VISION

1)  Kibithu Military Garrison camp named after Bipin Rawat

•The military camp at Kibithu Garrison, which is very close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, has been renamed as ‘Gen Bipin Rawat military garrison’ in honour of the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who was killed in a chopper crash last December. As a young Colonel, Rawat commanded his Battalion 5/11 Gorkha Rifles at Kibithu from 1999-2000 and contributed immensely to strengthening the security structure in the area.

•Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu named the 22 km long road from Walong to Kibithu as ‘General Bipin Rawat Marg’. A life-size mural of General Rawat was also unveiled on the occasion.

2)  President Droupadi Murmu nominated Gulam Ali from J&K to Rajya Sabha

•Gulam Ali, a Gurjar Muslim from Jammu and Kashmir, has been nominated to Rajya Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu on the recommendation of the Central government. In the notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause (I) of article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to nominate Shri Gulam Ali to the Council of States to fill the vacancy caused due to the retirement of one of the nominated members.”

•This is for the first time a Gurjar Muslim from the region has been sent to the Rajya Sabha as a nominated member. This is a significant step assuming that prior to abrogation of Article 370, the community was literally not recognised and all social benefits to them were denied.” The Modi government abrogated Article 370 in August 2019 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The article gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

3)  Uttar Pradesh tops in India, 8462 lakes developed under Mission Amrit Sarovar

•Uttar Pradesh becomes the first state in India to construct 8,642 Amrit Sarovar (Lakes) in India. Amrit Sarovar is an ambitious mission initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which aims to conserve water for the future. Madhya Pradesh is in the second position, Jammu and Kashmir in third, Rajasthan in fourth, and Tamil Nadu ranked in the fifth position.

•Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, secured the first position within the state by constructing 256 Amrit Sarovar. Gorakhpur secured the second position by constructing 245 lakes, and Pratapgarh secured the third position by constructing 231 lakes.

4)  National Defense MSME Conclave and Exhibition begins in Kota, Rajasthan

•National Defense MSME Conclave and Exhibition: The two-day National Defense MSME Conclave and Exhibition begins in Kota, Rajasthan. In the exhibition, defence gear including T-90 and BMP-2 tanks, artillery cannons, numerous sniper and machine gun types, and military bridges are on display.

5)  Iran May Urge India to Restart Oil Import

•India will look to resume buying crude oil from Iran the moment US sanctions are eased, helping it diversify its import basket, a senior government official said. India stopped importing oil from Iran in mid-2019 following sanctions on the Persian Gulf nation by the Trump administration. The US and other world powers are meeting in Vienna to revive the Iran nuclear deal.

6)  Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Clashes Again

•Fresh clashes broke out  between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with each side reporting casualties and blaming the other for the violence. Armenia said Azerbaijani forces attacked several points near the border, killing 49 Armenian soldiers. Azerbaijan said Armenian forces fired on its positions, leaving an unspecified number of casualties. The two countries have had a decades-long conflict involving the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is inside Azerbaijan but populated mainly by ethnic Armenians.

7)  Qimingxing-50: China’s First Fully Solar-powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)

•China has successfully tested its first fully solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which can fly for months and can function even as a satellite if required. The maiden flight of Qimingxing-50 has been achieved, making it the first large-sized UAV powered only by solar energy, a Chinese government official informed in a tweet.

8)  Los Angeles named September 17 as ‘Squid Game’ Day

•The City of Los Angeles has officially designated September 17 Squid Game Day, in recognition of the South Korean Netflix series’ achievements. “Squid Game” was nominated for 14 Emmy Awards in July and is the first non-English language series to earn a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. It was also the first Korean and first non-English language series to win a Screen Actors Guild Award.

•The resolution noted that Squid Game retains its place as the most-watched Netflix original to date, and that “it was the first ever Korean series on Netflix to reach number one in the US, breaking the barrier that many foreign languages shows a face with Western audiences simply because of subtitles”. It also noted that Squid Game successfully introduced diverse facets of Korean culture not just to audiences in the US but across the globe; it has also done so by receiving nominations and awards at numerous American and international ceremonies alike, largely as the first Korean and first foreign-language series to achieve such feats.

9)  Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi to be next Attorney General for India

•Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi is set to be appointed the 14th Attorney General for India again after KK Venugopal vacates the post. This will be Rohatgi’s second time as AG, after his first stint between June 2014 and June 2017. At the end of June this year, AG Venugopal’s tenure was extended for a period of three months or “until further orders”. This extension is set to expire on September 30.

•Rohtagi will take the seat of the country’s top law officer from 1st October. People aware of the matter said Rohatgi gave his consent for assuming the top post last week following a request from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Rohatgi was Attorney General for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government between 2014 and 2017, soon after the new dispensation took over.

10)  Burjeel Holdings appoints SRK as brand ambassador

•Burjeel Holdings, a private healthcare services provider in the MENA region has signed Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan as its new brand ambassador. The company is owned by UAE-based Indian entrepreneur Shamsheer Vayalil. The actor will appear in a multi-platform advertising campaign in the region for the group that will be unveiled in the coming weeks. This will be the actor’s first healthcare ambassador role. In the past, the actor has also tied up with Dubai’s tourism board to be one its brand ambassadors. But that partnership ended as of early 2022. He was also the first Indian celebrity to have received the UAE golden visa.

11)  Sachin Bansal helmed Navi Technologies approved by Sebi, for IPO

•Navi Technologies approved by SEBI: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given Sachin Bansal’s fintech business Navi Technologies the go-ahead for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), which will help the Flipkart co-founder in his efforts to build a financial services conglomerate.

 Hindi Diwas or Hindi Day is observed every year on 14 September to mark the popularity of Hindi as an official language of India. The language was adopted under Article 343 of the Indian Constitution. The first Hindi day was celebrated on 14th September 1953. Hindi is one of the major languages used in India as a large portion of the country’s population knows and uses the language. Schools, colleges and other educational institutions celebrate Hindi Diwas by organising various programs.

Why is Hindi Diwas celebrated?

Hindi Diwas is celebrated to commemorate the adoption of Hindi in the Devanagari script as one of the official languages of the nation. Hindi was adopted by the National Constitution on September 14, 1949 and it became the official language of the country. India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, decided to celebrate September 14 as Hindi Diwas.

Hindi Diwas also marks celebrating the birthday of Beohar Rajendra Simha who played a crucial role in getting Hindi in the Devanagari script approved as an official language of India. He was born on 14 September 1916.

Interesting facts about the Hindi language:

• Hindi language is written in Devnagiri script and is a descendant of Sanskrit.
• Over 50 crore people in India speak Hindi.
• Commonly used Hindi words like ‘Surya Namaskar’ and ‘Jugaad’ are part of the Oxford Dictionary.
• First journal in the Hindi language was published on the Internet in 2000.
• The word Hindi is derived from the Persian Word Hind which means “Land of Indus River”.
• Hindi is the fourth most spoken language of the world. The first three are Chinese, Spanish and English.
• Hindi is spoken in countries like Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, UAE, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Tobago, etc.
• Central Hindi Directorate, Government of India regulate the provisions regarding the Hindi language.
• The first state of India that accepted Hindi as its official language was Bihar.
• The first Hindi poem was composed and released by Amir Khusro.'
• The former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee delivered a speech in the Hindi Language at the United Nations in 1977.

Article 343: Official Language of the Union

📰 Understanding windfall tax

1)  National Maritime Heritage Complex to be built in Gujarat

•Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is building the National Maritime Heritage Complex at the historic Indus Valley civilization region of Lothal in Gujarat with a total cost of 3500 crores rupees. The first-of-its-kind complex in India, this centre will showcase India’s rich and diverse maritime heritage. The foundation stone for the NMHC project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the consent for the master plan was given in March 2019.

2)  Uttar Pradesh Government to Provide a Unique Farm ID to the Farmers

•Uttar Pradesh government will provide a Unique Farm ID to the farmers, which will be linked to Aadhar to provide them with all benefits of government schemes. The Unique Farm ID will be similar to the Aadhar card. The government is planning to use Aadhar verification to implement the Unique Farm ID card scheme for the farmers.

3)  Per Capita Government Spending on Healthcare Increases by 74% Since 2013-14

•The per capita government spending on healthcare has increased by 74 per cent since 2013-14. As per National Health Accounts Estimates India 2018-19, the per capita government spending in 2013-14 was one thousand forty-two rupees, which has increased to one thousand eight hundred and fifteen rupees. It said, government’s share in the overall spending on health in the country is increasing steadily. The government’s share in current health expenditure has increased from 23.2 per cent in 2013-14 to 34.5 per cent in 2018-19.

4)  India’s Rice Export Curbs Paralyse Asia Trade

•India’s restrictions on rice exports have paralysed trading in Asia, with buyers scouring for alternative supplies from Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar where seller are holding off on deals as prices rise, industry officials said. India, the world’s biggest exporter of the grain, banned shipments of broken rice and imposed a 20% duty on exports of various other types as the country tries to boost supplies and calm prices after below-average monsoon rainfall curtailed planting.

5)  Cyber Crime Investigation and Intelligence Summit 2022

•Cyber Crime Investigation and Intelligence Summit 2022: The 4th Cyber Crime Investigation and Intelligence Summit-2022 is being organised by the Madhya Pradesh Police to improve the knowledge and abilities of police sub-inspectors and senior investigating officers in order to effectively prevent cybercrimes. Yogesh Deshmukh, Additional Director General of Police, State Cyber Police Headquarters, stated during the summit’s curtain-raiser ceremony that more than 6000 people had registered to attend.

6)  Railroads to launch new version of the Vande Bharat 2 high-speed train

•New version of the Vande Bharat 2: The Indian Railways will launch the new Vande Bharat Express, a high-speed train in its ongoing effort to provide passengers with the best amenities. According to the Ministry of Railways, Vande Bharat 2 According to the ministry, Vande Bharat 2 will have further improvements and developments, including a faster 0 to 100 Kmph time of just 52 seconds, a top speed of 180 Kmph, a lighter weight of 392 tonnes, and WI-FI content that is available when needed.

7)  Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel announces first-ever Cinematic Tourism Policy 2022-2027

•Gujarat Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel has announced Gujarat’s first-ever ‘Cinematic Tourism Policy’ in the presence of dignitaries including actor Ajay Devgan, and State Government Minister Shri. Purnesh Modi and Shri Arvind Raiyani. This new policy will create viable opportunities for film production in Gujarat and also provide employment opportunities to local people. There are many places in Gujarat like the White Desert of Kutch, Shivrajpur Beach where there are ample opportunities to become shooting spots.

8)  King Charles names William and Kate as the Prince and Princess of Wale

•Britain’s King Charles has bestowed the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales on his eldest son William and daughter-in-law Kate, passing on the titles that he and his late wife Diana previously held. Charles, who became Prince of Wales in 1958, automatically became king on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.

•Delivering his first speech to the nation since the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth, Charles said he was proud to make his heir William the Prince of Wales, a title Charles had held since 1958.

•Mr. William and Ms. Kate, both 40, have taken on central roles within the royal family in recent years, appearing regularly in public and increasingly taking their three young children to events such as the queen’s Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.  Ms. Kate appreciated the history associated with the title but would seek to create her own path as Princess of Wales.

9)  RBI Sells $13 billion in August to Hold Rupee at 80

•India’s foreign exchange reserves slumped by over $2 billion in the week ending August 12, as the Reserve Bank of India intervened to shore up the rupee and keep the currency below 80 per dollar. That is an effort the Indian central bank has said was essential, and it would do whatever it takes to maintain the rupee’s stability, limiting any wild swings despite extremely volatile currency markets. The RBI’s weekly statistical supplement data showed that the country’s forex reserves slumped to $570.74 billion in the week ending August 12, down by $2.238 billion from $572.978 billion in the previous week. The magnitude of that fall in the latest week was the largest in a month, and the country’s import cover dipped for the second week.

10)  Retail Inflation Resurges To 7% As Food Prices Increases

•Price pressures returned to the Indian economy in August, with retail inflation quickening to 7% after cooling to a five-month low in July. The increase, led by food prices, makes it the eighth month that retail inflation has stayed above the central bank’s upper tolerance limit of 6%, strengthening the case for continued monetary tightening.

11)  Max Verstappen denies Charles Leclerc in Monza for fifth straight victory

•Max Verstappen won the Formula One Italian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen claimed his first win or podium finish, at Monza after fighting from seventh on the grid to beat Charles Leclerc over the line. He is 116 points ahead of Charles Leclerc in the driver standings after winning a race whose final six laps were run with the safety car after Daniel Riccardo slid off the track.

📰 Great G20 power, great responsibility

 Why in news?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and hoped for an early restoration of normalcy in flood ravaged Pakistan.

What is the current Pakistan flood about?

• The flood has devastated the regions of Sindh and Baluchistan (Western half of Pakistan) badly, although Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa too have been affected.
• Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority claimed that about 15% of the country’s population had been affected by the floods.
• More than 3,500 people have been injured, and there are massive shortages of wheat and fuel.
• Preliminary estimates suggest a third of the country’s cultivated land have been inundated.
• About 2 million homes will have to be rebuilt from scratch.

How is the current Indo-Pak relation?

 Why in news?

On Teachers Day, PM Modi announced the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) Scheme to transform 14,500 schools into model institutions to achieve the objectives of National Education Policy, 2020.

What is the scheme?

Only IAS Prahaar Ethics Mains Notes 2022 PDF