International Affairs
India assures ASEAN of its upport in post-pandemic period
India has assured ASEAN partners of its support in the recovery efforts in the post-pandemic period.
The assurance was given during the 18th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultations meeting attended by the Economic Ministers of all ten ASEAN countries.
The ten ASEAN countries are- Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Quick Fact: The full form of ASEAN is “Association of Southeast Asian Nations”
Science and Technology
IIT Bombay launches ‘Project Udaan’
IIT Bombay launched ‘Project Udaan’ on the occasion of Hindi Diwas recently.
Project Udaan was launched with the aim of breaking the language barrier that many students face while joining the institutes of higher education.
The project enables the translation of engineering textbooks and other study materials from English to Hindin and other Indian languages.
Quick Fact: IIT Bombay was established in 1958.
Economy
Ministry of Agriculture signs five MoUs with Private companies
Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare signed five MoUs with private companies recently.
The MoUs were signed for pilot projects with five companies- CISCO, ITC Limited, Ninjacart, Jio Platforms Limited, and NCDEX e-markets Limited.
The pilot projects will help the farmers in making informed decisions on what crop to grow, the variety to be used and best practices to adopt to maximize yield.
Quick Fact: MoUs were signed as part of the Agriculture Ministry’s Digital Agriculture Mission.
Person in News
Raja Randhir Singh appointed as the acting President of Olympic Council of Asia
India’s Raja Randhir Singh has taken over as the acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia as Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad A-Sabah appeals a guilty verdict in Swiss forgery trials.
Raja, a five-time Olympic shooter and an Asian Games gold-medallist in 1978 was promoted as an honorary vice president.
Singh has been a part of OCA as secretary-general for 24 years since 1991 and is the longest-serving executive board member.
Quick Fact: Olympic Council of Aisa is headquartered in Kuwait City, Kuwait.
Economy
Paytm Payments Bank launches FASTag-based metro parking facility
Paytm Payments Bank Ltd. (PPBL) has launched India’s first FASTag-based metro parking facility at the Kashmere gate metro station in collaboration with DMRC.
Paytm Payments Bank will be the acquiring bank to facilitate the processing of all FASTag-based transactions for cars having a valid FASTag sticker.
The parking facility is the first to accept payment via UPI mode launched for two-wheeler vehicles entering the parking site.
Quick Fact: Satish Kumar Gupta is the MD and CEO of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd.
Summits and Conferences
PM Narendra Modi to attend first in-person Quad Summit at White House
PM Narendra Modi is set to attend the first-ever in-person Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) Leaders’ Summit at the White House in Washington DC on September 24, 2021.
The quad nation comprises- India, Japan, the US, and Australia.
PM Modi will also address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on his first visit since President Joe Biden assumed office.
Miscellaneous
Bhanumati Gheewala to get National Florence Nightingale Award 2021
The Florence Nightingale Award will be given to a nurse, Bhanumati Gheewala from Sir Sayajirao General Hospital, Gujarat.
Bhanumati was in charge of COVID-19 positive pregnant women’s deliveries and infant care, carrying her duties even in a waterlogged hospital.
The Florence Nightingale Award is given by the Indian Nursing Council, a statuary agency under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
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