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PM Modi meets Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah during his visit to Brunei. (Photo credits: narendramodi/X)UPSC Current Affairs Pointers is an initiative of UPSC Essentials to consolidate your prelims exam prep. Every Monday, take a quick look at last week’s current affairs tidbits curated specially for those preparing for UPSC, State PSC, and various other competitive examinations.
If you missed the UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | August 26 to September 1, 2024, from the Indian Express, read it here.
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— The Union Cabinet has approved the Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment (BioE3) Policy.
— The policy is aimed at ‘Fostering High-Performance Biomanufacturing’ aligned with National initiatives of the government of India such as ‘Net Zero’ carbon economy and Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for the environment).
— The Department of Biotechnology is piloting this policy.
— The Union Cabinet has approved the Rs 2,817-crore Digital Agriculture Mission for the creation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in the farm sector on September 2, 2024.
— Three major components of DPI are envisaged under the Digital Agriculture Mission: AgriStack, Krishi Decision Support System (DSS), and Soil Profile Maps.
— The AgriStack consists of three foundational agri-sector registries or databases: Farmers’ Registry, Geo-referenced Village Maps, and Crop Sown Registry, all of which will be created and maintained by state/ UT governments.
— Krishi-DSS will create a comprehensive geospatial system to unify remote sensing-based information on crops, soil, weather, and water resources, etc.
— Under the Soil Profile Maps, a detailed Soil Profile Maps of about 142 million hectares of agricultural land are envisaged to be prepared.
— The 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maan was launched by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
— It is a month-long (September 1-30) campaign that aims to intensify efforts to combat malnutrition and promote holistic well-being across the nation.
— The Union government has set up the 23rd Law Commission for three years (September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2027) to identify laws that have become obsolete and can be repealed.
— The commission will include a full-time chairperson, four full-time members, the Secretaries of the Legal Affairs and Legislative departments as ex-officio members and up to five part-time members. The government has yet to appoint the members.
— The chairman of the 22nd Law Commission was Ritu Raj Awasthi, now a member of the Lokpal. The report of the 22nd Law Commission hasn’t been published yet.
— Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei Darussalam, on September 3 for his official visit to the country.
— This visit marked the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei Darussalam.
— Brunei is an important partner in India’s ‘Act East’ Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision.
— Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, who is the longest reigning monarch in the world and has been among the world’s richest for decades, has paid four visits to India so far.
— The prime minister inaugurated a new Chancery of the High Commission of India and visited the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque.
— The mosque is named after Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei (father of the current Sultan, who also initiated its construction), and was completed in 1958.
(Source: mea.gov.in)
Modi conveyed that he looks forward to welcoming Tharman to India next year. (X/ narendramodi)
— Prime Minister of India, paid an Official Visit to Singapore on 04-05 September 2024 during the second leg of a two-nation trip to South-East Asia this week.
— The Prime Minister was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Parliament House by Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Lawrence Wong.
— Both nations elevated their bilateral ties to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” and signed four MoUs for cooperation in Semiconductors, Digital Technologies, Skill Development and Healthcare.
— The Thanjavur Veena has become the first musical instrument in the country to get the GI (Geographical Indication) tag.
(Source: tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in)
— The overnight rain in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh has caused the Budameru Rivulet to overflow, flooding low-lying areas such as Singh Nagar and Nandamuri Nagar.
— The rivulet originates in the Khammam district.
— Super Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm in Asia this year, made landfall in northern Vietnam on September 7, 2024, causing widespread destruction.
President Droupadi Murmu and CJI D Y Chandrachud with the new Supreme Court flag, in New Delhi on Sunday. (PTI)
— The National Conference of District Judiciary was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
— The PM unveiled the stamp and coin commemorating 75 years of the establishment of the Supreme Court of India.
— President Droupadi Murmu unveiled the flag and insignia of the Supreme Court. In her address, she mentions the ‘Black Coat Syndrome’ highlighting the huge pendency of cases in the judiciary.
Military aircraft during the second phase of multinational air exercise Traang Shakti, Jodhpur. (PTI)
— The second phase of Tarang Shakti 2024 is ongoing in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
— It is the largest-ever multilateral exercise of the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted for the first time.
— The exercise comprises two phases. The First phase of ‘Tarang Shakti’ was held at Sulur in Tamil Nadu from August 6-14, and the second phase is ongoing from August 29-September 14 in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur.
(Just FYI: Noting historical personalities’ anniversaries aids UPSC prep. UPSC often includes such personalities in questions, so revisiting their lives refreshes your static syllabus.)
— K J Baby was the writer and social activist who worked for the upliftment of tribals in Wayanad died on September 1 at the age of 70.
— He is known for an unconventional school ‘Kanav’, which he had established in 1991 for tribal students.
— His major literary contributions include ‘ Nadugadhika’, ‘Mavelimantram’, ‘ Bespurkkana’, and ‘Goodbye Malabar’. Mavelimantram, which bagged the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 1994, is reckoned as a milestone in Malayalam Dalit literature.
— Michel Barnier has been appointed as the new French Prime Minister by President Emmanuel Macron.
— Barnier is a member of The Republicans, France’s main conservative party.
— Veteran film critic, curator, and author Aruna Vasudev — fondly known as “the mother of Asian cinema” died at the age of 88.
— In 1988, she founded the Delhi-based film magazine Cinemaya: The Asian Film Quarterly to cover Asian films. Three years later, she established the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC). In 1999, she also launched the Osian Cinefan Film Festival in Delhi.
(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)
— Recently, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that he “personally” believes that the name of the prestigious 156-year-old Ravenshaw University in Cuttack should be changed.
— Ravenshaw University was established in 1868, starting as a small school. It became a college in 1876 and was originally called Cuttack College, later renamed Ravenshaw College in honor of T.E. Ravenshaw (1878).
— T.E. Ravenshaw played a pivotal role in the establishment of educational institutes in the region. He also advocated for women’s education in Odisha.
— The 1866 famine in Odisha led to severe drought in eastern India, causing deaths and destruction. In the aftermath of this, a commission was established under the Chairmanship of George Campbell to investigate the causes of famine.
— In the background of this, T. E. Ravenshaw submitted a memorandum asking for establishing a degree college in Orissa.
— Namibia has planned to cull hundreds of its most majestic wild animals, including dozens of elephants and hippopotamuses, to provide meat for its 1.4 million people, who are reeling under the worst drought in a century.
— Namibia is located in drought-prone southern Africa, and frequently witnesses such events.
— Windhoek is the capital of Namibia and Nangolo Mbumba is the President.
— At least one person died after the ice cave partially collapsed on the tourists visiting the Breidamerkurjokull glacier in Iceland.
— Iceland is experiencing a surge of tourists who want to see glaciers before they melt.
— In 2019, the Okjokull glacier became the first Icelandic glacier lost due to climate change.
(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)
— The Durand Cup, officially known as the IndianOil Durand Cup Powered by Coal India Limited, is an annual domestic football competition in India.
— It was established in 1888 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. It is the oldest club football tournament in Asia and the fifth-oldest national football competition in the world.
— NorthEast United FC emerged as the winner of the 133rd edition of the Durand Cup, claiming their maiden victory in the tournament. Mohun Bagan Super Giant finished as the runner-up.
(Source: durandcup.in)
— India has secured 4 gold medals in para-athletics, 1 gold in para-archery, 1 gold in shooting para-sport, and 1 gold in para-badminton. India is at 18th rank.
| Rank | Countries | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1. | China | 94 | 75 | 50 | 219 |
| 2. | Great Britain | 49 | 44 | 31 | 124 |
| 3. | USA | 36 | 41 | 27 | 104 |
| 18. | India | 7 | 9 | 13 | 29 |
— Rubina Francis, a para shooter from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, claimed India’s fifth medal at the Paris Paralympics by winning bronze in the P2 – 10m Air Pistol SH1 event.
— Sumit Antil won the gold medal in the men’s F64 javelin throw and became the first Indian male para-athlete to defend his title in the Paralympics. He has also achieved the feat with a new Paralympic record of 70.59m.
— Nitesh Kumar, a para-badminton player from Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, claimed the gold medal at the Paris Paralympics in Para badminton in the men’s singles SL3 category.
— Yogesh Kathuniya, Discus thrower, won silver in the men’s discus (F56) final with a discus throw of 42.22 metres. F56 is a classification in which athletes compete in a seated position.
— Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar won the Bronze medal in the mixed team event. Sheetal, at 17, became India’s youngest Paralympic medallist in history. She was the only female armless archer in Paris in 2024.
— Harvinder Singh won the gold medal in the Para Archery Men’s Individual Recurve Open at the Paralympics.
— Praveen Kumar won India’s 6th gold medal at the Paris Paralympics when he topped the podium in the Men’s High Jump T64 event.
— Navdeep Singh won a gold medal in men’s Javelin throw (F41) at the Paralympics. Navdeep had initially finished second, but was upgraded to gold medal after the initial winner from Iran, Sadegh Beit Sayah, was disqualified for unsporting or improper conduct.
— Agent Orange: Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, a Vietnamese doctor who has helped seek justice for victims of the powerful defoliant dioxin “Agent Orange” used by US forces during the Vietnam War is among this year’s winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards. Agent Orange was a toxic, plant-killing chemical (herbicide) that the U.S. military used to clear foliage during the Vietnam conflict. It is linked to cancer,birth defects and other disabilities.
— Irradiation technology: It involves exposing food, whether packaged or in bulk, to ionising radiation in a controlled environment. This method reduces the risk of foodborne illnesses by eliminating harmful microorganisms.
— Project Strawberry: The earlier code of the OpenAI Project-Q or Q star has been codenamed Project Strawberry. It uses a new and powerful large language model (LLM).
(Note: The best way to remember facts for UPSC and other competitive exams is to recall them through MCQs. Try to solve the following questions on your own.)
A. Breidamerkurjokull glacier is located in which of the following countries?
(a) Iceland
(b) Norway
(c) Denmark
(d) Sweden
B. Consider the following statements about the Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment (BioE3) Policy:
1. The policy is aligned with national initiatives the ‘Net Zero’ carbon economy and Mission LiFE.
2. It is launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
C. Indian Air Force has conducted the largest-ever multilateral exercise in India. It is conducted in two phases. The first phase of the exercise was conducted in Tamil Nadu. It also saw the participation of Pacific Air Force units.
Which of the following military exercises is the above description about?
(a) Malabar
(b) Tarang Shakti
(c) Dharma Guardian
(d) Surya Kiran
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNesF36gKu4?si=aBSCGlSMc_Ga9Ugs
