28 September 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

28 September 2019 - Daily Current Affairs

1. 5th Indian International Science Festival to be held in Kolkata  

• Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has announced to organise the 5th edition Indian International Science Festival (IISF) in Kolkata. (5^th to 8^th November 2019)
• The theme for 2019 is “RISEN India – Research, Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation”.
• The objective of the festival is to celebrate India’s scientific and technological advancements with the participation of students, innovators, scientists, craftsmen and farmers.
• ‘IISF 2019’ is expected to host a gathering of around 12,000 participants, including nearly 8,000 students, from India and abroad.
• This year’s IISF will also witness the Science Literature Festival ‘Vigyanika’, where several programmes related to the various genre will be organised.

Note:

• India International Science Festival (IISF) 2019 is an annual event organised jointly by science & technology- related Ministries and Departments of the Government of India and Vijnana Bharati (Vibha), 2019.

• 1^st & 2^nd (2015,2016) -- New Delhi
• 3^rd (2017) -- Chennai
• 4^th (2018) --Lucknow
• 5^th (2019) -- Kolkata

Source: PIB

Important Days

2. World Rabies Day being observed today

• World Rabies Day is observed on 28th September (since-2007) across the world to raise awareness about the rabies disease and its preventable measures.
• The day also marks the anniversary of French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur's death, who developed the first rabies vaccine.
• The World Rabies Day 2019 theme is Rabies: Vaccinate to Eliminate.
• This year’s theme focuses on vaccination, the foundation of all rabies control efforts.

Note:

• Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute inflammation of the brain in humans and other mammals.
• The day also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur's death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine.

National Affairs

3. Jharkhand’s Karmatand block named after Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

• The Jharkhand government has named Jamtara districts Karmatand block as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar block as a mark of respect on the birth anniversary of the great social reformer.
• Now the block will be known as Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar prakhand.
• Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar spent 18-years of his life at Karmatand.
• Jamtaras Karmatand prakhand (block) was the ‘karma bhumi’ (workplace) of social reformer and a strong supporter of women’s education Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Note:

• Bengali polymath and a key figure of the Bengal Renaissance ‘Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’ was born on 26^th September 1820.
• He was a philosopher, academic educator, writer, translator, printer, publisher, entrepreneur, reformer and philanthropist.

Source: The Hindu

4. National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) to be ready by January 2020

• The work on the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) set up to track any terror suspect and prevent terrorist attacks with real-time data, has been accelerated.
• This move comes after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the progress of NATGRID project (worth Rs.3400 crore).
• NATGRID will start functioning by January 2020.

Note:

• National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) is a robust intelligence gathering mechanism related to banking, immigration, individual taxpayers, air and train travels.
• The data recovery centre of the NATGRID has been constructed in Bengaluru, Karnataka and Delhi (headquarter).
• NATGRID will have data related to all immigration entry and exit, air flyers, credit card purchases, banking and financial transactions, individual taxpayers, telecom, and train travellers among others to generate intelligence inputs.

5. Goa govt. bans single-use plastic in its offices from Oct 2

• The Goa Government has decided to ban the usage of single-use plastic water bottles, glasses, plates from 2^nd October 2019 onwards.
• The state government wants to promote eco-friendly and re-usable items in the coastal state.
• Last month, the Goa Legislative Assembly passed a bill banning manufacture, sale and use of single-use plastic items and carry bags, with a penalty ranging from Rs 2,500 to Rs. 3 lakh for violators.

6. Dr Harsh Vardhan launches ‘TB Harega Desh Jeetega’ Campaign

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched the new TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign.
• The Union Health Minister also flagged off a van for the National TB Prevalence Survey.
• All twenty-five vans will be part of the prevalence survey, which shall take 6 months and be carried out across the country.
• In April 2018, the government launched the ‘Nikshay Poshan Yojana’, a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme to provide nutritional support to TB patients.
• Under the scheme, TB patients have been receiving Rs 500 per month for the entire duration of treatment.

International Affairs

7. Bangladesh lifts the ban on Hilsa export to India

• Bangladesh has lifted the ban on the exports of Hilsa fish to India as a goodwill gesture during the Durga Puja.
• Bangladesh will allow 500 tonnes of Hilsa fish for the occasion as a one-time arrangement.
• Export of the popular Hilsa (or ‘Ilish’) fish from Bangladesh was banned in 2012 after local business establishments called for controlling the price of fishes.

Note:

• Bangladesh accounts for nearly 75% of world Hilsa production and nearly 2 million people get direct and indirect employment from its cultivation.

Source: DD News

8. Mahatma Gandhi's 80-year-old letter wishing Jews "era of peace" unveiled in Israel

• A short-hand- written letter by Mahatma Gandhi 80-years-ago has been unveiled for the first time by the National Library of Israel (NLI).
• Gandhi Ji was wishing the "afflicted (Jewish) people" an "era of peace" in the letter, written on the same day World War II broke out.
• Gandhi wrote the letter to Head of the Bombay Zionist Association, A E Shohet, who was trying to enlist the support of Indian leaders in favour of the movement to establish a national home for the Jewish people.
• Written on Rosh Hashana (Jewish new year) on September 1, 1939, the letter also marked the beginning of the war when Germany invaded Poland. It also set the stage for the despicable atrocities of the Holocaust.
• The timing of the greeting reflects the extent to which Nazi persecution of Jews was of concern to the global citizenry at the time.

Note:

• Gandhi's greetings came to light as part of a major initiative launched by NLI, with support from Leir Foundation, to review and describe millions of items in its archival collections

Source: AIR News

Books & Author

9. Siddharth Shanghvi pens book on mortality titled ‘Loss’

• Award-winning author Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi will come out with a memoir on death and grief, drawing on a string of personal losses - of his parents and a beloved pet
• In 'Loss', the author will chart the landscape of bereavement as he takes the reader down the dark, winding path to healing.
• Some of the other books by Goa-based Siddharth are “The Last Song of Dusk”, “The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay” and “The Rabbit & the Squirrel”.

Banking & Finance

10. Airtel Payments Bank partners with HDFC ERGO, launches innovative (MDPP)

• Airtel Payments Bank and HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company under the corporate agency tie-up launched an innovative Mosquito Diseases Protection Policy (MDPP).
• The partnership aims to bring together the deep distribution network of Airtel Payments Bank and the strong innovation pipeline of HDFC ERGO to contribute to financial inclusion in the country.
• Mosquito Disease Protection Policy offers cover against seven common mosquito-borne diseases - Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis) and Zika virus.
• The product, which is a part of the 'Wallet Insurance Portfolio' of HDFC ERGO, will be offered to the remittance customers of Airtel Payments Bank at a nominal cost of Rs 99 per annum

Source: Business standard

Science & Defence

11. India, US, Japan begin trilateral maritime exercise ‘MALABAR 2019’

• India, the US and Japan began the trilateral maritime exercise 'Malabar 2019'  in the Pacific Ocean (from 26 Sep to 04 Oct 19)
• ‘MALABAR 2019’ would endeavour to further strengthen India - Japan - US Naval cooperation and enhance interoperability, based on shared values and principles.
• Two front lines indigenously designed and built Indian Naval Ships, the Multipurpose Guided Missile Frigate Sahyadri and ASW Corvette Kiltan, will participate in the Exercise.

Source: India Today

12. 2nd 'Singapore - India' Hackathon organised at IIT Madras

• 2nd edition of ‘Singapore - India Hackathon’ has been organised at IIT Madras, Chennai to promote innovation.
• India-Singapore Hackathon is the first of its kind joint International hackathon between India and Singapore during which the selected bright students from India and Singapore.
• They will work in collaboration to develop an innovative and out-of-the-box solution for some of the daunting problems faced by our societies.
• This year, the hackathon is focused on quality education, Good Health and clean energy.
• 20 teams with 6 team members each is participating in the hackathon.
• Top teams will win prizes from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.