help Group women.

LG Manoj Sinha while talking about the initiative and the expansion of SHGs in Jammu & Kashmir said that there are 48,000 SHGs in the region and 4 lakh women are connected to these SHGs.

Jammu and Kashmir already has 48000 SHGs, with around four lakh women connected to these SHGs. The J&K administration further aims to create 11000 more SHGs in the coming year. This will transform the lives of these women and make them independent and strong in social and financial aspects.

RBI to setup committee on NUE licenses

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will set up a committee to scrutinize applications and give recommendations on New Umbrella Entity (NUE) licenses. The 5 member committee will be headed by Shri. P. Vasudevan. The committee will be responsible for looking into several aspects of NUE, from the macroeconomic impact of such a step to the security risks. The committee’s recommendations will be taken into consideration before doling out the licenses.

The  (RBI) will set up a committee to scrutinize applications and give recommendations on new umbrella entity licenses, people aware of the development said. The five-member committee will be headed by RBI chief general manager P Vasudevan, they said.

NUEs will establish their own payment infrastructure to compete with the National Payments Corp. of India (NPCI). The government hopes to build a settlement system similar to the unified payments interface (UPI) with the NUEs. The system will be focused on small and medium enterprises, merchants and consumers. The RBI had in August 2020 issued guidelines for creating “for-profit NUEs”.

Tokyo Paralympics: Praveen Kumar wins silver in men’s high jump

Praveen Kumar bagged the silver medal in the men’s high jump T64 category with a jump of 2.07m on Friday at the Tokyo Paralympics. World No. 3 Kumar’s effort took India’s medal tally to 11 in the ongoing Paralympics. Doing so, the 18-year-old set the new Asian record.

Praveen Kumar became India’s fourth medallist in men’s high jump and 11th medallist overall at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 as he won silver with an Asian record jump of 2.07m. Praveen cleared the Asian record with a 2.07m jump, finishing behind Great Britain’s Jonathan Broom-Edwards, who managed the best jump of 2.10m on a rain-soaked track at the Olympic Stadium.

Praveen is India’s fourth medallist in men’s high jump at Tokyo Games after Nishad Kumar, Mariyappan Thangavelu, and Sharad Kumar.

Tokyo Paralympics: Avani Lekhara becomes first Indian woman to win two medals

Avani Lekhara won the bronze medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 event with a score of 445.9 to become the first Indian woman to win two medals at the Paralympics. Avani Lekhara had also won gold in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event.

Indian teen shooter Avani Lekhara held her nerve to win her second medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, a bronze in women’s 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 in a thrilling finale on Friday.

She is the first Indian woman to win two Paralympic medals. She had earlier become the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold winning the women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1.

India’s medal tally now stands at 12 at these Paralympics. It has now won two golds, six silvers and four bronze medals. This is India’s best tally at a single edition of the Para Games. It had won four medals at Rio 2016 and four at the 1984 Paralympics.

Pankaj Kumar Singh appointed new BSF DG, Sanjay Arora to head ITBP

Pankaj Kumar Singh, a 1988-batch IPS officer, on Tuesday took over as the new director general (DG) of the Border Security Force while his batch-mate Sanjay Arora assumed charge of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Singh, from the Rajasthan cadre of the IPS, has been serving as the special DG of the country’s largest border guarding force that mans over 6,300 km of Indian boundary with Pakistan and Bangladesh and has about 2.65 lakh personnel.

Apart from this, Sanjay Arora, a 1988-batch IPS officers from Tamil Nadu cadre, has taken over as the new DG of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued the order for appointment of Singh as the new BSF DG on August 25

New Development Bank approves UAE, Bangladesh and Uruguay as a new member

The Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB) has approved the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Bangladesh as its new member countries. In 2020, the NDB Board of Governors initiated the negotiation to expand its membership. As a result UAE, Uruguay and Bangladesh have been admitted as the first new member countries of the NDB.

The New Development Bank (NDB) established by the BRICS ((Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries in 2015 has approved Bangladesh as its new member. The bank supports public or private projects through loans, guarantees, equity participation and other financial instruments.

Powergrid Wins the Prestigious global ATD Best Award

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna CPSU under Ministry of Power, Government of India has been awarded the coveted “Association for Talent Development (ATD) 2021 BEST Award”. POWERGRID securing 8th rank among the 71 organizations from around the globe, thus becoming the only PSU to win this award and one of the only two companies of India in the Top 20.

The Association for Talent Development (ATD, formerly ASTD) is the world’s largest association dedicated to those who develop talent in organizations and ATD’s BEST Award is the talent development industry’s most rigorous and coveted recognition.

POWERGRID has won this International recognition for its diligent efforts in talent development practices and programmes. The talent development initiative in POWERGRID is driven by POWERGRID Academy of Leadership (PAL).

PAL is POWERGRID’s state-of-the-art Institute of Learning in Management and Technology catering to both domestic and international clients. At PAL, trainings and initiatives are organized for enhancing employee performance, boosting employee productivity, improving and strengthening company culture.

RBI imposes Rs 25 lakh fine on Axis Bank for flouting KYC norms

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 25 lakh on private lender Axis Bank for non-compliance. The penalty was announced by the central bank on September 1.

RBI had carried out scrutiny during February 2020 and March 2020 in a customer account maintained with the bank, where it was observed that the bank failed to comply with the KYC norms. As a result, the banking regulator issued the notice that Axis Bank did not comply with RBI – KYC Direction, 2016.The RBI said the fine was imposed for non-compliance with certain provisions of directions issue by it in Reserve Bank of India — KYC Direction, 2016.

Women and Child Development Minister inaugurates NUTRI GARDEN

The Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated NUTRI GARDEN to mark the beginning of Poshan Maah – 2021 at All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA). Plantation of Shigru (Sahijan) and Amla saplings were also carried out. AIIA, New Delhi under the direction of the Ministry of Ayush initiated the celebration of Poshan Maah – 2021.

Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State for Ayush and WCD was also present on this occasion. Plantation of Shigru (Sahijan) and Amla, saplings were also carried out by the both Ministers. All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi (AIIA) under the direction of the Ministry of Ayush initiated the celebration of Poshan Maah – 2021.

About Nutri Gardens

• Nutri kitchen garden/Nutri garden is a method of planting and harvesting nutrient-rich crops in residential houses or in their vicinity to meet the requirements of the family all year round.
• In urban areas, Nutri kitchen gardening can be promoted in the form of rooftop gardening, terrace gardening, vertical gardening and container gardening.
• In rural areas, Nutri kitchen gardens can be promoted in the backyard of the houses.

benefits of Nutri Garden?

It increases the availability of food and nutrient sources. It can act as a source of supplementary income. The crops harvested are Fresh and Safe (chemical-free).