16 SEPTEMBER 2021 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS | UPSC CDS CAPF AFCAT NDA SSB

1. EXERCISE PEACEFUL MISSION

Joint Counter Terrorism Exercise PEACEFUL MISSION is a Multilateral Exercise, which is conducted biennially as part of military diplomacy between Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states.

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The 6th edition of Exercise PEACEFUL MISSION is being hosted by Russia in the Orenburg Region of South West Russia from 13 to 25 September 2021.
The aim of the exercise is to foster close relations between SCO member states and to enhance abilities of the military leaders to command multi-national military contingents.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai on 15 June 2001.
The SCO currently comprises eight Member States (China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and four Observer States interested in acceding to full membership (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia).

Source : PIB

2. ENGINEER’S DAY

To celebrate the birth anniversary of the great engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, India celebrates Engineer’s Day on 15 Sept.

About:

Visvesvaraya (1861 – 1962) was an Indian engineer, scholar, statesman.
He was the chief engineer responsible for the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara dam in Mandya district. He was also the chief designer of the flood protection system for the city of Hyderabad.
He also served as the Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918. It was during his period as Dewan that the Mysore Soap Factory (which makes the iconic Mysore sandal soap), the Bangalore Agricultural University, the Bank of Mysore and the Bangalore Press were set up.
He penned his autobiography, Memoirs of my Working Life, in 1951.
“Industrialise or Perish” was Visvesvaraya’s mantra.
In 1915, He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the British Indian Empire (KCIE) by King George V for his contributions to the public good.
He received Bharat Ratna, in 1955.
He is held in high regard as a pre-eminent engineer of India. 15 September is celebrated as Engineer's Day in India in his memory.

Source : Indian Express

3. KUSHINAGAR AIRPORT

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has declared Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh as a Customs notified airport.

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This would also facilitate international passenger movements including that of Buddhist pilgrims.
Kushinagar is a town in the Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh.
It is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana after his death.

Source : PIB

4. PLI SCHEME FOR AUTO INDUSTRY

Union Cabinet has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile Industry.

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The PLI scheme for the auto sector will incentivize high value Advanced Automotive Technology vehicles and products. The incentive structure will encourage industry to make fresh investments for indigenous global supply chain of Advanced Automotive Technology products.
It is estimated that over a period of five years, the PLI Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components Industry will lead to fresh investment of over ₹42,500 crore, incremental production of over ₹2.3 lakh crore and will create additional employment opportunities of over 7.5 lakh jobs.
The PLI Scheme for auto sector is open to existing automotive companies as well as new investors who are currently not in automobile or auto component manufacturing business.
- The Champion OEM Incentive scheme is a ‘sales value linked’ scheme, applicable on Battery Electric Vehicles and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles of all segments.
- The Component Champion Incentive scheme is a ‘sales value linked’ scheme, applicable on Advanced Automotive Technology components of vehicles, Completely Knocked Down (CKD)/ Semi Knocked Down (SKD) kits, Vehicle aggregates of 2-Wheelers, 3-Wheelers, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and tractors etc.
  The scheme has two components viz Champion OEM Incentive Scheme and Component Champion Incentive Scheme.

Source : The Hindu

5. PLI SCHEME FOR DRONE INDUSTRY

Union Cabinet has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Drone Industry.

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The PLI Scheme for the Drones and Drone components industry addresses the strategic, tactical and operational uses of this revolutionary technology.
The total amount allocated for the PLI scheme for drones and drone components is INR 120 crore spread over three financial years.
The incentive for a manufacturer of drones and drone components shall be as high as 20% of the value addition made by her.
The Government, has agreed to keep the PLI rate constant at 20% for all three years, an exceptional treatment given only to the drone industry. In PLI schemes for other sectors, the PLI rate reduces every year.
The Government has agreed to widen the coverage of the incentive scheme to include developers of drone-related IT products also.The PLI for Drones and Drone components industry, will over a period of three years, lead to investments worth ₹ 5,000 Crore, increase in eligible sales of ₹ 1500 crore and create additional employment of about 10,000 jobs.

Source : The Hindu

6. STROPHODUS JAISALMERENSIS

In a rare discovery, teeth of new species of hybodontshark of Jurassic age have been reported for the first time from Jaisalmer by a team of officers from the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Western Region, Jaipur.

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Hybodont sharks have been reported for the first time from the Jurassic rocks (approximately, between 160 and 168 million-years-old) of the Jaisalmer region of Rajasthan.
Hybodonts, an extinct group of sharks, was a dominant group of fishes in both marine and fluvial environments during the Triassic and early Jurassic time.
However, hybodont sharks started to decline in marine environments from the Middle Jurassic onwards until they formed a relatively minor component of open-marine shark assemblages.
Hybodonts finally became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous time 65 million years ago.
Significantly, the newly discovered crushing teeth from Jaisalmer represent a new species named by the research team as Strophodus jaisalmerensis.
The genus Strophodus has been identified for the first time from the Indian subcontinent and is only the third such record from Asia, the other two being from Japan and Thailand.
The new species has recently been included in the Shark references.com, an international platform operating in association with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Species Survival Commission (SSC), and Germany.

Source : LiveMint

7. REFORMS IN THE TELECOM SECTOR

The Union Cabinet approved a number of structural and process reforms in the Telecom sector.

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The cabinet approved 9 structural reforms and 5 process reforms for the telecom sector.
Adjusted gross revenue (AGR) definition has been rationalised to exclude non-telecom revenues prospectively and 4-year moratorium on telecom dues was approved as well.
For all the telecom service providers (TSPs), cabinet approved moratorium/deferment of upto 4 years in annual payments of dues arising out of the AGR judgement, by protecting the Net Present Value (NPV) of the due amounts being protected.
To encourage investment, 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) under automatic route is permitted in telecom sector.
Spectrum user charges have been rationalised. There will be now an annual compounding of rates. Spectrum can now be surrendered, spectrum can also be shared.
In future auctions, tenure of spectrum will be increased to 30 years from 20 currently.
The KYC process for shifting to postpaid from prepaid has ben done away with.

Source : Business Standard

8. STROPHODUS JAISALMERENSIS

About:

Hybodont sharks have been reported for the first time from the Jurassic rocks (approximately, between 160 and 168 million-years-old) of the Jaisalmer region of Rajasthan.
Hybodonts, an extinct group of sharks, was a dominant group of fishes in both marine and fluvial environments during the Triassic and early Jurassic time.
However, hybodont sharks started to decline in marine environments from the Middle Jurassic onwards until they formed a relatively minor component of open-marine shark assemblages.
Hybodonts finally became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous time 65 million years ago.
Significantly, the newly discovered crushing teeth from Jaisalmer represent a new species named by the research team as Strophodus jaisalmerensis.
The genus Strophodus has been identified for the first time from the Indian subcontinent and is only the third such record from Asia, the other two being from Japan and Thailand.
The new species has recently been included in the Shark references.com, an international platform operating in association with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Species Survival Commission (SSC), and Germany.

Source : LiveMint

9. TRANSPARENT CERAMICS

Indian researchers have developed transparent ceramics, reaching theoretical transparency through a technique called colloidal processing followed by simultaneous application of temperature and pressure, for the first time in India.

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The material can be used for thermal imaging applications, especially in harsh service conditions and personal protection systems such as, helmets, face shields, and goggles.
Transparent ceramics is a new class of advanced materials with unique transparency and excellent mechanical properties.
These materials can be designed not only for transparent to visible light but also for ultraviolet (UV), Infrared (IR), and Radiofrequency (RF), giving opportunity for diverse applications.
Though produced by different countries globally, transparent ceramics are restricted in supply as they can be used for strategic applications in infantry personal protection systems involving thermal imaging such as helmets, face shields, and goggles.

Source : PIB

10. ‘SHOONYA’ CAMPAIGN

NITI Aayog, with RMI and RMI India’s support, launched Shoonya—an initiative to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles by working with consumers and industry.

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The campaign aims to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the urban deliveries segment and create consumer awareness about the benefits of zero-pollution delivery.
As part of the campaign, a corporate branding and certification programme is being launched to recognise and promote industry’s efforts towards transitioning to EVs for final-mile deliveries.
An online tracking platform will share the campaign’s impact through data such as vehicle kilometers electrified, carbon savings, criteria pollutant savings and other benefits from clean delivery vehicles.

Important Info :

Background

Urban freight vehicles account for 10 percent of freight transportation-related CO2 emissions in India, and these emissions are expected to grow by 114 percent by 2030.
EVs emit no tailpipe emissions, which can contribute immensely to an improved air quality.

Source : PIB

11. TARBALLS

In this month alone, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has removed over 20,000 kg of tarballs from Juhu and Versova beaches.

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Tarballs are dark-coloured, sticky balls of oil that form when crude oil floats on the ocean surface. Tarballs are formed by weathering of crude oil in marine environments.
They are transported from the open sea to the shores by sea currents and waves.
Some of the balls are as big as a basketball while others are smaller globules.
Tarballs stick to the cleaning machinery and are very difficult to wash off.

Important Info :

Why are tarballs found on the beaches during the monsoon?

It is suspected that the oil comes from the large cargo ships in the deep sea and gets pushed to the shore as tarballs during monsoon due to wind speed and direction.
All the oil spilt in the Arabian sea eventually gets deposited on the western coast in the form of tarballs in the monsoon season when wind speed and circulation pattern favour transportation of these tarballs.

Source : Indian Express

16 SEPTEMBER 2021 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS | UPSC CDS CAPF AFCAT NDA SSB

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15 SEPTEMBER 2021 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS | UPSC CDS CAPF AFCAT NDA SSB

17 SEPTEMBER 2021 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS | UPSC CDS CAPF AFCAT NDA SSB

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