Noted women’s right activist and author Kamla Bhasin passes away
Women’s rights activist and noted author, Kamla Bhasin, has passed away battling cancer. She started working on developmental issues in the 1970s and her work focused on gender, education, human development and the media. The noted poet and author has authored several books, especially on gender theory and feminism, many of which have been translated into more than 30 languages.
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
The United Nations observes 26 September every year as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. The aim of the day is to enhance public awareness about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons and the necessity for their total elimination. It provides an opportunity to educate the public and their leaders about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, and the social and economic costs of perpetuating them.
History of the day:
The General Assembly declared the International Day in December 2013, in its resolution 68/32 as a follow-up to the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament held on 26 September 2013, in New York. This was the latest in a series of efforts by the General Assembly to raise public awareness and to seek deeper engagement on nuclear disarmament matters.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Headquarters of United Nations: New York, USA; Founded: 24 October 1945.
- Secretary-General of the United Nations: Antonio Guterres.
Lewis Hamilton wins the Russian Grand Prix 2021
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain), has won the F1 Russian Grand Prix 2021. This is his 100th Grand Prix win. It was Hamilton’s fifth win of the season and his first since the British Grand Prix in July. Max Verstappen (Red Bull–Netherlands) came second while Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari-Spain) came third in the Russian Grand Prix 2021.
World Environmental Health Day: 26 September
The International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) declared to observe World Environmental Health Day on 26 September every year. This day is celebrated to shed the light on important work of environmental health around the world. The day is important in the current situation as most parts of the world continue to recover from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic situation. In such times, the importance of the Environmental Health workforce has been highlighted more than ever before.
The theme for the 2021 World Environmental Health Day: Prioritizing Environmental Health for healthier communities in the global recovery.
History of the day:
In 2011, the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) declared to observe World Environmental Health Day on 26 September. The day was started by the Federation during a meeting in Indonesia on this day in 2011.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- The International Federation of Environmental Health was established in 1986 and is based in London, England.
PM Modi addresses 76th UNGA in New York
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has addressed the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in New York. He is the first world leader scheduled to address the UN General Assembly at 6.30 PM IST. Prior to this, PM Modi had addressed UN General Assembly in 2019.
The theme of the 2021 UN General Assembly session was ‘building resilience through hope – to recover from Covid-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations.
During the address
- PM spoke on various global issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to combat terrorism focusing on Afghanistan and Extremism, and the need to strengthen the United Nations.
- Over 109 heads of state and government addressed the UN General Assembly while around 60 addressed the debate through pre-recorded video statements at the event.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked Chanakya, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, and Rabindranath Tagore in his address.
World Rivers Day 2021: 26 September
World Rivers Day is celebrated every year on the “Fourth Sunday of September” since 2005, to raise global awareness of the need to support, protect and preserve the rivers around the world. In 2021, World Rivers Day is being celebrated on 26 September. The theme for World Rivers Day 2021 is “Waterways in our communities” with a specific emphasis on the need to conserve and repair urban waterways, which are frequently under stress.
History of the day:
Mark Angelo, a well-known river environmentalist, addressed the United Nations in 2005 during its Water for Life campaign, a decade-long effort to raise awareness about vulnerable water supplies throughout the world. Angelo called for an annual World Rivers Day to help the cause gain traction.
Significance:
According to Mark Angelo, the founder and Chair of World Rivers Day, the significance of clean freshwater has been critical in the tussle against COVID-19. World Rivers Day is a timeous opportunity for millions and millions of people across the globe to come together and commemorate the importance of healthy thriving waterways.
75 Divyangjan felicitated with Hunarbaaz Awards
The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad under the auspices of the Ministry of Rural Development presented Hunarbaaz Awards to 75 differently-abled candidates from 15 states. The award ceremony was organised to commemorate Antyodaya Diwas that marks the birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and also as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
About the awards:
The awards have been designed for those candidates who were trained through Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI) schemes of the Ministry in various trades, then got placed and worked in the organizations for more than one year or were successfully settled in the trade of their choice as self-employed.
Supreme Court introduces FASTER system
Supreme Court of India has approved an electronic system named FASTER (Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records). The FASTER system will be used for transferring e-authenticated copies from courts to prisons. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, Justice Nageswara Rao and Justice Surya Kant has instructed state governments, Union territories, prison departments and other authorities concerned to make arrangements at prisons to accept e-authenticated copies.
Under the FASTER system, courts can send e-authenticated copies of bail orders, stay orders, interim orders and proceedings through secured electronic communication to duty officers at prisons. The apex court was hearing a suo motu case which it took up in July this year after a news report indicated that inmates at a prison in Agra continued to be lodged in jail three days after they had been granted bail.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- 48th Chief Justice of India (CJI): Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana;
- Supreme Court of India Established: 26 January 1950.
Amit Shah addresses first ‘National Cooperative Conference’
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah has inaugurated and addressed the first-ever National Cooperative Conference (Sehkarita Sammelan) at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. The minister outlined the government’s vision and roadmap for the development of the Cooperative sector.
About the conference:
- This conference was India’s first such cooperative conference, to provide a platform for accelerating and strengthening Indian cooperatives on the global stage.
- The conference was organised jointly by the IFFCO, National Cooperative Federation of India, Amul, Sahakar Bharti, NAFED, KRIBHCO and all cooperatives together.
- Over 2,100 representatives from different states and various cooperative sectors across the country participated in the conference to contribute towards realizing the dream of a self-reliant India.
RBI allows lenders to sell fraud loans to ARC
The Reserve Bank of India has allowed lenders/banks to transfer of loans that have been classified as fraud by these lenders to Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs). Stressed loans including fraud loans that are in default for more than 60 days or classified as NPA are permitted to be transferred to ARCs. This comes in the wake of banks reporting frauds aggregating Rs 3.95-lakh crore between FY19 and FY21.
New guidelines:
- Under the new guidelines, loans can be transferred only after a minimum holding period (MHP) of three months in case of loans with tenor up to 2 years, and six months for those with the tenor of more than 2 years.
- In case of loans where the security does not exist or cannot be registered, the MHP shall be calculated from the date of the first repayment of the loan.
Here are figures for loans declared as fraud by banks for various financial years:
- For 2020-21 (FY21): loans worth Rs 1.37 trillion were declared as fraud
- For 2019-20 (FY20): loans worth Rs 1.81 trillion were declared as fraud
- For 2018-19 (FY19): loans worth Rs 64,539 crore were declared as fraud
RBI fixes minimum ticket size to issue securitisation notes
The Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines regarding the Securitisation of Standard Assets. As per the guidelines, the minimum ticket size for the issuance of securitization notes will be Rs. 1 crore. Securitisation involves transactions where credit risk in assets are redistributed by repackaging them into tradeable securities with different risk profiles which may give investors of various classes access to exposures which they otherwise might be unable to access directly. It means securities issued by the special purpose entity as a part of a securitization.
About Minimum Retention Requirement (MRR)
- For underlying loans with an original maturity of 24 months or less, the MRR shall be 5% of the book value of the loans being securitised.
- For underlying loans with an original maturity of more than 24 months as well as loans with bullet repayments, the MRR shall be 10% of the book value of the loans being securitised.
- In the case of residential mortgage-backed securities, the MRR for the originator shall be 5% of the book value of the loans being securitised, irrespective of the original maturity.
Naga Cucumber from Nagaland gets geographical identification tag
Nagaland’s “sweet cucumber” was awarded a geographical identification (GI) tag as an agricultural product under provisions of The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. The cucumber is one of the most important crops in the Northeast region. Nagaland has the fifth-highest cultivation of this fruit area-wise and ranks third in production.
About the Naga cucumber:
Naga cucumber is recognised for its sweetness and unique green colour. It is rich in potassium and has low calories. The cucumber is not the first product from the small state to receive a vaunted GI tag. Both the regional variants of tree tomato (tamarillo) and the famed Naga king chilli are also GI tagged.
About the GI tag:
- The GI tag is an important sign used on products with a specific geographical origin and reputation and denotes the authenticity of not only the product but the method in which it was produced.
- The GI tag is meant to protect the truly unique traditions of communities from being appropriated by large industries, and thus allow these regions economic prosperity by manufacturing, producing, and marketing their traditional knowledge.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio; Governor of Nagaland: Jagdish Mukhi.
Debabrata Mukherjee elected chief of Audit Bureau of Circulations
The chief marketing officer of United Breweries, Debabrata Mukherjee, was unanimously elected chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for 2021-2022. Mukherjee, who has over 27 years of experience, was responsible for managing brands such as Kingfisher, Heineken and Amstel. A publisher member on the council, Pratap G. Pawar of Sakal Papers, was unanimously elected deputy chairman for the year.
About Audit Bureau of Circulations:
ABC is a non-profit circulation-auditing organisation. It certifies and audits the circulations of major publications, including newspapers and magazines in India.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Audit Bureau of Circulations Founded: 1948;
- Audit Bureau of Circulations Headquarters: Mumbai.
Asiamoney 2021 Poll: HDFC Bank most outstanding company in India
According to Asiamoney 2021 Poll, HDFC Bank has received the most votes among listed companies in India, leading to the bank being awarded the ‘Overall Most Outstanding Company in India. This is in addition to the bank being voted ‘Most Outstanding Company in India – Banking Sector,’ for the 4th consecutive year, since the inception of the poll in 2018. The poll aims to identify and recognise publicly listed companies by country and sector.
About Asia’s Outstanding Companies Poll:
- The poll, known as Asia’s Outstanding Companies Poll, is designed to acknowledge listed companies that have excelled in areas such as financial performance, management team excellence, investor relations, and CSR initiatives.
- Further, the poll aims to identify and recognise publicly listed companies in 2 categories: by country and by sector, in which it operates.
- Over 1,070 fund managers, analysts, bankers, and rating agencies took part in the voting which concluded on July 16, 2021.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra;
- MD and CEO of HDFC Bank: Sashidhar Jagdishan;
- The tagline of HDFC Bank: We understand your world.
